Performing the first three minutes of 17 shows is an ambitious task. Connecting them all together is even more so. At the top of Wambaugh’s debut hour, it’s easy to assume that these are a series of randomly selected albeit amusing skits. Surely a three-minute impression of a vacuum cleaner can’t tie into any larger narrative about loss and recovery? But through some ingenious writing, at times as heartbreaking as it is hilarious, Wambaugh somehow interweaves together themes of gender, family and relocation through a series of quirky set pieces. There’s a tonal shift during the more serious David Sedaris-esque essay parts, although Wambaugh still manages to mock this style astutely in her impressive pastiche.

The set will be a little too zany for some. If the thought of any form of audience participation makes your stomach churn, this is not the show for you. You may be invited to do the worm on stage, jump over a stool in an old-man wig, and you’ll definitely have to sing. It’s whimsical, good-natured fun, which Wambaugh is using to convey the deeper message of how important it is to step outside your comfort zone, which is exactly what she’s doing with her first full comedy show. With such ardent creativity on display, it will be fascinating to see what comes next.

Abby Wambaugh: The First 3 Minutes Of 17 Shows, Pleasance Courtyard, until 26 August, 4.35pm, 7.15pm; main picture: Marie Hald.