Review by Steve Bennett

An unflappable MC, he’s certainly got the gift of the gab, picking on the usual targets in the audience – from supposedly bad haircuts to alleged fashion faux pas, whether true or not – and amiably, relentlessly and thoroughly efficiently ripping the piss. Banter and backchat is his MO, and he never fully plunges into his material, always returning to the front row for a quick quip at some hapless punter’s expense.

His entire personality is the personality of a stand-up. That may seem like a good thing for a comic, but it also carries an inherent criticism. For while the lines come quick and punchy, the act is incredibly glib – there’s no personal point of view or stamp of originality to be seen. The result is a set that’s compiled by the numbers: mocking tattooed chavs, discussing the security questions they ask you at airport check-in – and even outlining the difference between cats and dogs. It’s a full house on the hack bingo card.

‘What’s he quickest game in the world?’ he quips. ‘Pass the parcel at Al Qaeda party!’ I remember that joke when the punchline was ‘…at a Belfast pub’ and it's probably been around since the days of Guy Fawkes. Contemporary, it ain’t.

There are also some strained puns - some admittedly rather good - and even traditional joke formats, in which his wife sexually arouses zoo gorillas. This is certainly a throwback to the days before we expected a grain of truth to any comedy routine.

Sutherland makes no apologies for this - in fact, he seems rather proud of it. After all, there will always be a market for this unambitious, impersonal stand-up that makes only little attempt at originality. And if that sort of slick shtick floats your boat, Sutherland is undeniably brilliant at it.

Review date: 6 Mar 2009
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett