WHAT happens when you enter the Tonezone of ex-pat Canadian comic Tony Law. Is it a lawless or lawful place; is it beyond the law or a law unto itself?

Such questions from What’s On are prompted by Tony’s surname, and it set him thinking.

“No the name Law doesn’t have any implications in this show but I suppose it does give off interesting possibilities because I do act pretty wild on stage, a place which has its own laws. Maybe just having that name makes me react to things in certain ways.”

There is freedom on a stage platform that does not apply elsewhere, creating a Tonezone for a “life-affirming, life-changing, stand-up art show” by the Canadian nonsense-maker who has long settled in Britain.

Enter the Tonezone and you will experience magical shapes, an original song and some truly heart-breaking nonsense from Law, who briefly will tackle world issues through the medium of dance too.

“In the end we’ll realise it’s a bit about the fear of death,” he says, turning philosophical, before lifting the mood again immediately.

“But I’d say the Tonezone is a place of happiness and joy. Sometimes I hope to be like that guy in the show away from the stage; trying to be happy and contented, but I’m acting with false arrogance when performing.

“I always love just sometimes pretending to drift off but in reality knowing exactly where I’m going in the show, so though it’s not scripted I know what’s going on, but I leave room for unplanned bits, usually ad-libbing at the beginning.”

Tony makes a feature of having his notebook on stage.

“I’ve got into the habit of doing that, walking over to the notebook, and I’ll then turn it into a joke. I’ll say, ‘here’s a thought that just occurred to me’...an elliptical joke at my expense. Everything is spinning around, low status pretending to be high status,” he says.

The Tonezone is a place where Tony “can make us feel good about ourselves, a place where we’re all in it together”.

“I think I’m ultimately quite shy but I go into the Tonezone to build up confidence, staying in there for an hour and a half each night.”

Happiness away from the microphone is playing with his children. “They’re twins, one of each, and they’re six now,” says Tony, who found happiness earlier in his life when leaving home to go travelling at 18.

“I’ve spent my whole adult life away from Canada since then, so I don’t really feel Canadian, and I met my wife over here. I’ve never been an adult in Canada. Going back to Canada would mean only childhood memories.

“Now I feel like a citizen of the world.

“I’m an outsider everywhere I go. That’s why London is such a good city, because pretty much everyone is an outsider, either from another city or another part of the city.

“That’s why I love airports or when we’re doing stuff as a family, going skating, or a caravan of love.”

Tony will be leaving the ToneZone in time to prepare his next show for this summer’s Edinburgh Fringe.

“I have no thoughts yet about it,” he says. “It’s a completely blank slate.”

• Tony Law: Enter The Tonezone, Fruit Space, Hull, Monday, 7.30pm, and Hyena Lounge Comedy Club, The Duchess, York, Tuesday, 8pm to 10pm; doors open at 7pm. Box office: Hull, 01482 221113 or fruitspace.co.uk; York, 01904 641413.or hyenalounge.com