Cameron Duggan: Sorry I'm Late (MICF)

In more ways than one, Cameron Duggan is not a book you should judge by its cover.

Firstly, while this may indeed be his first solo appearance at MICF, he's no inexperienced novice. Taking the national runner-up nod at the 2013 Raw Comedy Awards, he's since plied his trade on the comedy scene in Brisbane and Sydney, and has even graced the MICF before as part of a mixed bill last year. He's also not nearly as cooked as he first appears, although don't tell his boss - looking a couple of sangas short of a picnic is his primary method of getting away with rocking up late to work.

In fact, Duggan is a man of many unexpected dichotomies. His comedy travels a pendulum swing between whip-smart observational zingers and beautifully dumb facial gags. His vocal tone oscillates between that of a grogged-up grizzled prospector and that of a surefooted showman. And his audience banter manages to gently channel the roasting shtick of an insult comic while remaining willing and able to turn the deprecation back on himself. It's a wonderfully slippery, unexpected kind of stand-up that keeps the audience on-side while almost subliminally on alert. And on top of all that, he's also got a degree in accountancy - literally, nothing about Duggan makes sense.

This double hinged persona means there's an awful lot to like about this show. It can play to those who like their punchlines with a snappy side of wit, while still appealing to those in search of dopier LOLs. And yet, this isn't the result of indiscriminate pandering, but rather extremely well-honed comic instincts. Duggan understands the finer nuances of funny: how to land a joke without visibly trying; when to mine the crowd for quality banter; when to make himself the butt of a joke. It's the kind of ineffable, finessed detail that can't be taught and is by no means possessed by every comic.

It's also a style that's aware of its own limitations. This isn't comedy with a message. Don't expect any polemic calls to action of hits-you-between-the-eyes political zeitgeist. But even though what Duggan does is largely bog standard one-man-one-mic stand-up, there's still a confidence in his material that's hard not to marvel at. One lynchpin sequence - that could easily be a make-or-break moment in the show - riffs on finding a bargain pair of $2 socks, for so much longer than anyone probably thought possible. And with this most meagre of resources, Duggan is able to keep the laughs coming and coming, as he pulls out punchlines like a magician pulling hankies out of a hat.

And once again I'm brought back to the covers of books that shouldn't be judged: this loveable schlub who's a stand-up assassin, playing MICF as a newcomer with all the skill of a veteran. This may be his first solo outing at this Fest, but I very much doubt it will be his last.

Cameron Duggan presents Sorry I'm Late until 22 Apr at Trades Hall, part of the 2018 Melbourne International Comedy Festival