Newcomer Paul Betney has a form of sclerosis which makes him shake incessantly. It’s a condition that obvious leads to awkward situations, which he retells with self-effacing style.

Outside the personal tales, some lines are a touch obvious – the ladies must love all that vibrating, eh lads– but overall it’s a winningly upbeat celebration of what makes him different.

Away from this topic, his material can lack focus, and wishing hurricanes on places he dislikes so soon after Katrina and Wilma seems gratuitously distasteful, without enough wit to make it a sick joke.

Still, there’s the makings of something good in at least half his set.

October 2005