Sean Lock, Birmingham Hippodrome - review

Given his natural 'anti' disposition strangely mixed with his somewhat 'zany' gait, it is now like watching Harry Hill meets Breaking Bad. Though in truth he is a little more series 5 Walter White than the meek and mild teacher who began Breaking Bad in series 1.

The title of his latest tour is Keep It Light – ironically, because this is certainly not light and fluffy comedy. It is, in his own words, rehearsed moaning.

Lock, a TV regular as an 8 out of 10 Cats show panellist, is a self-confessed cynic and offers a satirical look at modern life and society - with few escaping his scorn or mockery.

Among those feeling a tongue-lashing of derision are chemists, opticians, Sir Richard Branson, Sir Alan Sugar, David Walliams, pigeons and anyone who has personalised number plates (though we would probably all agree with that).

He pours scorn on gift aid, sparing a minute's silence for dead former players before football matches and there is a slightly uncomfortable moment as he describes wanting to see his parents in their 'private' moments.

Sir Alan is rather harshly described as looking like 'a toffee apple that has rolled across a barber's floor'.

Walliams cops it for writing too many books although Lock's wife apparently puts this down to him being a 'bitter, twisted, jealous husk of a man' who has lost his own creativity and had to resort to appearing on TV panel shows.

The harshest comments of the night, it seems, being lain at his own door.

The 'lighter' humour comes as he describes his and our transforming bodies and the idea of old people stuck up in trees like kites! His undercover sortie onto Mumsnet and the role of dads as 'rubbish mums' were also highlights.

Lock is entertaining to watch with his little leprechaun leaps and sidewinding moves injecting a physical comedy into the show.

There are times he becomes a little too random and doesn't quite resonate. This applied particularly to his encore which began reviewing Alvin and the Chipmunks and flowed into a rambling storytelling session before Lock admitted 'this doesn't always go down so well' and continued then describing the various sounds made by members of the audience leaving.

Maybe he was trying to Keep It Light but it might have been better to end with the 'bitter and twisted' Lock we have all come to love.

Special mention should go to support act Paul McCaffrey who had the crowd laughing from the moment he hit the stage and was the perfect warm-up.

Sean Lock is appearing at Birmingham Hippodrome again tonight.

By Diane Davies