So when his phone starts cutting out during The Examiner’s call, he can’t be sure there is nothing sinister behind it.

“Maybe my phone is being tapped,” he said.

“I’m not sure what they are trying to find, but something is going on.

“That could be the headline for this.” 

It may not warrant attention from ASIO, but Okine pulls no punches in his 2018 festival show, The Hat Game.

Covering everything from the black face emoji to bus tickets, the show will be performed in its entirety as part of Fresh Comedy next month.

It comes only nine months after his last visit in January.

Okine said the evolution of his latest show since the start of the year had inspired him to make the trip again.

“When I was down there last time, The Hat Game was really in its infancy,” he said.

“After doing all the festivals around Australia, the show really transformed into something completely different.

“I felt like what The Hat Game was in January is definitely not what it is today, which is why I wanted to bring it down and do it in its entirety.

“It’s based on a different story now.”

Okine’s storytelling has not only brought him success on the stage, but also on television, with his semi-autobiographical show The Other Guy having built up a large viewership on streaming network Stan.

He plans to branch out further with his writing in 2019 by publishing a book.

The 33 year old said the next year would be about putting pen to paper.

“I’m just going to focus on writing the second season of The Other Guy and also my book, which is due out next year.

“It’s a big learning curve for me, which could cause the loss of my remaining hair.

“I’m really excited, but whenever you do something for the first time, it can also be really taxing on you mentally.”

Matt Okine will perform The Hat Game at the Royal Oak Hotel on Friday, November 9. Reserved seating is $27 while general admission is $25. Tickets are available through trybooking.com/XOBW.