“Good luck licking your way to the centre of the Tootsie Pop of meaning,” taunts Adam Pateman’s voice-over nemesis, the Centre of the Universe, giving the solo performer less than an hour to explain the meaning of life to us, or the world will end.

This premise has both high stakes and fluidity, making it a perfect vehicle for Pateman to show off a variety of skills, from down-to-earth storytelling (an account of being penniless in New York) to skilled physical miming (watch him pretend to play keyboard) and lots of confessional humour.

The show takes a while to get going, but once Pateman settles in, he’s a charming performer with a terrifically detailed imagination, and his observations about life are frequently hilarious.

Like a Tootsie Pop, it’s tasty, sweet, and chewy.

At Carousel Theatre on September 10 (8 p.m.), 11 (5 p.m.), 12 (10:45 p.m.), 13 (6:45 p.m.), 15 (6 p.m.), 18 (7 p.m.), 19 (10:30 p.m.), and 20 (6:45 p.m.)