Symbolic of her tough, working-class Cornwall upbringing where her opportunities to own a pet were somewhat limited, Tamsyn Kelly has evolved a rat-like capacity to survive in modern comedy. Though now reasonably established in the industry, living in London, performing in Edinburgh and being saddled with a comedian boyfriend, means she’s always struggled to pay the bills. Both she and her partner are in a perpetual state of considering quitting, putting further strain on their slightly jaded relationship. And she remains full of resentment for her posh drama school contemporaries, who’ve breezed through life with none of the hardship she’s experienced, with even her recent confirmation of neurodivergence changing less in perceptions of her than a new elfin haircut.

The grimly sardonic Kelly retains her pride though. So when a viral online moment presents her with a lucrative but slightly dubious side hustle, she agonises over how far to embrace it. Merely the latest urgent meditation on disenfranchisement in the arts and the narrowing pool of talent, Rat’s Ass is an anguished but consistently amusing cry for recognition, with Kelly not so beaten down that she can’t convey the more ludicrous aspects of her battles.

Tamsyn Kelly: Rat’s Ass, Monkey Barrel Cabaret Voltaire, until 30 August, 4.20pm; picture: Rebecca Need-Menear.