Comedy Gala at the St James

Danny Bhoy

It was a tough gig, the comedy gala. Comedians had four minutes to impress, the Billy T nominees even less.

If they bombed, the whole thing would be replayed on tele a few nights later.

So it was inevitable that those who made the biggest impression were the ones who got into it quickly with no hint of nervousness.

Thankfully, the minute Irish host Jimeoin walked on stage he found its funny spot. So it was easy to relax knowing there would be no uncomfortable silences, just his cruisy, observational humour.

Scottish stand-up Danny Bhoy had a similarly cheeky boy-next-door appeal that meant he could get away with slagging off accents other than his own. Londoner Stephen K. Amos made out he was a camp kooky Caribbean who didn't mind certain stereotypes about black men. And British Jeff Green reckoned spooning in bed was over-rated because you ended up cuddling a mouth full of hair, and got a cold bum.

Plenty of laughs, too, from the Aussie contingent, the highlight being the slightly Ocker Carl Barron, a former roof tiler who did the job for 13 years even after deciding on his first day that it sucked.

Kitty Flanagan did a great impression of her old-biddy golfing mates, and Charlie Pickering somehow combined a righteous speech about religion with his fascination with monkey poo.

As for our own, not everyone seemed so relaxed. By the time Cori Gonzales-Macuer got to the punchline, (which to his credit was a good one) it was almost time for him to get off the stage. Te Radar's kakapo story seemed a tad obscure for the limited time and the Shakespeare spoof that condensed all his plays into a rugby match might have been better appreciated by thespians and literature buffs. Jimeoin admitted afterwards he didn't understand a word.

Highlights were Billy T nominee Jo Randerson, who arrived on stage with a crutch and attempted a hilarious 80s song and dance routine despite her injuries; Rhys Darby, who gets rid of unsuccessful dates with an ejector seat; and Dai Henwood, whose latest character is a table tennis freak with a bad mullet.

Of the non-stand-up acts, Japanese madcaps Gamarjobat didn't speak a word, instead relying on a fast-paced, tight and clever physical show complete with flying body parts, and the Aussie duo, the Umbilical Brothers, ended with a reliably funny stunt-show that revolved around sound effects.

* See it: TV2, Wednesday, 9.30pm