At the start of Peter Kay’s first London show in seven years he cheerily declared: "I’m all right, how could I not be?" Indeed. His record-breaking tour has taken £35 million at the box office.
If his previous live trek was jokily about buying his mother a bungalow, this one will enable him to buy her an entire town. Oh, and he also stars in the new Marks & Spencer adverts. Of course he is all right. And his new show is also all right.
During Kay’s hiatus Michael McIntyre has rocketed up the gagsmith charts, so this was the Boltonian’s chance to reassert himself, which he did by assiduously repeating his winning formula.
As ever he is obsessed with nostalgia, from relic Rick Astley opening proceedings to the star bantering about Butlins, school days and Mr Matey bubble bath. Scientific progress means looking at "Facetube", while Blu-ray sounds like a local porn star.
The subject matter was often pedestrian — C4’s Come Dine With Me and Secret Millionaire are both much-visited stand-up terrain — but was lifted by Kay’s instinctive skills. His use of language is consistently economical, his asides are sharp and for a large man he is impressively lightfooted. It is just a shame he does not take more risks. He even dusted off his reliable misheard lyrics routine in which he spots sinister messages in Sister Sledge’s oeuvre.
There are no truly classic moments until the unashamedly spectacular musical finale in which Kay lives out his rock fantasies, though one anecdote about an eye-watering sunbed accident comes close. This was undoubtedly a hugely entertaining event, but for sheer mainstream wall-to-wall laughs Michael McIntyre has the edge for a London audience.
Until Monday then March 31 to April 4, June 8 & 9. Information: 0844 277 4321, ticketmaster.co.uk
Peter Kay: The Tour That Doesn't Tour Tour Now On Tour
The O2 Arena
Peninsula Square, Greenwich, SE10 0DX
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