Scores of comedy fans walked out Jackie Mason's Manchester gig on Friday night – but not because of his often controversial material.

Instead, they complained that technical problems at the Bridgewater Hall meant they couldn't hear what the veteran Jewish comic was saying.

According to the Manchester Evening News many people left well before the interval.

Ros Nesbitt told the newspaper: 'I paid £40 for my ticket and it was a total waste of money. It sounded like the microphone kept cutting out. At first I thought my hearing aid wasn't working, then I noticed people around me weren't laughing.'

A Bridgewater Hall spokesman confirmed: 'There was an issue with the sound and we did get complaints.'