SOUTH African-born Pierre Novellie is the kind of comedian you can foresee headlining Live At The Apollo in five years’ time.

He’s modest but witty, his comic timing is almost spot on, and he has such a warm demeanour you’re inclined to smile regardless of what he might be saying.

During his intimate late-night preview set I couldn’t shake images of the comic stars of today back when they were performing in bars, sipping beers rather than bottles of water. They still had a long way to go, but it was easy to imagine how the chuckles among the modest crowd might escalate into rapturous applause on the big stage.

Picture Novellie, then, in a tent out the back of a traditional pub on Gillygate, reading from a prompt sheet on a clipboard in front of a ‘crowd’ of six that happened to include Henning Wehn. There’s a distinct smell of damp and the tech guy is playing up on having a bit of an attitude problem.

Stand-up comedy is almost impossible to execute perfectly in an intimate venue, for the simple fact that laughter is infectious – the louder the laughter, the more likely the set is to gain momentum. Novellie, however, couldn’t have coped better.

His material wasn’t flawless by any means, but the potential was palpable. He played his tactics well, choosing one audience member to return to when the momentum dipped; addressing us directly but demanding very little by way of participation; and keeping his expectations relative, working well with what he could.

The performance was charming in its honesty and proficient in its wit. Novellie’s comic career is still very much in its infancy, but give him a good break and  the sky’s the limit.

Review by Amy Gibbons