Victor David has returned to the Adelaide Fringe this year with a brand-new comedy show. Last year he presented The Hipster Hotline, which poked fun at our 'lifestyle' cult. His Dutch background gave him an original perspective on the aspiring Australian hipster, who struggles to emulate coolness in a country that can appear backward and lacking in culture to European sophisticates.

This time the focus is on Victor's own history, including the story of how he became a hand-model. And apparently, it's all true. He relates how he was the lovechild of a brief hippie union and grew up in Amsterdam, where love and space-cakes are part of the daily shopping list. The hand-modelling story is not the main part of the act and only provides an excuse for some suggestive jokes that we don't need to dwell on. He truly does have beautiful hands but it's surprising his face and body were not in demand for modelling jobs. His hands also play the piano extremely well, considering he only took it up seriously when he decided to become a comedian. He writes his own songs and uses them successfully to add variety to his solo act. His ukulele skills are not as polished but they are far more impressive than the recent performance of an Australian politician - and much funnier!

Victor confessed to us that he is very new to the comedy circuit, and he still has a lot to learn. The great asset of the Adelaide Fringe is that audiences welcome new acts and encourage them to develop. It's sometimes hard for comedians to work a small audience and the Bakehouse by its nature is quite an intimate space, but Victor managed the situation comparatively well. One word of warning: if you don't want to be singled out, keep away from the front row. It's not always wise for a comedian to pick on a member of the audience, and thankfully on this occasion, Victor selected the right person. His method of attack was far from subtle, but his victim was remarkably forgiving.

I'm no expert on what makes successful stand-up comedy, but a quick Google search revealed that a sure-fire approach is to pick a unique point of view. Victor is still refining his persona. Being Dutch is a good starting point, but perhaps he needs to add more of an edge to his delivery by finding something the Dutch really can't abide. So far, he's talked about how much of an effort he's made to fit into Australian society, but surely there are some things that annoy him or appear downright absurd? Many of our most successful comedians deliberately set out to offend some people by highlighting the injustices that divide our culture. Perhaps Victor needs to sharpen his satire as well as his wit.

I look forward to seeing Victor's next performance, hopefully at the 2023 Fringe. Another year on the circuit will help to polish his technique and increase his confidence. He invites audience participation, so don't be afraid to feed him with ideas!