Imagine the scene - a Canadian warm up act, telling a packed auditorium at the Regent Theatre, Ipswich, that the Brits are cheap, litterbugs, who are fans of dogging.

It could have gone so wrong.

Instead, it had the perfect effect - a slightly reserved chuckle spread throughout the audience.

And then Pete Johanssen, who has an obsession with bears, went one step further, and told the Ipswich audience they were miserable - and he had us.

Coming on after that, Reginald D Hunter, who has recently appeared on, Have I got News for You and 8 out of 10 Cats, had it easy.

He broached the difficult subject of the controversy around his act in the opening five minutes, and laid it bare - tonight we would see a very different comedian to the one we have seen on TV.

Pushing it one step further, he then went on to discuss the recent football debacle.

At this stage, half the audience appeared to be with him, the rest were slightly aghast at his take on racism.

Things did improve, and those that were on board certainly had a good night, but there was clearly a small minority of the audience who found the “real” Reginald D Hunter just too risqué.

Terrorism, the Nazis, rape and domestic violence were all fair game. He even asked the male members of the audience how they would feel if their wives asked them to sleep with their brother.

This was not a laugh a minute, Reg’s style is very dry, and you have to listen hard to that smooth voice to really understand and share the humour.

That said, Reg live was a hit with at least 90% of the audience but for me, it was too much like hard work.