PETER KAY - University of Central Lancashire Student's Union
20th July 2000

Peter Kay returned to Preston for this one-off special, and delivered a top-notch comic performance for all present.

The cheeky comic from Bolton's voice alone when introducing warm-up act Jamie Mathieson promised that the night would be one to remember. However, as with most warm-up acts Mathieson did not stand out from the crowd, giving a non-descript performance that was far too reliant on "wank" jokes. To be fair, he did produce some fine moments (namely a long, epic RSPCA joke) and warmed up the crowd effectively.

The arrival of Peter Kay heralded the real start to proceedings, and straight away the gulf in quality between him and his warm-up act was obvious. This man was a professional. Although not beginning with his legendary "Bob Marley Jam Donut Joke", he quickly had the audience in stitches when commenting on everything from fireworks to old people:
"Old People. You can't beat 'em. Pity"

Kay continued by focusing on everyone's experiences of school life, holidays and of course, weddings. Consistency was maintained throughout his entire time on stage, and he regularly had the audience in stitches of unstoppable laughter. As with any good comedian, he picked on members of the audience behaving strangely, and this all added to a magnificent performance. He also demonstrated how a true comedian does not need to rely on dirtier jokes to captivate an audience.

The man was sheer class - comedy in action. A must see live.

10/10 by Energetic Kennedy