Is Tim Minchin a stand-up comedian or a musician? Certainly, he enters the stage like a rock star; strobing effects, customised lighting, loud music and smoke effects announce his arrival, before he launches into a song. Which is funny. And consists of Minchin singing to a backing track. Which makes his entrance . . . self-parodic? And along with his explosion of ginger hair, his eyeliner and his skinny jeans, you are guaranteed at least a pretty different evening.

It’s this mixture of stand-up, self-awareness and music that has made Minchin a cult favourite. His style can be likened to cabaret, not least because he employs a variety of musical styles (everything from pounding piano jazz and the soaring radio-friendly ballad Canvas Bags to the nine-and-a-half minute beat poem – set to music – Storm).

His stand-up frequently flirts with moments of inspired spontaneity, punctuating the songs that dominate his two-hour performance. The show is a little rambling, although coming from a theatre background, he is aware of performance and projection, and quickly forges a rapport with the audience, compensating for any awkwardness.

It’s an intelligent, diverse and personal show. Minchin is as happy to talk about meeting his wife, as he is to pick on an audience member, dress the unsuspecting punter up in a bear suit and instruct him to dance. Where Minchin does come unstuck is his (rather ironically) preachy take on atheism. His song The Good Book is a lyrically one-note, failing to say much of interest about the Bible and fundamentalist thought.

That said, his foray into this more unusual, and highly contentious territory, at one point talking and singing about the relationship between homosexuality and the church, is admirable. It just needs developing.

But, if his material is not always consistent, the sheer force of his personality, his musical talent and his fresh, original take on performance is winning. Tim Minchin: So F**king rock Live Special Edition DVD is available now exclusively at HMV.