If the upstairs room at Copa seems a strange setting for Iszi Lawrence’s stand-up show, mostly it’s because there are thumping chart cheese tracks thundering up through the floor from the bar downstairs and also the sticky floors and tacky decor run contrary to elfin- haired Lawrence’s rather refined material. Last on in an Oxfringe triple bill and hailing from just down the road in Witney, Lawrence’s brand of comedy is all wordplay and anecdotes, a series of stories about her friends, family and embarrassing situations. It’s not profound, nor does it pretend to be. Lawrence only takes a shot at the big picture on the subject of religion, where she chronicles her flatmate Bex’s attempts to convert her to Christianity as well as grander challenges to evangelism. On the whole, Lawrence shies away from big topics, choosing to focus on a plethora of cuddlier themes like her school days and her crush on Alan Rickman. She also takes great delight in breaking what she calls the “Hippocratic oath” among female comedians, that you don’t ever talk about women’s monthly issues, with a couple of the best jokes about tampons. Happy and jovial throughout, Lawrence isn’t down on anything, stressing constantly that although the topics she derides may irk her a bit, she can see the hilarity in everything and is grateful if only just for that.

Iszi Lawrence finds herself in bracket alongside Josie Long and Sarah Millican, in that she still manages to be funny while giving off the impression that she is in love with the world and doesn’t possess a cynical bone in her body. Unlike Long and Millican though, she has yet to form a distinctive take on the world and lacks a central narrative in her material. In time she’ll get there, and she has the charm and presence to be granted that much grace by audiences.