Exeter Phoenix. November 12th – 13th.

Mark Thomas’s dad was a thoroughly unusual character. A bearded, violent brute of a man but also an uneducated working class Methodist with an admirable dedication to hard work, Mr Thomas Sr. was a mass of contradictions. Yet perhaps the strangest thing about him was his undeniable passion for opera.

Even as an adult, the comedian Mark Thomas himself is clearly still unsure what to make of his father and even after the hour long second half, you might well find yourself feeling the same way. Mark incorporates extracts of recorded interviews with his family and snatches of opera music into the show, making for an emotionally charged and poignant night out.

It’s certainly a far cry from the radical politics and class warfare with which Mark Thomas is generally associated, although his fans shouldn’t worry: there is still a fair bit of that too. It’s also a very different stand up show to most others currently on the circuit. But rest assured: Bravo Figaro! is a thoroughly absorbing, powerful and inspiring piece of work, which happily never forgets to be funny. And strange as it may sound now, don’t be too surprised if it turns you onto opera.

Rating: Five out of five.

Chris Hallam.