With a notepad in hand and a spring in his step, Stephen K Amos took to the stage last night to deliver his new show The Spokesman. He did not disappoint. The internationally renowned comedian is fast becoming a regular on the Australian comedy circuit, largely owing to past exposure on popular panel shows such as Good News Week and Spicks and Specks. The Spokesman will mark his third appearance at the Adelaide Fringe Festival and, judging by the sell-out audience, he left quite an impression the last time round.

The notepad, he explains, is full of new “jokey-wokeys”. He holds it in his free hand for much of the show, conspicuously ticking jokes that appear to have gone down well, while scratching out those that prompt little more than a mild chuckle. It’s not unusual for Fringe artists to test out new material on audiences here, but Amos has cunningly made it into a punch-line – acknowledged early on when he claims to have “the notepad” gag at the top of his list.

Predictably, Amos begins the evening bemoaning the intensity of the Adelaide summer. He’s not wrong; a strategically placed wobbly fan keeps the comic cool, while the rest of the packed auditorium sits restlessly in the heat. Once he gets going, though, it’s easy to forget the weather. He recounts a recent trip to Darwin, which included a run-in at the local Liquorland with an employee of the “Bo-gan” variety.  This feels like familiar territory; Amos often bases his material on the funny side of culture shock. We’ve seen the well-educated-Brit-meets-the-unsophisticated-Australian act before. But while it isn’t exactly groundbreaking stuff, he does it well and it garners an enthusiastic response from the audience.  Next on the list of tried-and-tested subjects is a look at the headlines. He keeps it brief though, focusing mostly on our country’s “menopausal” climate of late and “Gulia Gil-lard’s” questionable taste in eyewear.

Around twenty minutes in, we eventually get to the crux of what the show is all about. While one of his earlier trips to Adelaide persuaded his audience to “find the funny”, Amos’ new show revolves around the notion of “the spokesman” (conveniently also an anagram for “Stephen K Amos”); namely the question of who or what a spokesman is and if indeed Amos has one to represent himself. This premise he tells us, came to him after he was reluctantly touted as a spokesperson for gay rights in the UK. He questions the need for and legitimacy of such role models, referring to recently disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong and popular albeit vapid fashions models as cases in point.

Amos goes on to examine aspects of his life that, according to the spokespeople of society, he may not be paying as much attention to as he should. These include health concerns, his upcoming mid-life crisis and facing your fears. He cites large bodies of water as his biggest fear, owing to his inability to swim, but dismisses the potential value of actually facing it due to the probable unfortunate outcome of death. He occasionally references his eccentric family of Nigerian origin and the challenges he faced growing up in a difficult suburb of London, providing a number of humorous insights into his early life.

The vast majority of the show’s highlights, however, are unscripted. Like all good comics, Amos encourages audience interaction whenever possible; even if it means temporarily abandoning his notebook of carefully prepared material. Being the pro that he is, Amos holds his own throughout much of the banter, proving that he can receive it just as well as he can dish it out. But it is during an early segment, after he dares the auditorium to reveal the strangest thing they’ve ever eaten, that he is caught off guard by a heavily accented cry of “Echidna!” which has the place in stitches. Much to the audience’s amusement, Amos is unfamiliar with such a creature and various attempts to explain it only confuses him further. He is eventually reduced to fits of laughter himself, lamenting that this particular show isn’t being recorded.

It’s a real treat to see Amos return to Adelaide. He clearly feels at home on the stage and his performance as ever exudes an infectious vibe of charm and energy. He’s not a hard man to like; a fact perhaps best demonstrated after the show when he pops up unexpectedly in the foyer, sharpie at the ready, eagerly signing tickets, posters and DVDs. He’s in town until the 17^th of March, so if you’re keen for quality entertainment courtesy of one of the best comedians the Fringe has to offer, head on down and prepare to laugh yourself silly.

Stephen K Amos is on at the Arts Theatre at 8:30pm until the 20^th of February and from the 12^th to the 16^th of March, with one show at The Gov at 5pm on the 17^th.