RICHARD Herring has previously fallen into the grumpy middle aged man category of comedians but the recent birth of his first child Phoebe has led him to examine the ephemeral nature of happiness in his 12th solo stand-up tour.

Tales of nappy changing and sleepless nights are a far cry from the material that has made Herring’s name – from his breakthrough with comedy partner Stewart Lee in cult TV series Fist of Fun in the 1990s to tours called Christ on a Bike and Hitler Moustache.

But the 48-year-old also proves he hasn’t lost his edge while revealing the dark thoughts that plague his subconscious even at the happiest moments of his life.

Performing to a small but appreciative Friday night crowd at the Riverfront, it was clear that this is very much a work-in-progress with some bits working much better than others.

As he later tweeted: “Thanks to the lovely audience in Newport. Really enjoyed doing my half created show and forgot it was new while I was doing it.”

By the time he plays St David’s Hall in April the joins will be less obvious and any fan will be guaranteed a night of top class thought-provoking comedy.