Much like the Thursday night shows I've reviewed previously, this show features a host to warm the crowd up and introduce the four featured acts. Except that on this particular night there was a surprise bonus in the form of a well known addition to the advertised line up.
Joe Heenan was tonight's MC and was quickly into his stride with some decent jokes and banter with the front row of the audience. His task was helped by the presence of a wholesome looking American lad, and two English women with the posh names of Pippa and Georgia. Heenan took the piss relentlessly, without ever resorting to cruelty, and would give all his 'victims' due recognition at the end of the night.
First up was Gus Lymburn who started well with his tales of Motherwell, and the way Scottish drunks using swearing as an aid to memory, but seemed to lose his way a little when he moved on to life with his upper class ex-girlfriend.
After the first break Heenan brought on young Irishman Peter Flanagan. He produced a great set with a bit of philosophy thrown in for free. He has a deliciously slow build up to punch lines that releases laughter in gusts.
He was followed by the night's surprise package, Romesh Ranganathan. A man who has had a fair bit of TV exposure in the past couple of years. And rightly so. He was superb, that dry delivery disguising the cleverness of construction underlying his stories. Which could also be said of the next act Jo Caulfield, although with an added acerbic edge. Jo's bitchy persona is the perfect delivery vehicle for social comment and put downs. And consistent hilarity.
The final act of the night was Josh Howie with material that appeared to split the room. I heard several women comment that Howie's brand of ironic misogyny was just a bit too near to reality to be funny. But dig beneath the offensive exterior and there was a lot in this set to admire, with some very cleverly worked punchlines and some lovely throwaways. No doubt he'd say that he isn't overly concerned about offending people, but it was a shame to see the night end on a slightly sour note.
Memories of the middle section of the evening will have made up for that in most eyes, with Flanagan, Caulfield and bonus ball Ranganathan all outstanding.
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