Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10

There are times in life in which you just have to let the night unfold infront of you, and enjoy every single minute of it. Even if the truth of the evening really goes over your head, you can but laugh and gasp for air.

The Empire Theatre has hosted many great nights but there are those that would struggle to take on the appeal of the long running radio programme, I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue, that even the most cunning of comedians would jump at the chance of being involved in rather than take on a Liverpool audience alone.

Billed as The Antidote to Panel Games, this live offering of the popular comedy saw the evergreen Barry Cryer, Graeme Garden and Tim Brooke-Taylor joined by the unofficial irregular regular Jeremy Hardy and the outstanding Sandi Toksvig who was making her debut as chairperson in a live show, was as great an antidote to the winter blues as it was remedy to some of the more alleged comedy panel games that appear with frightening regularity on television.

This was a night that showed that taking such programmes as I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue, Mock The Week and Q.I. out on the road and letting them run cerebrally or even insanely amock in the wider world works to the point of genius. With games such as the brilliant In My Pants, in which the four panellists have to come up with film, television, book or radio programme titles and letting Ms. Toksvig add the immortal words in my pants to the end in an attempt to make her laugh, the superbly played Waiters and absolute fan favourite Mornington Crescent, the audience at the Empire Theatre were treated to the most enjoyable and hilarious of nights.

Whilst the more established Graeme Garden, Tim Brooke-Taylor and Barry Cryer at the overall helm, the evening was always going to go down well, with the addition of Jeremy Hardy, a man who could make butter churn on its own with his singing and the gracious Ms. Toksvig in control of four naughty boys, nobody could have enjoyed themselves more, unless the ever elusive and magical Samantha and Sven were able to nip along for a quick round of course.

If begging helps, stop recording certain shows in London or Manchester, the format works live, so bring Stephen Fry and Dara O’ Briain’s respective shows to the mass audience, it will be a godsend to banish the mundane and  deeply beige to the bin of mediocrity.

Ian D. Hall