In a month intended to celebrate those on the fringes of the cultural landscape, a slick hour of observational comedy like Emancipated can easily be underappreciated. Emmanuel Sonubi, a former bouncer with a charming passion for musical theatre, is relatable with a capital ‘R’, regaling audiences with trad material about parenting, gigging on cruise ships, and more ‘then I got off the bus . . . ’ gags than a night at Jongleurs.  

But there’s enough edge in Sonubi’s material to make him much more than a Michael McIntyre-alike, not least the breadth of life experience he brings from his time as a bouncer, which finds him wrestling with the contradiction between his overbearing physical frame and a clear good-nature. Adding even more to the pizzazz-factor here is Sonubi’s mastery of a crowd. Here’s a man who can pinpoint the foibles of his audience and tie them seamlessly into punchlines. 

^{Pictures: Steve Ullathorne}

His alacrity as a performer makes it easy to gloss over the various cracks which appear throughout his hour as he pinballs from subject to subject without an obvious larger point. What could be core elements of his show, such as a recent heart attack or his fear that the modern sensitivity to offence is neutering comedy, come across as underdeveloped, like segments from a longer set that never quite came together.

And yet there’s no denying Sonubi his impeccable craft. If he’s shooting for a BBC One primetime slot, this is bang on target.

Underbelly Bristo Square, until 29 August, 6.10pm.