Dara O'Briain rocks Bexhill - the "open prison"

He wowed a packed house at the De La Warr Pavilion with repartee which never flagged throughout a one-man show which kept his audience rocking in mirth till 11pm.

This was good value stand-up comedy at its best.

That it was the Irish comedian's 98th show in a punishing 103-venue UK tour never tarnished an act which, despite humorous references to previous tour dates, came over as fresh and as full of impish zest as the first must have done.

From the back of the pavilion balcony down to the fall-guys in the front row who were the butt of Dara's humour, Monday's audience knew what they had come for and loved every moment of it.

They did so, however, in that restrained "Bexhill audience" sort of way.

"Usual Monday night '“ a bit quiet," he queried.

No Dara, this is customary Bexhill practice.

Bexhill, Dara observed, was a bit like an open prison. Nobody seemed to have been born there...

Well, some had been. And they were among the many who struggled at times to keep pace with a lightning-fast delivery as the man got into full flow.

The accent is delightful and a key part of act. But the English ear needs to be attuned to it if some of the best gems of Irish wit are not to be lost.

It's well worth the effort.

A good measure of Monday night's success was that of a audience which was clearly enjoying itself immensely, none were doing more so than the three front-row fall-guys.

What's the secret of Dara's success?

In some ways there is a similarity between his talent and that of Bexhill's own Eddie Izzard. At a core is an extremely able brain '“ Dara studied maths and theoretical physics at University College Dublin '“ and an ability to latch on to and develop the issues of the day.

As his audience finally went still chuckling into the November night the wish was that the next time Dara O'Briain undertakes a 103-venue tour the De La Warr Pavilion will again be on his list.