A FULL house welcomed funny-man Paul Sinha to the Hyena Lounge for the first leg of his live tour, Paul Sinha Is A Stand-Up Comedian, on Sunday night.

Refreshingly, a comedian who requires no stage persona, just his own witty personality, steps enthusiastically on to the Basement stage.

Wasting no time, Sinha launches straight into a comic monologue about his somewhat out-of-the-ordinary life, making a light-hearted mockery of himself, and society, through a series of hilarious anecdotes about his experiences on and off stage.

His focus is, first and foremost, himself as he covers the FAQs which constantly baffle him: “What’s it like being Asian? What’s it like being gay and Asian? What’s it like being a gay, Asian doctor-turned-comedian?”

Sinha offers an unusual strand of intelligent comedy, no cheap jibes or obvious puns, just a knack for storytelling which has the audience grinning from start to finish. It’s his daring one-liners that have the audience roaring, however, which he quickly brushes off with good grace and a chuckle.

Sinha's comedy is so fast-paced that some jokes could easily pass over your head. Some may fail to reach you if you weren’t present in the Nineties, but this only downfall is recovered quickly as Sinha breezes on to more accessible subjects.

He certainly doesn’t shy away from his role on popular quiz show The Chase, although his material chiefly comes from his experiences as a comedian, not a quizzer.

Sinha ends his imaginative take on live comedy with a quick Q&A. While the show doesn’t end on the highest of comic tones, Sinha’s interaction with the audience offers a final, unique twist to a brilliant show.

Rosanna O'Donnell