If in doubt get your bum out. It's a tried and tested comic technique and Australian physical comedian Garry Starr puts it to excellent use in his Edinburgh Fringe debut, Garry Starr Performs Everything. This beardy oddball is acting's only hope and in this one-man masterclass he guides his audience anarchically and briskly through an A - Z of theatrical styles.

It's an easy device on which to hang all sort of skits and sketches, whether reciting Shakespeare ridiculously fast to argue that plays were much shorter in the bard's day or catching grapes in his mouth – cool trick – to show one of the things performers get up to in burlesque.

Elsewhere there are shades of Tommy Cooper, Mr Bean and Dr Brown as Starr – supposedly a former member of the Royal Shakespeare Company who was booted out for some unspecified misdemeanour – runs skilfully through his repertoire of funny faces and prop gags.

There is some relatively low-level audience participation too, as volunteers help with various set-pieces including a slapstick routine, a shades-of-the-Aristocrats spaghetti-eating romantic scene and a drawing room comedy where an audience member is called upon to deliver corny lines.

It's all great fun and that's even before Starr gets his kit off to do a balls-out bit of ballet and then later gets full starkers. But you'll have to buy a ticket to find out why he bares all. Rest assured it's all in the best possible taste. And failing that it is very slightly educational. Watch this and you'll be able to impress you friends by saying you know your butoh from your noh theatre. You can also impress them by telling them you've seen Garry Starr's bum.

Garry Starr Performs Everything is at Underbelly until August 26. Tickets here.

Read more Edinburgh Fringe reviews here.

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