Halfway through her set, Molly McGuinness cites Caroline Aherne as one of her heroes, which will come as no surprise to anyone familiar with the late character comic’s knack for underplaying her wit to make it sharper and more biting. McGuinness shares that same easy-going style and fondness for describing dark scenarios with the breezy air of a relative recounting a wander to the newsagents; she pushes her off-kilter likeability to its limit in the show’s opener by offering audience members food from a small buffet she’d prepared earlier (there are few things more charming than a thirtysomething mosher insisting members of her crowd eat a cheese ball from a paper plate).

The rapport McGuinness builds allows her to transition between crowd interaction and the meat of her story with an almost imperceptible ease, lulling everyone into an anecdote about her extended stay in hospital. There’s no trauma narrative here; simply a troubling time in her life which she peppers with good-natured jokes. While patchy moments and a conclusion that fizzles into an ellipsis make this a variable affair, McGuinness’ offbeat energy papers over any weaknesses. She’s an incredibly likeable comic harbouring a brittle streak that Aherne would be proud of. 

Molly McGuinness: Slob, Monkey Barrel Cabaret Voltaire, until 24 August, 2.55pm; main picture: Drew Forsyth.