Jason Manford is on the road again with his latest comedy offering “First World Problems” (named after that popular Twitter hashtag).  His first sell out night at the Crewe Lyceum kept the locals (and those from further afield) well and truly entertained for the evening and laughing in the aisles.

It’s not often you see a comedian who lays on his own support act, because as he puts it, “what’s the point in paying somebody to be slightly less rubbish than me when I can do it myself?”  After a quick gag filled “get to know you” introduction from the front row of the audience, one of which happens to be a magician (“comedy gold right there!” Manford exclaims) the audience are most certainly warmed up and ready for the main event.

A quick shirt change later (“to match his trainers”), the second half kicks off with audience submissions of their own “First World Problems” after Manford starts the list with his brothers “hotdogs being sold in tins of 8 but hotdog buns been sold in packs of 6” problem. “Too many Tupperware lids for the tubs in the tupperware drawer”, “scattering the scatter cushions in the wrong way” or “getting a wedgie when you’ve just painted your nails” (one for the ladies!) are just a selection of the audience submissions.  Unfortunately my First World Problem  “when hotel rooms don’t put plug sockets next to the bed so you can’t use your phone whilst its charging” didn’t make the cut.

Everyone’s favourite northern comedian excels at the man-of-the-people, observational comedy routine where he’s the butt of many the joke and makes you feel as though you’re talking to your (much, much funnier) best mate in the pub.

There’s the jokes that you see coming a mile away but still can’t help but laugh at, the ones that cut close to the bone and the down to earth and relateable jokes that make Jason Manford the Jester, if not the King of Common Comedy.

Over all the show was laugh a minute, I’d even go as far as to say “a laugh every few seconds” with a lot of the audience struggling up catch their breath from one gag before the next one was expertly lined up and delivered.

After the encore which follows a fake “G’Night Crewe“, which Jason points out is like one of those secrets that everybody is in on, the subject turns to what I assume would count for as serious as Jason Manford gets.

The long and short of it? Support more comedians, he says. Crewe, and more and other cities around the UK are jam packed full of great comedy nights and that people should actually make the effort to go out and watch the shows regardless of whether they know any of the names on the bill.

I saw the first of Jason’s two shows on the tour at the Lyceum. If you weren’t one of the lucky ones to bag yourself one of the sold out tickets, his next show at the Lyceum is on Wednesday 25th June and you can buy your tickets online now.  It’s one hell of a hoot.

Speaking of supporting other great comedy in Crewe, the Lyceum has a monthly comedy show featuring the stand-up circuits hottest up-and-coming acts – The Laughter Crewe.