"Be careful if you serve ravioli to midgets because those little pillows can make them feel sleepy," said Carey Marx, musing on life as he sees it.

An engaging, likeable character, he is nevertheless disarmingly un-PC.

He certainly pushes the boundaries of humour and free speech, sometimes outrageously so, but always with great charm.

This inevitably meant some of the set fell flat. But Edinburgh previews are, after all, a work in progress, so this could be forgiven. When his comedy did work, it was truly inspired.

Marx is an intelligent wordsmith with a slightly surreal aura about him, reminiscent of Eddie Izzard or Harry Hill, but with his own quirky style.

With three weeks to hone his act, it should be in good shape for the festival.