"It's the first time I've seen Mr Belgrave, and his is a good solid set, no messin'.
"You could argue it's all been done before, this observational stuff. You know the kinda how-to-do-stand-up: 'Have you ever noticed...? Why is that, is it 'cause....? Maybe the next step's...' And yeah I confess, the approach is nothing new. But the execution is. After all, the wondrous Eddie Izzard once spun out an even more wondrous twenty minutes on How Kids Eat Biscuits. And while Mike isn't hitting Izzard heights of mania, he's sure as hell gettin' there.
"It helps that he has a great rapport with us punters - and as Logan Murray comments in 'Teach Yourself Stand-Up', that's way more important than splendid-but-inaccessible aphorisms. It also helps that he knows how to treat the dreaded hecklers - give 'em enough rope, repeat what they said so we can appreciate yer response (and also have time to think of one), and on the rare occasions give credit where credit's due. But most of all, it helps that he does sport the odd dose of feisty material and feistier subject matter. The stuff about Christmas is hardly straining at the leash of comic creativity, but just when you're wandering off to the bar he turns it all gloriously upside-down, aided along the way by the fact his in-laws ain't bogstandard sitcom territory, they're a bizarre - and hilarious - mix of the Irish and the West Indians.
"All in all, an invigorating set. And things can only get better..."
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