Review by Steve Bennett

From the moment he walks on stage, it's obvious Gordon Southern is someone who knows exactly what he's doing.

He pulls out all the stops to ensure a great set: frisky audience banter and a lively performance that hits the perfect balance between energy and amiability ­ all backed up with top-notch material.

In some ways he's the archetypal stand-up - the T-shirted, white, thirty-ish male - and some of his topics, such as the tribulations of being single and the addictive qualities of PlayStation, do little to challenge the stereotype. But the simple fact is that he's funny enough to mean that this doesn't matter a jot.

Southern isn't confined to this observational stuff, though, and is happy to apply himself to any genre so long as it hits the funnybone. He's equally at home engaging in spontaneous banter, running out new gags based on up-to-the minute headlines or heading down surreal detours involving penguins or some such nonsense.

It's all quality stuff, making Southern an accomplished comic well worth going out of your way to catch.

Review date: 1 May 2003
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett