It’s important to caveat that this performance of Oooky Pooky almost didn’t go ahead due to a very low audience turn-out. Reluctantly battling on with a crowd of five (including reviewer), it’s to Barnie Duncan’s credit that he put his all into this show, a surreal story about the discovery of a 1980 audio recording in which his mum supposedly predicted his future. Had he performed an hour of straightforward stand-up, the crowd might have perked up and supported him over the line, but instead he performed a wacky brand of physical comedy to a practical vacuum.

Throughout, he repeatedly refers to a historical incident in which he kissed a member of his audience without consent, and it has clearly forced him (ironically) into a deep introspection that would make an interesting show in itself (the title comes from his mum’s description of something distasteful). New Zealander Duncan is a Fringe veteran and his past incarnations include the wonderfully absurd Venezuelan DJ Juan Vesuvius, a character who really knows how to excite a room. Unfortunately, that energy was lacking here. At one point he breaks character and admits ‘I almost wasn’t going to be here’. You have to hand it to him for powering through.

Barnie Duncan: Oooky Pooky, Assembly Roxy, until 24 August, 7.05pm.