An Evening with Mr Paul Foot begins in the literal dark. Those unfamiliar with this comedian’s work may begin in the metaphoric dark. And even those familiar with his oeuvre – the ‘connoisseurs’, as he refers to them – may be vaguely puzzled by the show’s end, as Mr Foot reads from his ‘disturbances’, considers the return of Prussia, breaks into gibberish and ever-so-briefly caresses a horse in what proves to be an elegantly climactic finale.

If you think I’m giving the game away, you may be surprised to know he is kind enough to walk the audience through the show before it has even begun.

This show is presented as a kind of ‘best of’, a collection of standout routines, and it shows. Even just his opening drawl of “Hello” had the audience giggling and it only went up from there. Paul Foot’s strength is not only in his delightfully eccentric material – ranging from the whimsical to the outright violent – but the manic delivery that he brings to it, capering about the stage like a deranged clockwork toy. With his unruly mane and distinctive dress-sense, Paul Foot cuts an impressive figure on the stage, and when he begins to speak, the audience begins a descent into the mind of a comic genius. Or a total lunatic. Sometimes it’s hard to tell.

Performing at the Melbourne Town Hall until 17 April, An Evening with Mr Paul Foot is well worth your time. Check it out.