Chelsea Birkby returned to Oxford as part of her first tour, bringing her sophomore show to Common Ground. Birkby is a firm fixture of the city’s comedy scene, but it is a delight to watch her in her element, bringing her well-honed show to us in all its glory.

Birkby kicked things off with five minutes of well-honed comedy (including why fans of the Lord of the Rings are attracted to her), before introducing her own warm-up act – Alex Farrow. Farrow is also a familiar face, hosting Jericho Comedy each week. His opening set is relaxed and inviting, the work of some one who knows how to open an audience up for a night of comedic fun. Although baggy in places, Farrow flourishes when interacting with the audience. Good comedy mileage comes when Farrow focuses in on a wallet and its content, but also his time as a teacher and running sessions on the death penalty. I found myself relaxing into the evening, and Farrow’s opener is the best possible advert for the shows Jericho Comedy puts on.

When we reach the main event, Chelsea Birkby re-enters the stage to the lyrical charms of the Cheeky Girls and promptly declares that this is one of the songs she wakes up to, to help her fight off despair. Birkby begins by mixing pop music with something far deeper and it sets the set on a path that plays into the comedian’s strengths as a stand-up. This Is Life, Cheeky Cheeky is a richly crafted hour of comedy, blending pop culture, philosophy and the deeply personal.

There is a wealth of anecdotes here, with the set moving from the cringe of Maroon 5’s Adam Levine’s sexting style to an unfortunate food item ruining a mindfulness workshop. Few shows would jump from looking up ‘feminist’ on Pornhub (leading to a video name that I shan’t repeat here) to touching tributes to her grandmother, a fan; it turns out, of Lady Chatterley’s Lover in all its uncensored glory. Sex is never too far away in the show and Birkby treads a delicate line of lifting up the words of Kim Kardashian and lambasting the representation of women in the National Gallery.

This is not the first time I’ve seen Birkby’s stand-up and she has certainly grown into the art form, bringing richness and depths, whilst remaining warm and approachable. Friday felt like a homecoming for them, especially as the audience included her parents and her school drama teachers. To be part of this audience felt richly rewarding as we watched a performer come of age and become a truly outstanding stand-up. If you’ve never seen Birkby perform there is no better time to this. So embrace the cheeky life, it is nice.