They say your success in life is proportionate to the amount of difficult conversations you are prepared to have. Or you can pay to see a top-class comedian say the difficult things for you and, in the process, end up shaking your head in disbelief and laughing uncontrollably.

Luke Heggie is that comedian and in his latest show, Rough Diamanté, he rips into the simplicity and absurdity of the old and the pretention and pomposity of the new. He says the difficult things that we know deep down are true but are too afraid to admit.

Rough Diamanté is 60 minutes of hilarious, outrageous, tightly-packed stand-up which races along without respite and has many subtle lines that need a second or third listening. Heggie finds that rare niche that sits between warmth and offence, sarcasm and harsh truth, to produce high-end comedy.

He reserves his best for the new-age man. This was a masterclass, much appreciated by the females in the audience. I would wager there was not one male in the audience who did not suddenly stop laughing and squirm for a few moments when they realised they were guilty as charged. Heggie’s obvious affection for, and understanding of, old-school men, despite their considerable shortcomings, is refreshing and gives his show a cultural uniqueness.

The comedian bravely takes on some contemporary sacred cows – dogs in cafes, modern parenting, the erosion of journalism by social media, the myth of the travel experience, and sexual addiction. He has a brutal understanding of our real motivations and touches that place of tension in us which makes for a great show.

Above all, Heggie is a very talented comedian who does not miss a beat. He also has a great bluegrass voice and plays the mandolin in a closing song.

He may not be everybody’s cup of tea but this was a near-faultless performance. Extremely funny and highly recommended.

Four and a half stars

Luke Heggie’s Adelaide Fringe season has now ended.