James Trickey bursts into the room dancing, lights flashing and music blaring. Shedding his bucket hat and sunglasses, he reveals a surprising identity: a chartered accountant. The show plays with this contrast, weaving his expertise in risk and probability throughout. It’s a juxtaposition that clearly pays off, proving his gamble to quit accounting for comedy was a winning bet. This hour gives a hilarious insight into Trickey’s life, from his former vocation to his mixed heritage (his ‘old white man’ father and much younger Cambodian mother), the absurd racism he faced and how his mother gave him a name she couldn’t quite pronounce. 

The calculated risks don’t stop at career choices. Trickey revisits some of his personal plans that should have been solid; like his bread-based trust fund for his future kids or the gamble of going to a new barber. The audience is told of the pure delight of squeezing a whole tube of tomato puree, and an explanatory rap about probability that is as impressive as it is hilarious. Trickey’s command of the stage is absolute, his timing flawless. His performance is a seamless, polished delight that guarantees one thing: you will leave laughing. 

James Trickey: Don’t Count On Me, Pleasance Courtyard, until 24 August, 9.15pm; main picture: Rebecca Need-Menear.