Review by Steve Bennett

Don't judge a show by its poster. Jim Jeffries wearing angel wings against a fiery background with the Second Coming title is about as arrogant as it gets. Apparently he's managed to annoy some members of the Christian lobby with that, which has to be worth doing.

His 18-rated show covers the sex, drugs, sex, drink, sex, abuse, religion and death bases that you would hope for with such billing. It's all performed with rude good humour and a well j-udged delivery for a mild-mannered Wednesday night audience.

In the intimate setting of the Belly Laugh room he had the crowd in the palm of his hand, with his friendly, warm manner. One distinctly poker-faced woman was teased and charmed into laughing at some complete filth, he played it exactly right. Where other comics, or in other circumstances he himself, would have berated her and left everyone feeling miserably uncomfortable, he acknowledged her distaste and returned to her when she was laughing her arse off and delighted everyone.

There was something to offend everyone, if you were so inclined. But this is comedy, not a manifesto for living. There's no mockery in his subjects ­ incompetent, disappointing sex, breaking relationships, sex with disabled people, working with special needs adults. Life is messy so you might as well extract what you can from it.

He certainly did not paint himself as hero of his own life. One of the most absorbing moments of the show was an account of his being held hostage by machete wielding thugs whilst they robbed him, his girlfriend and his flatmate. Demonstrating the old saw that comedy equals tragedy plus time, this grimly violent event and the subsequent trial created gales of laughter.

It's a tight hour of brilliant anecdotes and breathtaking crudity, delivered with such likeable blokishness, you would have to be very determined not to have a good time

Julia Chamberlain

Review date: 1 Aug 2006
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett