Tiernan Douieb: The World's Full of Idiots, Let's Live in Space

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Tiernan Douieb must think performing in a NASA training uniform makes his purist approach to stand-up more marketable. This may be true judging by the novelty-seeking teenagers found in today's audience, but the expressions of boredom that greet his polemic are testament to a level of misrepresentation on his part. This is solid, passionate stuff, but the bearded berk muddles his intentions by arsing about with space helmets in a crass attempt to visualise the show's themes.

Arguing that mankind has lost all sense of perspective, the comedian speaks of the "overview effect" – a sense of awareness felt by astronauts as they gaze at Earth, tiny and surrounded by infinite darkness. On being confronted with such a view, many are gripped by a Zen-like calm, having risen above the trivialities that govern our existence. Looking down from space, prejudice and self-interest are absurd concepts.

An outspoken humanist, there's conviction in Douieb's material that few others can match. Some might find the certainty with which he puts his points across alienating, but they're well researched and usually always followed by a joke. It's too bad he seems to lack confidence as a performer, muddling through sections of the set and tripping over words. He could prove capable of shocking casual audiences out of their complacency if only he'd take a more confrontational tack.