Nothing good comes out of small talk with strangers in a club smoking area; unless you happen to meet Freddie Meredith. Onscreen, his Instagram story plays as he reposts motivational videos interrupted by awkward mirror selfies, hilariously warming up the crowd. It’s as if David Brent had access to Instagram Reels. Meredith’s persona is comically convincing as he launches into gauche, cringeworthy conversations with audience members: barely making eye contact, stuttering as he asks, ‘so are you watching anything good at the moment?’ He holds the audience hostage, like that one relative to be avoided at all costs at a family event.

What makes all this so painfully funny is the control beneath the chaos; the slightest twitch, sideways glance or beat of silence is calculated for maximum cringe. Occasionally, the material caters to a younger audience, leaving those less versed in internet culture behind. Still, Meredith’s plea for friendship creates genuine affection, and he is rarely allowed to flounder alone: from audience members accompanying him to the toilet, to dancing in the ‘club’ and joining him in a brilliantly aggressive duet of ‘Shallow’. Meredith spends the performance ‘waiting for his friends’. By the end, he finds them among his crowd. 

Freddie Meredith: Need A Light?, Pleasance Courtyard, until 30 August, 5.50pm; picture: Rebecca Need-Menear.