“What if Harvey Weinstein looked like Brad Pitt? Do you think there would be one complaint?” - Jim Davidson, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre - review

An irreversible swell in political-correctness and more sensitive audiences have largely seen off his brand of blue comedy in the last twenty years or so.

It’s a fact that Davidson is fully aware of - but the leopard does not change his spots.

So at Stafford Gatehouse Theatre on Wednesday an audience of around 450 people witnessed a comedy throwback.

From imitating ethnic accents to gags about his ex-wives and ironing, it was all there.

But before he got into his flow Davidson had something to get off his chest.

“Let’s get this out of the way,” he declared moments after coming on stage.

“When did chatting a woman up become ‘he propositioned me?’”

Davidson has a chip on his shoulder when it comes to the recent swathe of sexual misconduct allegations and how they have been reported by the media.

There is good reason for this. After being arrested by Operation Yewtree detectives in 2014 he was cleared of rape and sexual assault nine months later. He described it as having been a “year of absolute hell.”

But while many will have sympathy for Davidson and his ‘trial by media,’ there are also many who will find his remarks on the wider topic hugely distasteful.

“It’s all gone mental. You can’t touch anyone’s knee anymore,” he said.

He posed the question: “What if Harvey Weinstein looked like Brad Pitt? Do you think there would be one f***ing complaint?”

Shortly after, he added: “Ask yourself girls, have you got out your pram a bit too f***ing much now?”

The main part of Davidson’s routine promised to be about his 40 years in showbiz.

Having famously presented the Generation Game and Big Break, as well as racking up countless theatre and pantomime credits, there is plenty of material for him to draw on.

There were some fascinating anecdotes about the likes of snooker maverick Alex Higgins and keyboardist Keith Emerson.

And a story about an encounter with Labour stalwart David Blunkett was particularly amusing.

If anything there were not enough of these showbiz recollections. They were lost amid a sea of jokes about sexual organs, ethnic minorities and disabled people.

Like I said, the leopard does not change his spots.