A sharp stand-up routine

Sean Hughes, Exeter Corn Exchange, Wednesday 3rd February

By Jenna Richards

With a large belly, ‘fat face’ and scruffy stubble middle age has clearly hit ex heartthrob comedian Sean Hughes where it hurts, and he’s not afraid to talk about it.

At 44 his aging frame has given rise to plenty of material, and a quick wander round Exeter before he arrived gave him plenty of off-the-cuff anecdotes to please the local crowd.

A favourite topic, which he came back to many times, was Exeter’s ‘hidden’ airport. “I travelled five hours to get here, then I find out you have an airport,” he quipped.

Jokes about his expanding stomach and ‘fat face’, a result of giving up a 60-a-day smoking habit, came thick and fast were revisited during the show. Upfront about his own shortcomings, he thought his best chance of marriage would be with a burglar, due to his inability to leave the house unless gigging.

He spotted a 16 year-old couple in the audience; to you Hip-Hop is music by JZ, but to me is it’s a waiting-list for an operation, he joked. No doubt they were totally bemused by some of his reference points. “I should make this show for over 40s,” he realised later.

Some gags fell flat and the atmosphere was lacking. Something he blamed entirely on the Wednesday night Exeter audience: “That applause was like Court 22 at Wimbledon.” Although I’m not sure they should take all the blame.

The show’s structure was confusing as topics disappeared and reappeared and for the first half it felt like Sean was struggling to find his rhythm.

But the second half proved to be a more considered, sharper stand-up routine than the first with plenty of belly-laughs thrown in.

With plenty of improvisation, audience interaction and well observed local jokes; the show was entertaining despite Sean’s meandering style, and well worth the ticket price.