Bill Bruce is an intelligent comic with strong social views and an evangelical way of putting them across. Were he a politician, he would excel on the stump, thanks to his passion and eloquence.

It’s a powerful, oratorial delivery so persuasive he could probably sell bacon butties to Al Qaeda. But given his broadly liberal agenda is likely to be shared by the majority of comedy-goers, he’s largely preaching to the converted.

The upshot is that he gets more applause breaks than gutteral laughs, as audiences recognise good points, well made, rather than having their funny bone tickled by anything too surprising.

While his failing is that the message can overwhelm the comedy, the trade-off is the clarity of his well-informed ideas and the concise, good-natured way he expresses them. Everything is done in the spirit of openness and good humour, which adds to his appeal.

So while a few more gags wouldn’t go amiss, you’re still ensured of enjoyable time in the company of an entertaining comedian with something to say.