Who is Chris Grace? Who is Scarlett Johansson? Are we really in a Greggs prep kitchen? These are but a few of the questions that aren’t answered in the US comic’s outstanding hour. Over the next 60 minutes, Grace transports his audience away from the haar of Edinburgh and into a metaverse of his own creation, one in which Chris Grace is Scarlett Johansson playing Chris Grace playing Scarlett Johansson playing . . . Confused yet? Good, you’re supposed to be.

This is confusion as a force for good. Grace is an incredibly relaxed performer, which carries the audience along with the high-concept nature of this show. His half-hearted mimes of Johansson’s fight scenes from Marvel films are hilarious, as is the short stand-up routine that he performs in both English and Mandarin.

But alongside the meta-mayhem is a serious message. Grace recounts some shocking experiences he’s had as an Asian-American actor, which are cleverly contrasted with Johansson’s past comments that she should be able to play any role, including a Japanese character in the film Ghost In The Shell. This blend of comedy and poignancy doesn’t feel laboured at any point, which isn’t always easy to pull off.

This self-reflexivity is an effective vehicle in which to discuss these deeper issues at play, and Grace makes the point that this show wouldn’t need to exist if people were better at combatting and even recognising systemic racism. This is a brilliantly written and performed hour, and you’ll be thinking about it for a long time to come. 

Chris Grace: As Scarlett Johansson, Assembly George Square Studios, until 28 August, 1.40pm.