And, says Cullinan, it's critically important for organisers of comedy shows to "vary the pace" - so if you've had a black dude on slagging off whiteys, then you need a down-tempo act to follow. If you have a sex theme, it's good to go with farce or gender afterwards.

Did you know, for example, that every single character you see on a TV "soapie" is directly related, in dramatic history terms, to the players in Italian Renaissance comedy? Take that, Cherel de Villiers-Haines!

He's studied the great film comedians like Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin (he thinks Keaton was better, but Chaplin is more the household name because he got greater exposure and did more attention-grabbing things).

He's also familiar with the rule and routines of burlesque comedy - it may be old, but it's still the basis of a lot of comedy and slapstick today.

"The casting agencies send us models - they may be good-looking or even odd, but not a lot of them have had any training in comedy. And, believe it or not, comedy is not a natural thing."

"I cringe all the time when I see stuff on TV. Shots will be held for just a fraction too long - maybe a dozen frames or so - and that's enough to spoil the effect."

He's been called in as a consultant to help "fix up" a few TV commercials which are supposed to be funny but which are plainly falling flat and damaging brands in the process. He won't give details, though, about his jobs as a comedic "panel beater".

He says he doesn't have a favourite joke, but his favourite scene in a movie is between Ben Stiller and Philip Seymour-Hoffman in Along Came Polly.

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