Adelaide stand-up Thomas Green has crafted a slick and funny Edinburgh debut, an exploration of relationships, both family and professional. Having worked as a teacher, he's got stories about some very odd but likeable kids, and how the boundaries of teacher-child dynamics can become dangerously blurred.

Then he flips around and looks at his own childhood, and the way he learned that adults lie: a highlight is his parents' ingenious use of Scrabble to get them out of a compromising situation. Some of his other observational material relies a little too much on male and female stereotypes, but this is tempered by his love for Ryan Gosling, which allows for some fluidity.

As befits a good teacher, his projection is excellent and he's prepared well, with plenty of material for engaging the class. One curious tic he has, though, is to repeat that his relatives 'knocked him out', which begins to feel like he's laying claim to a catchphrase. If it is, then it's a rubbish one. It seems that he knows this show backwards, so it will be interesting to see if he has another one as good in him. But for now, he's proof that you don't need a gimmick to be great.

Gilded Balloon at the Counting House, until 28 Aug (not 22), 8.30pm, £6–£7 (£5–£6) or Pay What You Want.