Imran Yusuf already has a place in history for Edinburgh Comedy Awards nerds like myself. In 2010 he was the first comedian performing his show for free to pick up a nomination when he was shortlisted for Best Newcomer. Yusuf was playing an afternoon gig in a funny little nightclub round the back of Cowgate. A month later he was on Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow. I’d like to say I could see this coming, but in comedy as in movie-making, nobody knows anything. He was certainly interesting from the start though. A couple of years before his breakthrough I saw him at the Hackney Empire and he virtually had to stop his act to have a heated debate with a member of the audience who seemed to take offence at Yusuf’s remarks about race and religion. He is not afraid to tackle difficult, complex subjects and he refuses to fall back on easy soundbites. He is also, however, a charismatic, physical and extremely lanky performer with a mainstream streak. And he was one of the first comedians that I ever saw doing an always-good-for-a-laugh dinosaur impression. I doubt if he will be doing his dinosaur in his new show, Roar of the Underdog, but if things are going badly he can always fall back on it. He is at Crack Comedy tonight with white wine witch Loretta Maine.

Imran Yusuf is at The Undereblly from July 30 - August 25. Tickets here.