Review by Steve Bennett

The audience greets Roy Walker with zealous whoops of excitement and thunderous cheering. His stage presence is undeniable and he holds the crowd like the old master he is. The mother-in-law jokes have gone, but the one-liners still come thick and fast in a show that harks back to the days of proper Saturday night telly.

The first half hour is a trip down memory lane, spiked with good old-fashioned jokes. It feels like an elderly uncle’s slideshow, albeit with more entertaining narration. Here he is as a baby, as a young man in his army uniform, with Jim Bowen, Bernard Manning and Frank Carson on the set of The Comedians. He talks with great fondness of his colleagues and the circuits they used to work, the old school.

The second half of the show is devoted to a game of Catchphrase, complete with prizes, and there’s Mr Chips doffing his cap once again. It’s an opportunity for some old-style audience participation And Walker uses it to fill another ten minutes.

A few more tales of yore would not have gone amiss, though the Saturday afternoon audience had a great time reliving the gameshow that was Walker’s bread and butter for 14 years.

An hour spent in the company of such an experienced showman can never be wasted, and this one can be funny. Walker’s humour and absolute professionalism are a pleasure but they get a little lost amid the props and the game.

Reviewed by: Chloe Smith

Review date: 1 Jan 2008
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett