Pierre Novellie sounds like he ought to be hosting a cooking programme. Maybe squirting some froth on a snail. In fact despite the gallic name he hails from the Isle of Man via Johannesburg and is actually a comedian rising rapidly through the ranks since winning the Amused Moose Laugh-Off in 2013. He’s still pretty raw, but he certainly has something, mixing a fairly accessible delivery with some pretty offbeat subjects. His years of studying Anglo-Saxon Norse and Celtic history at Cambridge – where, of course, he was a leading light of the Footlights – have not been wasted. He probably has the best routine about the peculiarity Anglo-Saxon Norse language you will hear this year. No shortage of stage presence, no shortage of chatter, Novellie is a newcomer with a future worth looking out for now. He is previewing his new show Mighty Peter at the Camden Head tonight. Frothy indeed. 

Pierre Novellie is at The Pleasance from July 30 - August 24. Tickets here.