Jason said for no one to speak or write of the show I’ve just witnessed but sod him cos it was too fantastic for me to not. I can’t remember the last time I laughed until I cried but Jason certainly made me do that.

So we’ll start with when we first entered The Lowry. We headed for the Quays Theatre Bar for a drink and to reminisce about how it was there that I saw Tim for the first time outside of Edinburgh. Speaking of which, I’m off to see Rhod Gilbert for the first time outside of Edinburgh tomorrow in the exact same theatre, exactly 52 weeks after I saw Tim there. Spooky. Although this does remind me that I need to listen to Rhod’s show. I need to stop procrastinating and get on with the important things in life, obviously.

Anyway, we headed upstairs to where The Studio was. I won’t tell you about how we had to wait for a bit because were early as it’s insignificant but when we did get in boy was it cosy. I’m guessing it only holds between 100 and 200 people so obviously it was an intimate gig and the stage was only raised a foot or so off the floor, which meant from our front row seats it made a perfect foot rest because we were that close to it.

Now, if you’ve seen Jason before you might think it’s not such a good idea to sit on the front row owing to his tendency to converse with its members. Personally, this was something I didn’t mind seeing as how I’ve shaken off my irrational fear of being talked to by a comedian from on stage (thanks Sean Hughes) but, as Jason recalled a tale about a guy in London, lots of people do see it as being “picked on”. I have to say I generally admire any comedian who can generate huge laughs with off the cuff banter like Jason did tonight.

But yes, during the first half we were recounted with tales about the birth of his second child and the mischief that goes on between him and his tramp-like seven year old son before finally ending on an anecdote about him doing some “robbing”. This in turn led to him telling us to do a spot of robbing ourselves over the interval, telling us that the night before, in Birmingham, someone had managed to bring a sofa back in with them, though he did say he expected the people of Norwich, tomorrow night, to just bring back things like bread.

They say real life is funnier than anything scripted and in a way, this show proved it to be true. The amount of stuff people stole was amazing though the most ingenious theft was that of Jason’s microphone. The most impressive piece of thievery though was that of a shaped advertising cut-out for the Lazy Town live show. Unfortunately though, no sooner had it been placed on stage when a member of staff came and took it back downstairs, the spoilsport.

A recurring theme throughout the “borrowed” items was that of things that had been stolen from an art installation of a shed. There were fake birds in a wicker nest, Wellington boots and a packet of flower seeds. People managed to steal the whole point of this art exhibition too, which was plant pots with paper flowers in, on which people (mainly children) could write their thoughts and dreams and stuff. Jason seemed to find this amusing, mock accusing the audience of stealing the children’s dreams!

The main crux of this thievery you couldn’t make up even if you tried. Jason happened upon a stolen slippery floor sign saying that that’s dangerous because someone could slip and fall before coming across a first aid kit saying that was even more dangerous as the woman who’d slipped due to the lack of the wet floor sign wouldn’t be able to be treated. But, he managed to go one step further with this as one of the other things he’d had stolen for him was a drink, which towards the end of skit he managed to spill all over the stage. Being the quick thinker he is he cordoned the area off with the slippery surface sign, stating that he was on hand to give anyone medical help if they did actually slip. You couldn’t write it, because even as I’m retelling it now, it’s nowhere near as funny as actually seeing it happen. Jason is a master of improv and witty remarks and brings buckets of enthusiasm to every thing he talks about making him a pure joy to watch. I mean going through all the robbed stuff took up most of the second half of the show but, to be fair, I didn’t mind because you felt like you’d had your money’s worth and seen a thoroughly unique show, which isn’t something you come across a lot these days.

Salford’s loot