Having recently turned 40, Jay Lafferty is not feeling sexy. But when she thinks about it, she’s never really felt sexy. There’s only one thing for it: take up pole dancing. Such an object looms on the stage for Bahookie’s duration. Does it foreshadow the finale? Will she or won’t she use it? She’s only been learning since the beginning of the year; is it possible to master it that quickly? 

But first Lafferty takes us on a journey through her lack of confidence and body worries. She has a down-to-earth quality that belies the brilliance of her comedy writing, luring you in like a funny mate then hitting you with anecdotes that would test the strength of anyone’s pelvic floor. There’s a vivid depiction of her pole dancing instructor Dan; she recounts, too, the indignity of the type of targeted advertising you suddenly see when you enter your 40s.

But a stand-out moment is a side-splitting account of how she lost her virginity on a boat. This show is as joyous as it is hilarious. And for non-Scots among the readers, bahookie means buttocks . . . 

Jay Lafferty: Bahookie, Gilded Balloon Teviot, until 28 August, 6.20pm.