Andy Parsons, Gruntled, Ipswich Corn Exchange, Sunday night

Parsons is a comedian not to be sneezed at; as one guy found out to his cost during this tour-de-force of a gig.

The Mock the Week star was at his best when taking full advantage of opportunities to improvise at the expense of several audience members.

The serial sneezer and a woman who laughed louder than anyone else while Parsons recalled a stint in intensive care after getting a rugby ball lodged in his ribcage became the butt of future jokes.

One of the best bits - and a running gag the rest of the night - came when another guy left his seat near the front to pop to the loo just a few jokes in.

Parsons was hilarious as he dealt with everything from the coalition government and its foreign policy to finding a pair of pants in a jar of mayonaise and a joke about multi-tasking I can’t begin to go into in a family paper.

It’s no wonder the show was a virtual sell-out. My only two criticisms have nothing to do with Parsons.

The acoustics in the hall made it difficult to hear the odd joke here and there properly.

Worse, though, was the lack of leg room. I had to virtually sit on my wife’s lap because the guy next to me had his legs so wide apart I half expected him to go into labour at any moment.

That aside, a great night.

WAYNE SAVAGE