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Cornish comedian Jethro’s Brighton show was full of down-to-Earth, slightly old-fashioned humour, stories, and songs. At times a little crude and with a mixture of new and older material, he still managed to be laugh out loud funny. There is a rather intimate feel to his show, drawing the audience in. Partly ‘man down the pub telling dirty jokes’ style, and partly clever performer, he was warm and entertaining, as well as showcasing a great singing voice with a very straight-played version of ‘I Believe’. He was supported by singer Shaun Perry, who was also a great straight-man to Jethro’s kind-hearted teasing.

Theatre Royal Brighton, 10 December 2011
Rating:
Laura Fernandez-Kayne

Status Quo’s festive show brought mixed blessings this evening. Kim Wilde hit the first Yuletide note with ‘Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree’, before an impressive Roy Wood led his Rock & Roll Band triumphantly through those ambitious Move and Wizzard singles. Despite their undeniable stadium skills and Francis Rossi’s humour, the Quo’s set started to drag with numerous medleys and middling album tracks between the big hits. The seasonal celebrations finally returned, along with Wilde and Wood, for an cheerful encore of Christmas classics. For the legions of fans on the floor, tonight was solid Quo, but I remained unconverted.

Brighton Centre, 9 December 2011
Rating:
Stuart Huggett

It’s the perfect festive party, and the good news is there’s plenty of Krater Christmas Krackers between now and 25 December. The three-course meal went down a treat: a deliciously warming soup, lamb shank that was so tender it fell off the bone, and a cheeky chocolate pot pud that hit the spot. It’s a tasty menu that makes a change from turkey and sprouts! Added to the menu is a great comedy line-up. On this night, compere Stephen Grant provided plenty of funny stories and crowd interaction. Comics Eddy Brimson and Sean?Collins both touched on the woes of parenthood to great comic effect. Brimson had me almost crying with laughter at his ‘wife story’ while a Jagermeister-fuelled Collins appeared to expose one family table’s closer-than-close relations and a South African ‘invasion’. Great fun. If anything, a third act would have made the night complete.

Komedia, 8 December 2011
Rating:
Zara Baker

New Act Night at Komedia was the finishing touch for the students of the prestigious Jill Edwards Beginners Comedy Workshop. MC Rob Heeney was a strong and funny pair of safe hands to guide proceedings with a real affection for the course, the students, the teacher and our city. Twelve terrified souls made us laugh at their delightfully fresh, cutting, dark, and off the wall material. A rounding testimony to the top quality of the course was the quality of this resulting output; a fabulous night out full of warmth, discovery (for the audience and the acts!) and more feelgood than a ’70s disco.

Komedia, 7 December 2011
Rating:
Victoria Nangle