Rob Brydon, Symphony Hall - review

Rob Brydon's return to Symphony Hall in Birmingham proved a charming light entertainment experience.

His 'I Am Standing Up' tour is the Welsh comic's first foray into stand-up since 2009.

But he didn't rely simply on a rehearsed comedy routine – Brydon revels in joking with his audience in a series of ad-libs.

And with sewer designer Joel and manhole design student Dan in the crowd he had plenty of scope for jokes.

This wasn't just comedy though – Brydon also broke into song early on and then grabbed his guitar to play song snippets as the show progressed.

The concept of aging was at the heart of his performance.

Early on Brydon joked about why he struggles to draw a young crowd – referencing the 'old crumblies' who made up much of his audience.

He also discussed the impact of having reached 50 and having two young sons to look after.

Brydon had the audience on side from the start, with early references to posh Solihull and Walsall ("what a dump") designed for the Brummie audience.

The Welshman's career continues to thrive, thanks to his appearances in Gavin & Stacey, Would I Lie To You and The Trip – and all three were readily referenced throughout the 80-minute performance.

Brydon performed some of his most popular celebrity impressions, including Al Pacino, Tom Jones and Paul McCartney – along with a brief outing for his ‘Small Man Trapped in a Box’ routine.

Meanwhile he told a hilarious story of being invited to Mick Jagger's house – then impersonating Jagger, impersonating him, impersonating Michael Caine.

His good pal Steve Coogan also got a ribbing, with Brydon going full Alan Partridge when impersonating his mate.

The range of the audience – from early 20s up to mid 80s – showed Brydon's mass market appeal.

No-one left their seat before he re-emerged for an Elvis rendition to close out the show.

This was a comforting, warming night of entertainment that reaffirmed why Brydon is one of Britain's most-loved performers.