Ed Patrick: just what the doctor ordered

Ed Patrick is an unlikely comedian; when he’s not onstage he works as a junior doctor in the NHS. Then again, by the look of him – chilled demeanour, stubble and tousled hair – he seems quite the unlikely doctor, too. Drawing on both his easy charm and his professional experiences, his debut stand-up show, Junior Optimist, makes for an enlightening and funny hour.

Patrick does a fantastic job of both celebrating the good work doctors do and confirming that everything we fear about them is true. There’s an element of the confessional to his performance as he flits between discussing bizarre situations he’s found himself in on the job and exploring the toll it all takes on him and his life. Despite this languid style, the show is tightly constructed, smart and unpretentious.

Christian Butler is a writer based in London.

Ed Patrick: Junior Optimist is at Just The Tonic @ The Community Project until 28 August.