Simon Amstell at the Open Air Theatre

The Open Air Theatre in Regent's Park isn't just a load of Shakespeare performed by minstrels in a park under the stars, there are also a variety of comedy acts warming up ahead of the Edinburgh Festival, including the lovable rogue Simon Amstell. The curly-haired cynic recently announced he was giving up Don't Mind The Buzzcocks to concentrate on his live work, and with it he seems to display a new side to his personality hitherto hidden from the public. Far from the cerebral teaser of lesser-witted celebrities such as Preston, Chantelle, Lee Ryan, Craig David, Britney Spears, The Kooks and Donny Tourette - as seen from his time at Buzzcocks and at the helm of E4's Popworld - Amstell shows a more tender side when with the microphone, exposing an unexpected sensitivity hiding behind the curly mop and acid-tongued put-downs. His inimitable interviewing style saw him catapult to stardom on our small screens, but his live act sees the 29-year-old turn his best weapons on himself and ask big, meaningful questions. "Intellectually sophisticated, engagingly honest, genuinely accomplished stand-up" says The Scotsman, while The Times adds: "As close as you can get to a man emotionally and philosophically disembowelling himself on stage."