Bankable banter with Michael McIntyre

With stocks plummeting, if you want a sound investment, put your money on Michael McIntyre.

In his smart suit and electrified floppy hair-do this sublime stand-up might resemble a city whizz-kid but he is the most bankable banter merchant on the block.

He does classic observational comedy of social embarrassment better than anyone, whether it is exploring the protocol of kissing, dissecting the etiquette of exchanging phone numbers or revealing what happens when two limp handshakes collide.

He turns everyday encounters into masterclasses of anthropological exasperation.

Why do we only ever put vegetables in sandwiches at Christmas? Longer riffs show he can build momentum.

There is a wonderful skit about "man draws", storage spaces filled with batteries, bulbs and other unfeminine flotsam.

Even when he tackles things that umpteen comedians have tackled before, he does it so well it feels box-fresh.

For McIntyre the arcane shopping-then-queuing process in Argos conjures up an image of "theatre for the poor".

His tour is already nearly sold out. Ticketless fans can put his forthcoming live DVD on their Christmas wish-list and watch it while tucking into a brussels sprout sandwich.

Michael McIntyre