Frank Skinner took the headline slot on the opening night of the month-long Roundhouse Comedy Festival in Camden, London. Early in his set, he told the expectant Saturday night crowd: "I'm 69, you know." With his hair now the colour of his white T-shirt, he proved conclusively that age is just a number - and that he remains very worthy of the headline slot.
His roughly 40-minute set was classic Skinner: easy-going charm, razor-sharp gags and lovely repartee with those in the front rows. The biggest laugh of the night was his, for a Princess Kate joke no one saw coming and which was delivered with genius. He also said, several times and humbly: "Sorry if tonight wasn't what you were expecting" - when it absolutely was, stand-up at its finest.
Maybe it was the lack of football references - he touched only briefly on the World Cup - but Skinner was a master at work and highly enjoyable.
A launch bill of four
Skinner was a great way to launch the festival, rounding off a bill of four very different but excellent comics, all with far fewer miles on the clock. Hosted by Saturday Night Live UK star Paddy Young, the lineup featured Phil Wang, Rosie Jones and Celya AB.
Special mention must go to Paddy Young, who admirably dealt with two hecklers in the space of a few minutes. The second even got to his feet to try to get the crowd behind him - and failed. It wasn't that kind of night; the mixed crowd was too decent, and the Roundhouse is a beautiful venue hosting comedy rather than the sort of sweaty club where behaviour like that gets applauded.
Festival continues through August
The Roundhouse Comedy Festival continues throughout August, with tickets still available for selected performances. For the full programme and remaining tickets, visit www.roundhouse.org.uk.
