Gary Delaney 2: This Time it's not Personal

There's a reasonable argument to be made for comedy's unrivalled ability to cut to the quick of contemporary living. A playing field for extraordinary creativity, standup can easily be as boutique and artsy as the most exploratory theatre. But for all of its pretensions, its meanderings with form and penetrating self-awareness, there's always going to be a gap for what it is that Gary Delaney does – and that is to stand in front of an audience and tell good jokes. And tell' em, and tell 'em, and tell 'em.

There's an awful lot to get through here, and Delaney indulges around four minutes for formalities, making it very clear we'll learn nothing about him over the ensuing hour. He has little time for "dead dad shows", even less for audience banter (unless automated by the "compere-a-tron 3000"), and absolutely none for attempts to appear endearing.

"I now declare you officially warmed up. Right, joke number one." And so it begins: an assault of puns, one-liners, visual gags and slow-burners. Literally hundreds of them. And what variety. Sure, there are some crasser gags here, but they're past in a flash and serve only to show by comparison how big and clever some of these corkers really are. Have a snigger at Delaney's Twitter feed for a near daily taster of what he does best. But that's no real preparation for the comic battering of being in a room with the man.