For one night only at the Corpus Playroom, footlight Rhiannon Shaw invites us to join her in a one-woman extravaganza as she paints her life story through a host of weird and wonderful personas to provide an evening of comically awkward introspection. Shaw’s Empty Nest is an insight into her potential for brilliance that certainly doesn’t disappoint.

Opening with a surly hype-man and jumping from brattish school-girl, to neurotic psychiatrist, to feminist cowgirl, and even to a rather vacant resident of post-apocalyptic Wolverhampton, Shaw’s comedy is bold and engaging, filling the room and drawing us in. A range of well-performed accents, a smattering of audience participation and even a witty song add shine to the show. Patrick Wilson’s dry voice-over commentary, with skilful keyboard playing by Ted Mackey, enables a series of smooth transitions between skits and brings a comic edge of its own to the proceedings.

Empty Nest is undoubtedly a show that grows more amusing as it progresses. In Shaw’s prologue a dependence on in-jokes and references to the Cambridge theatre scene, while humorous, feels exclusionary (I’m sure not just to the friend who accompanied me and felt considerably confused) and above all restrictive of Shaw herself. However, by its concluding scenes, Shaw moves from strength to greater strength, and we are left in no doubt as to her comedic prowess.

All of Shaw’s characters are colourful and entertaining, most of which are the perfect zany vessels for delivering great humour, though sometimes they were approached with a slightly heavy hand. In occasionally relying too greatly on their characterisation and idiosyncrasies – be they stereotypically northern or a beleaguered Brit-abroad – Shaw strays from the simple strength of her content and gets a little lost in performing.

The show has moments of pure comedy genius, and it is in the more ludicrous of her roles that Shaw’s talents become most evident. The slightly manic seductress Helena Domlette – the definite highlight of the show and point at which Shaw really hits her stride, is hilarious. Wildly cavorting about the stage and blurting perfectly timed absurdities, Shaw’s Domlette is expertly executed to side-splitting effect. Second only to Domlette, and with a nod to Shaw’s mother, is Scottish oddball and middle-aged erotic novelist extraordinaire Elsie McClutchey. Again, it is with sheer ridiculousness and sharp timing (not to mention a wonderfully detailed description of a wild night with Piers Morgan) that Shaw captivates the audience here.

Overall, Empty Nest did not fail to deliver a night of warming comedy, slipping only rarely below the sharpness and absurdity that defined its most enjoyable moments. It was truly a feast of giggles intermixed with moments of cackle-aloud brilliance – if this show is anything to go by, we can expect to see ever-better comedy from Rhiannon Shaw