ENTERING into the grand elegance of Cheltenham's Pittville Pump Room on Friday to see someone as down-to-earth as Andy Parsons struck me as somewhat incongruous, especially when the show is titled ‘Peak B*llsh*t.’ As Andy said, “the title is so rude it needs at least one asterisk” – I think it needs two.

Under an extravagant chandelier, dripping with sparkling glass, stood a lone microphone; it’s loneliness exacerbated by a slightly late start.

Perhaps it was the setting, the brave decision to introduce himself off-stage, or the chance I had to speak with him beforehand, but to me Andy exuded an unexpected whiff of charming vulnerability. This enhanced his mission of bringing together a divided nation to “laugh at the a** end of the world.”

You could believe you were sitting down with a friend – albeit a friend much more entertaining than yourself.

His popular appeal could be seen in the mixed demographics of the audience – a group he quickly loosened up and won over, despite the absence of a warm-up act.

I was impressed by Andy’s patchwork story-telling; his humour was much less ‘quippy’ than the snippets we heard on Mock the Week. As entertaining as he is on TV, his jokes are far more memorable in longer form.

His comedy is mostly intelligent, unsurprising when you note his casual references to his impressive education. He isn’t afraid to take on controversial politics from here and abroad; but there is a little filth thrown in when things start looking too serious.  

All the while, Andy maintains such a rapid pace and intense energy. Perhaps he might benefit from slowing down so we can catch every word; allowing greater emphasis and his jokes to settle. Or at least to give him a chance to take a breath – it's a wonder he doesn't turn blue.

I particularly appreciated that there is no excessive posturing to Andy Parsons. Although he read and interacted with his audience, there was no cringeworthy forced participation. He didn’t even make it off the stage before he came back for his encore. He knew we wanted more, we didn’t have to feed his ego by crying out for it.   

I am rather selective when it comes to comedy – on TV I labelled Andy Parsons as agreeable enough. But live he brilliantly satirises the messed-up world we live in and provides a thorough good laugh along the way.

Andy Parson’s Peak B*llsh*t tour continues. See the other venues and dates to catch him live.