Review for U Got Jokes DVD Live at the O2

What can I say? Laugh out loud, wry smiles, cringe worthy moments - and observational comedy - this disc had them all.

The first thing I can say of this night of comedy its raw. The kind of raw that breaks out of its boundaries and where no one exempt - including the acts, the guests and the audience.

U Got Jokes Vol 5 Live at IndigO2 begins innocuously enough - with the premise of stand-up comedy and following the format of traditional game shows you'll have seen on TV … but not quite. There's a "blind date" skit which was funny enough.. and then something called "celebrity grill" which I'll come to later.

Kat B introduces the acts like a wrestling MC. He starts the show because he's "one of these black people who come on time... and if you're good looking I come early.." And then the "girls and boys are making noise" for the stand-up acts: A Dot Comedian, Axel the Entertainer, Fumbi, Mo the Comedian and Slim. A Dot is a character act. Anything he says is funny because you know you've seen him before and who he's imitating. Fumbi and Slim are a mixture of stand-up and observation because you been in those familiar situations and their turn of phrase is spot on.

The celebrity grill was a scream and displayed a rawness that I can't help feeling is likely to be copied first by other comedy formats and them eventually make its way to TV as mainstream entertainment.

Some of us remember being shocked in the early 80's watching those Japanese game shows from Clive James where they would victimise the contestants by covering them with gunge and making them eat all manner of insects and and eyes from dead animals. It started out as unusual and freakish and became mainstream TV in the form of Celebrity Big Brother where so called celebrities are dragged to a jungle and being made to do worse for our entertainment.
The Celebrity Grill had some genuinely toe curling moments which left me viewing from behind my hand. Without giving too much away.

They invite a celebrity in front of a panel of stand up comedians and he's supposed to sit there while they grill him for 2 minutes each. After all of them have spoken he is then given a three and a half minute "right to reply". Needless to say the grilling had the audience in stitches and I half expected them to turn him over and do the other side. There are a good many e-list celebrities I can think of who could certainly use the grilling - and some politicians.

You've seen it here first - mark my words it will catch on!