REVIEW: Gary Delaney: There's Something About Gary, The Customs House, South Shields

Gary Delaney has an unbeatable, fast-paced wit that will make you laugh so hard your face will physically ache.

Welcoming himself on stage with a little song, he began by getting to know us and sharing some facts about himself.

Right from the off, I was in stitches. I saw Delaney at Jason Cook’s Comedy Club a few months back, and honestly couldn’t wait to see him again.

The Mock the Week regular quickly became a firm favourite of mine. The way he pushes the boundaries of taste and decency all in the name of a good laugh makes him my kind of comic.

No subject is untouchable as Delaney works his way through a quick succession of jokes, tackling race, sexuality, religion, and whatever controversy-inducing topic he can get his hands on.

While some comedians push it too far, actually offending people, Delaney has found the perfect balance of making you laugh out loud, while slightly questioning your moral standpoint, but still finding him extremely likeable.

Some of the things he comes out with are horribly vulgar and offensive, but it just adds to his charm – he’s the kind of comic you’d love to have a pint with.

Delaney carried on the entertainment by sharing pictures of things like funny road signs and poorly-named curry houses that he’s seen while travelling the country, and we roared with laughter.

The changes he’s made to Wikipedia pages also provided plenty of laughs. Showing them on a giant screen, he pointed out some of the unusual ‘facts’ he’d added to the website and it was absolutely brilliant.

His jokes are incredibly clever. If you’re a fan of word play and puns, then you’ll love Delaney.

There’s no time to catch your breath as he throws one hilarious one-liner after another at you.

I’m going to take every chance I get to see this guy on stage, and you should too.

The South Tyneside Comedy Festival runs until Saturday, August 6. Go to www.customshouse.co.uk for a full list of shows and to book tickets.