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Appearing without you-know-who, Stephen’s second night was a brilliant laugh-out-loud fest. Take away The Office and Extras, and you may wonder what to expect from someone recognised as Ricky Gervais’ sidekick. But Stephen really did hold his own as he stepped into the limelight by himself, mocking how he’s fought to be recognised in his own right – The Guardian once referred to the duo as Ricky Gervais and Stephen Mitchell. The show was full of anecdotes about his unsuccessful dates in search of a wife, a brilliant sketch using two unexpected members from the audience, and most importantly the difficulties of being 6ft 7. A genuinely hilarious man who’s fast becoming a standup comic-giant.

The Brighton Centre, 11 December 2011
Rating:
Laura Burgess

Pull A Cracker with the Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus promised a night of Christmas favourites and pop and rock classics to get you in the festive mood, and they certainly did not disappoint! The sell out crowd were treated to a vast collection of songs, ranging from the traditional to the contemporary; from Leonard Cohen to Mariah Carey, with a ‘Hark The Herald Angels Sing’ and ‘Sister Act’ tribute thrown in for good measure. And if that wasn’t enough, there was compering from the brilliantly funny local lady Zoe Lyons and even an appearance from everyone’s favourite Eastender June Brown aka. Dot Cotton! It was a magical evening and judging by the rapturous applause and standing ovation at the end that was a feeling shared by everyone there. Just brilliant!

Concert Hall, Brighton Dome, 11 December 2011
Rating:
Natasha Prochaski

Another Christmas, another great Jools Holland performance. Sheer piano brilliance from the talented man, ably supported by his Rhythm and Blues Orchestra. For me the highlight remains the big band and blues numbers, with fantastic individual brass performances and including the legendary Gilson Lavis who gave a magnificent drum solo that brought the house down.

Louise Marshall, and Ruby Turner – the Queen of Boogie Woogie – offered us their now familiar but still fabulous routines but the special guest of the evening was Sandy Shaw, the 60s pop icon, most famous for her 1967 Eurovision song Contest winner, ‘Puppet on a String’ and her bare feet. This song, and other famous hits were skilfully rearranged and she performed them brilliantly.

Although claiming not to have sung on stage for many years she was confident and assured, despite tottering around the stage in her bare feet and lace hot pants showing us a nifty pair of pins.

Great show!

The Brighton Centre, 10 December 2011
Rating:
Lynne Edwards

It was a real family affair watching siblings Kitty, Daisy and Lewis Durham – and surprisingly their mum and dad on double bass and guitar – perform their bluesy Hawaiian-style gig. The trio showed off their talent by each taking it in turn to sing, play drums, banjo, accordion and just generally be musical. Despite a few technical delays, and lack of chat with the crowd, the band were definitely interesting to watch. Kitty was mesmerising with her harmonica solos, and all three had an authentic ’40s and ’50s vintage vibe. Particular favourites were ‘Going Up the Country’ and new single ‘Don’t Make A Fool Of Me Now’. The group were enthusiastic within their performances and certainly suited the hillbilly rock ‘n’ roll style of Brighton, leaving the room swinging and jiving.

Komedia, 30 November 2011
Rating:
Laura Burgess