While many comedians will hurtle to the opening of an envelope to increase their profile, Ross Noble avoids the limelight.

The straggly-haired Geordie now lives in the Australian outback, where his mates are farmers, but his annual UK visit is a reminder of what a formidable freestyle stand-up he is.

At the Hackney Empire it was often hard to see where the improvisation ended and the script began. Accidentally bumping into his inflatable-sphere backdrop, he was immediately off on a tangent about tripping over his own balls, before wondering if a woman in the front row was a pantomime cow.

Occasionally there was clearly planned material. "If a stamp can get a letter sent across the world, how far could you send something with the the real Queen stuck on it?" he asked. His welcome tirade against the irritating teen in the Frosties ads was the icing on the comedy cake.

An anti-religion riff about veils awkwardly anchored his surrealism to current affairs, but he redeemed himself with a brilliant dig at another news story: "Are Madonna and Angelina Jolie playing Top Trumps with kids?" Never mind Top Trumps, it was top form from Noble.

• Tonight, Brixton Academy. Information: 020 7771 2000.