Keith Carter began his stand up career in Liverpool's Orgasmic Comedy Club after consuming far too much alcohol, and a packet of crisps (flavour unrecorded).

Although he was booed off, he soon returned with the idea that the audience would like his gags better if told by someone else. And so, Nige was born.

Listen to Nige in action

Nige might look like your garden variety shell-suited scally, but beneath this vacant stereotype lies a wealth of intelligent off-beat gags and keenly observed parodies. A reefer smoking 'king of the dole,' Nige has had a lot of time to muse on life and has come up with plenty of acute observations on subjects as diverse as his grandma's cat (Bin Laden) and alien abduction.

Nige: comic genius

The show is a mix of theatre and stand up. A cross between David Lynch and Walt Disney - but with less dancing mice. Watch open mouthed as surreal thinker Nige explains how superheroes should make their money, or hold back a tear as he relates his father's drug-related death (a box of Lemsips fell on him).

Carter has all of the talents to be a great comic actor, he is vain, depressed, volatile, reclusive and lacking in identity. He is keen to avoid the stand up comedy treadmill - presenting quiz shows, voice overs for advertisements, appearing on game shows - and wants to concentrate on developing stage work, both writing and acting. He hopes that this will lead to him realising his greatest ambition - cross breeding gerbils with sabre toothed tigers for the Japanese toy market.

He will confront the Scouse stereotype again with his debut at The Edinburgh Festival this year at the new Edinburgh Jongleurs.

Ticket information is below, kidder.

Nige: Cigs, Drugs and Rock n Roll (not 4th, 12th, 19th). Jongleurs 2, Leith Street, Edinburgh.

Tickets: 08707 870 707 - £7 to £9