Comedian Kevin Hart is at the top of his game in show at Garde

It’s safe to say that Kevin Hart is great at what he does. He did, after all, set records in 2015 after selling out a 50,000-seat stadium for his concert film “What Now.” And his efforts to one-up that show were on full display Friday night at the Garde Arts Center, where, before a soldout audience, Hart tested out new material for a film.

Precisely how Hart came to perform at the Garde hasn’t been publicized, but he originally was scheduled to be in the area for his birthday party at Foxwoods on Friday. On Tuesday, he announced that he would hold an impromptu show in New London before the party.

He was working out new material, but, in actuality, the show could have stood on its own in any venue.

Hart certainly has a talent for commanding the stage, and he is a master at storytelling. His performance was on point and well paced, holding the attention of the wide majority of the audience throughout the night.

There was never a point when people weren’t laughing, in fact. In Hart’s world, crickets seem to be non-existent.

He quickly hit his stride, talking about what many of his jokes have revolved around in the past — his wife and kids. With Hart, the banalities of domestic life are no bore. Who would have thought that children arguing, his wife having baby fever and a couples’ game night could be so hilarious?

Potentially offensive material didn’t slow Hart down. His signature raunchy sex jokes left half the audience maniacally laughing and the other half squirming in their seats.

He has a knack for painting a scene, as he did with stories of arming his house with guns after it was robbed and a baby outsmarting him.

His body language aided him in selling his punch lines, and his facial expressions helped even more. But from the balcony, where I sat, it was near impossible to clearly see his face. In past shows of his, a large screen usually helped those sitting far away overcome this issue. At the Garde, however, this wasn’t an option, which may have contributed to the fact that some people in the balcony got up midway through the show to get drinks.

His last two riffs in particular were knee-slapping hilarious, where in a “Lost in Translation”-esque bit about vacationing in Japan and a family trip to Aspen resulting in a borderline kidnapping couldn’t have been delivered any better.

He has a gift for weaving in past punch lines later in the show. His last bit took a few of those to close out his act — which, of course, made for satisfying viewing.

The final question is whether this material could be enough to beat out his last feature film, “What Now.” Some parts, yes; others, not. But for a show where he was only testing out material, Hart delivered a solid routine, showcasing his professionalism as a stand-out stand-up comedian.