Every great artist needs a muse. For Spencer Jones his muse is a Chihuahua Jack Russell cross which he acquired four years ago. Just as the kids are more independent a whole new world of responsibility opened up. But also a whole new world of creative possibility. The result is the brilliant show Dogs. So good I barely have a bone to pick with it.

 

Jones is famous for his cartoonish creations and madcap props and they are all in full effect here from the moment he enters wearing a huge head and scrambling through the audience trying to find his mates to give them their pints. It's a light hearted bit of warm-up business that quickly gets everyone onside.

 

And after some more playful nonsense which includes tinkering with keyboards and looping sounds he gets down to the canine business. Who has a dog? Who is a cat person? "It's a rescue" becomes a running motif. Anyone who has ever taken a dog for walkies will recognise the smalltalk that unites owners.

 

This is definitely not a show just for dog people though. In a way Jones' show is about humans bonding together. Coping with life, loneliness, how we form relationships with family and friends. He has the peerless ability to be extremely silly while also touching on serious themes. The mood always seems light and frivolous yet bubbling under the surface it touched on illness and death.

 

And, of course, mental health. Pretty much every comedian talks about mental health these days. As he surveys the chaos of props onstage Jones doesn't really need to say he has ADHD symptoms. He also discusses how in recent years he has developed, for no apparent reason, tics, a stutter and possibly Tourettes.

 

Needless to say he makes all of these complex aspects of his personality hugely comic onstage, even though they may be more troubling offstage. He suggests that "stimming" – the repetitive movements that de-stress him – are maybe similar to a dog having a good old scratch. 

 

There's lots going on here, from a quick survey of people's favourite soups to a scathing attack on social media scrolling to a comparison of dogs v cats. Why is it that when a cat scratches or bites you it's a badge of honour, when a dog does the same thing the cry is "put it down"? Jones is definitely, defiantly pro-dog.

 

This might be a solo show, but Jones is supported by a cast of puppets, masks and a motorised dog on wheels, the shabbiest, scabbiest sidekick I've ever seen onstage. If it really cost him £2k can Spencer please contact me, I have a bridge he might like to buy.

 

While the emphasis is very much on absurdist D-I-Y surrealism in the creative spirit of Vic Reeves, Boosh and Harry Hill there is a huge amount of heart here too. At one point I laughed so hard I nearly fell off my seat, but at the end, when he ties everything together in a song, I was almost in tears. There aren't many shows that can do both of those things to me.