Robin Grainger is, by his own admission, a chronic people pleaser. He’s seeing a counsellor to help him set boundaries and stop putting everyone else first. That means digging deep into his past, and he takes us along for the ride, sharing his worst stories from awkward auditions to giving away his lunch. His last two shows tackled heavy topics (the death of three close family members then his body-image struggles). This year, he planned to get jacked and tell an hour of light, silly jokes. But life always has other ideas, and so this new show touches on recent struggles including an ‘amicable’ break-up, homelessness and a legal struggle to get his dog back. 

Everything is tied to the topic of people pleasing, but the structure could be tighter as he jumps from earnest appeals to straight gags, sometimes jarringly. There are flashes of hilarious observational comedy sandwiched in, which don’t always fit within the wider narrative but remind you of just how funny he can be. Not his strongest hour, but it’s still full of heart, delivered by one of the most likeable comics on the circuit. There’s no denying that it is, indeed, a pleasing hour.

Robin Grainger: People Pleaser, The Stand 4, until 24 August, 8.20pm.