"Tonight's the first time I catch Hal Cruttenden, and by Gad he has a lot to prove.
"Fully-fledged telly actor, Perrier nominee, Montreal hit, circuit bigee, then back to telly to write for my current hero Omid Djalili...
"And does he cut the proverbial mustard?
"Yes. And then some.
" 'Cause I've been reviewing stand-up for years, and believe me this is as good as it gets. Hal sums up nice-but-dim better than Harry Enfield's Tim, whilst epitomising class-born unease better than Alexei Sayle's famous Hemel Hempstead jibe ("They have the same cars and furniture as the Tories, just feel more guilty about it"). It's a strong persona, and one we can both recognise and empathise with. Which is why we're there all the way as he rattles off the gags, garners the laughs and easelessly slips into character (bank manager, inappropriately rough-speaking gay, even his brash Ulster wife).../p>
"But don't worry, there are no sleazy Jim-Davidson stereotypes here, just the fun and the thrills and the frills of a guy who knows damn well how to do his job. Hal's as slick as Bob Monkhouse, as camp as John Inman, as sharp as aforementioned Omid. He's also a rollercoaster of fun, an explosion of joy and a case in point for those of us who'd love to tread the boards and need inspiration.
"Twenty minutes ain't enough. Mr Cruttenden could stand here till Christmas and encore till Doomsday."
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