Since winning Scottish Comedian of the Year in 2013, cheeky, gay Glaswegian Larry Dean’s star has been steadily rising. From a darling of the Edinburgh Fringe to London, he has made numerous appearances on national TV, performed before King Charles at a Royal Variety Performance, and more recently has been a valued cast member of Saturday Night Live UK.

Larry arrives on stage, no longer a working-class kid, but at age 36, an Edwardian dandy, or one of his rockabilly heroes, with an artist’s bow and a pompadour haircut.

Hellbent is the story of how he met his partner Mikey, and the events leading up to their marriage. On the way, we hear about their trip to Texas, the proposal in Edinburgh, Mikey’s OCD, Larry’s autism diagnosis, meeting King Charles, Catholic guilt, his exotic Irish-Iranian relatives, and the wedding day itself.

Larry is a genius at accents and not only does he mimic Mikey’s English Black Country drawl perfectly but he also wickedly spoofs American and Glaswegian stereotypes with some Mexican thrown in for good measure.

If there is a single theme in Hellbent it is one of “disappointment”. It is a concept that is introduced from the start – with one of his best jokes of the evening – and as Larry’s confessional performance progresses, we learn why it is so important for him that Mikey is not disappointed with their wedding.

The title, Hellbent, suggests sinful condemnation, but Larry discovers that his marriage to Mikey is happily accepted by both his Catholic and Muslim families.

Over the years, Larry Dean has tuned his performance style to perfection. He is unfazed when an elderly couple leaves ten minutes into the show, but much later he weaves this into his narrative. There is less engagement with the audience than in previous productions, and apart from a few bold jokes,  his material is comforting – not challenging – and you leave Hellbent uplifted by Larry’s openness and his manic brand of humour.   

Larry Dean: Hellbent is at Edinburgh’s  Pleasance Courtyard Beyond until August 30th.