CityLife

Justin Moorhouse @ The Lowry

SLIPS of paper were being passed around The Lowry theatre last night in case audience members wanted to ask Justin Moorhouse a question during his show. We were also informed that if you didnét want to do that in such a public arena, heéd be on hand in the bar afterwards.

Ités a fair indication of just how amenable a fella Moorhouse is. Heés certainly kept his feet fixed firm, not forgetting that just four years ago he was a plastics salesman in Hyde. But starring in Phoenix Nights as Young Kenny, and DJ spots on Key 103 and Magic put pay to that, catapulting him to the level of comic that plays three solo shows at the Lowry one of which was up against an army of knicker waving middle-aged women watching Engelbert Humperdinck in the other room.

Moorhouseés disembodied voice, uncharacteristically coy, introduced his support. The énice lad,é Rhod Gilbert. Gilbert is an award winning comic who tells long, gently rambling stories such as his Grannyés tragic vegetable smelling demise and the joys of multiple stalking.

Plus there's an inspired section on board games that required the audience to cry out favourite games, Gilbert being safe in the knowledge that he could guarantee to be able to conduct a routine on at least some of them. éMouse Trap? You mean the one where you turn the crank to move the gearsé. é

Justin

Following the interval was the big guy himself. éI canét believe youéve come, and neither will you in an hour,é he quipped, then introduced us to the slide show he had brought along to jazz things up a bit. Though he also confessed that he had really included it in the show because heéd bought himself a pointy stick.

But first a bit of banter. He proceeded get to know the front row and spotted éan Atomic Kitten tribute acté on the end. One of which was far too keen to engage him in conversation, confessing that she had thought he was in Emmerdale. éAre you sure youére not meant to be in Engelbert next door?é he quizzed.

Introducing the show with a neat deconstruction of it, these Lowry gigs are a kind of ébest of nightsé and a farewell to his material. éHas anyone seen me before?é Yes was the response from half the audience, éwell hereés your chance to choose your poo breaks.é

He then progressed through favourites such as dodgy adverts featuring boys called Declan, the mystery gingerbread men in Greggs, Donna the scally teenage mum, the Commonwealth Games Gorton-style, his mumés misunderstanding, the war, his trip to Paris (with his son) and then Amsterdam (without his son). All illustrated by some pretty slides.

Of course there had to be an encore é after all he hadnét answered our questions yet. And if he didnét answer yours in the auditorium, sure enough he was in the bar afterwards.