Free afternoon? Why not sit in a hot room with 20 or so strangers and watch a man from Falkirk do his best impression of a black widow spider? Somehow, Alan Bissett turns this premise into something utterly compelling. The Red Hourglass is a series of monologues performed entirely by Bissett, who switches between a cast of arachnids (and one hawk wasp) trapped in a research facility. The comedy lies in the recognisably human personalities of these eight-legged beasts: the patriotic Scottish house spider, the neurotic recluse from Brooklyn, a particularly macho Venezuelan tarantula, a remorseful black widow with a Southern drawl, and that hawk wasp: a nippy-sweetie with a clipboard that you’ll likely recognise from Zoom meetings and work nights out.

Bissett’s physicality is impressive: he slips into new characters with ease and, occasionally, a pair of size ten high-heeled boots. It’s the tiny details and quirks that distinguish each spider, although some accents are considerably better than others (Bissett is certainly aware of this). But it’s his storytelling that really holds the hour together, conjuring vivid worlds from the lives of these bizarre creatures. The dry, observational, distinctly Scottish humour is accompanied by a lingering sense of unease, creating some jumpy horror moments. Memorable, funny and a bit spooky, this is a show that will probably leave you extra suspicious of your skirting boards.

Alan Bissett: The Red Hourglass, The Stand 2, until 29 August, 12.20pm.