Welcome to the cleaner Frank Skinner. After seven years away from stand-up his act now includes haikus and references to Plato. Though it was noticeable last night that the ribald riffs got the loudest laughs.
There was plenty to smile about beyond the filth. The trim 56-year-old was particularly insightful on his place in the fame firmament. The show’s title, Man in a Suit, comes from a routine in which he wonders whether his clothes would raise more money in Oxfam than in a Sotheby’s auction. His gift for verbal pictures remains exemplary. Discussing a celebrity with a large face he described how kissing her on both cheeks involved a short walk.
While there is no overarching theme Skinner is the apotheosis of a safe pair of comedy hands, easing seamlessly from yarn to yarn. Even when the quips lacked a knockout punch they were so beautifully crafted they raised appreciative chuckles.
If there were fewer knob gags than usual that may be due to a waning libido. His sex drive, he claimed, “is more of an overgrown footpath”. But diehard fans will not be disappointed. Skinner is still more elder statesman of smut than saint.
Until Feb 22 (0844 8733 433, leicestersquaretheatre.com)
