Sean Prower

'The show all comics dream of. Middlesbrough Town Hall on a Friday night!' were the words of Rob Brydon as he walked on to loud, lengthy applause, whistling and cheering of his 1100+ crowd. It sounds like a normal show, but when you think it is actually a leap. Brydon... [more]

Event Date: Friay, April 24, 2009
Event Venue: Middlesbrough Town Hall

'The show all comics dream of. Middlesbrough Town Hall on a Friday night!' were the words of Rob Brydon as he walked on to loud, lengthy applause, whistling and cheering of his 1100+ crowd. It sounds like a normal show, but when you think it is actually a leap. Brydon has toured but not as himself. Sure there were Uncle Bryn and Keith Barret moments but overall the show was Brydon as Brydon. I should make a mention of his support act Hal Cruttenden, whose comedy was warm and giggly to start the gig. Brydon told the crowd his story of the birth of his fourth child with quite graphic detail and one of his highlights are his impressions. Ronnie Corbett stuck in a sandpit, Anthony Hopkins working on CBeebies, Al Pacino and Shaking Stevens. He ends his show with an encore of songs, most notably Islands In The Stream which had the crowd singing, swaying and clapping. Rob Brydon definitely left the Middlesbrough crowd pleased. He said it was his first visit to Middlesbrough and I hope it isn't his last. [less]

Well what can I say about Derren Brown's fourth tour ENIGMA that doesn't reveal anything from the show that would ruin it for those who haven't seen it?  The only thing I can say is that it is THE GREATEST SHOW I have ever seen.

I have seen 'Tricks of... [more]

Event Date: Wednesday 3rd June 2009
Event Venue: Newcastle Theatre Royal

Well what can I say about Derren Brown's fourth tour ENIGMA that doesn't reveal anything from the show that would ruin it for those who haven't seen it?  The only thing I can say is that it is THE GREATEST SHOW I have ever seen.

I have seen 'Tricks of the Mind', 'Trick or Treat', and his televised live shows but it becomes absolutely nothing when you see him live.  From TV people can't help think that tricks may have been pre-arranged with and shot repetitively until the trick works out.  It just isn't the case live.  Derren has one attempt and every time his tricks and games worked to  perfection.  They were immaculate.

Throughout the night the audience were thrown into fits of laughter and stunned silence.  We were amazed yet scared at the performance given.  The stunts he performs are impossible when heard but to see the stunts he does live, there in front of your eyes, is unbelievable.  What I've said really doesn't put across how spectacular this man is.  He is a wonder to see.

Again, Derren with his trusty frisbee's, hurls them in the crowd, in the stalls, up to the circle for completely random members of the public to join him in his mind games, trickery and scary, baffling and hilarious stunts.

People may call Derren Brown a performer but he is more than that.  He is an entertainer.  While he may amaze us with reading the minds of blindfolded strangers and summoning spirits with his illusions and guesswork, he does it with a smile on his face and toys with the crowd to which there was laughter throughout the whole night.

I'm not going to say what happens in the show and I don't want to.  It would ruin it for you and also Derren asks his audiences not to reveal what happens as it would be unfair and spoil it for those who haven't.  So all I will say is: just don't underestimate ENIGMA. [less]

An intimate venue at the Stockton Arc and Mark Watson made the night a total success. Spending 10 minutes before the show wandering around the theatre happily chatting with the audience makes him a friendly, open character as well as seriously funny one. At 8 o'clock he walked down the... [more]

Event Date: March 13, 2009
Event Venue: The Arc, Stockton-On-Tees

An intimate venue at the Stockton Arc and Mark Watson made the night a total success. Spending 10 minutes before the show wandering around the theatre happily chatting with the audience makes him a friendly, open character as well as seriously funny one. At 8 o'clock he walked down the theatre trying to catch everyone's attention; not on stage but standing near the 4th row. He gave a full-hearted welcome and but was worried about his entrance, saying it was a boring start to the show. He suggested he should hide which everyone found really childishly fun. Having tried stairs and the speakers, a man suggested Mark should hide under his seat. Mark was open for anything and shifted past 10 people to hide under this man's seat and then shouted: 'Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Mark Watson! Excuse me mate, can I just get past.' Hilarious 1st half getting the crowd warmed up with his stories about a sausage roll and his family before his stress-related health scare. The 2nd is him saying how he tried to avoid stress and how afraid he is to speak up for himself, from being touched by a man near Cardiff station and hearing a sex song while in the car with his dad. Not a bad crowd and Watson worked them to his advantage. True though, you get the full effect of Watson's comedy from the more intimate venues. Nevertheless, a great comedian. Well worth a watch. [less]

This is the third time I have seen Ross Noble on this tour; Things. Firstly two warm-up shows in Billingham and last night at the York Opera House. You could literally see him every night for the whole tour and you would be guaranteed at least over 70 minutes of... [more]

Event Date: May 10, 2009
Event Venue: York Opera House

This is the third time I have seen Ross Noble on this tour; Things. Firstly two warm-up shows in Billingham and last night at the York Opera House. You could literally see him every night for the whole tour and you would be guaranteed at least over 70 minutes of new material every night. The first half consists of Noble bantering with the first few rows of the crowd picking out things that strike him as weird. And he does it flawlessly. A woman wearing a leopard patterned blouse, a history student wanting a career in law, Vikings and an angry heckling nana. By the second half Noble has got the grasp of the crowd and begins to act out stories and scenarios. These aren't actually pre-arranged but a collective bundle of what the crowd have shouted at him on that particular night. He told a quick story of a man about to pile a lorryload of 33,000 sausages on top of a stroke victim in order to cure them. And it just isn't a show without presents. Gifts are left for him during the interval and as he returns he'll rifle through scraps of paper and boxes to see what has been left. On this night; a pizza box with two leftover cold slices which he gave to the history student "You'll eat that won't you? You're a student," an opened condom (which soon became the running joke of the second half. The man who threw it on stage claimed it was the only thing in his wallet. Ross replied that if he was feeling in the mood later he would have to melt down a credit card like some sort of porno blacksmith.) and to Ross's glee, six toy cars with monkey drivers, one which wore a bowler hat and a moustache. In elation he put the cars on the floor, pulled them back and they drove across the stage. Ross Noble has to be one of the quick minded, lovable and laugh-out-loud comedians on the current circuit. [less]