Jason Byrne stood stock-still in his bright red jacket as the theme to 2001 A Space Odyssey boomed out, before breaking into a very passable Riverdance as the lights came up. And so the mayhem began.

His show is entitled Cirque du Byrne. To one side were capes and props, and the backdrop comprised giant pictures of Byrne in circus poses – strongman, pugilist and, of course, ringmaster. Yet confusingly, there was little in the show to back it up. Apart from the finale, when he played Popcorn using his victims’ nether regions as a giant xylophone, it was straightforward stand-up on straightforward themes – Anglo-Irish stereotypes, accents, posh people, the truth about sex in marriage and Catholic guilt.

Where Byrne excels is his gift of ad-libbing, taking audience responses and creating a site-specific show. After recovering from Riverdancing, he spent time lovingly insulting those at the front. His manic delivery sometimes covered up a lack of comic content but his infectious, tangential way of stitching it all together was a joy.

His best moment was getting two men to join him in a giant pair of bloomers he was already wearing to illustrate how women’s underwear, once married, goes from thong to Bridget Jones’ pants.

He also involved everyone with his “Gifts for Jason” box, in which fans leave items before the show. Thanks must go to the man who left the enema kit – a comic’s dream.

Byrne is a hyperactive, joyous comedian, at his best interacting on stage with physical tomfoolery. As he skipped off at the end, everyone needed a rest to recover from the physical exertion of laughing.