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British visitors will know Tim Vine as a gifted comedian, who has surpassed the old Tommy Cooper comparisons, having created his own identity as an AK47 pun-slinger with a bizarre brain.

The former world record holder for number of jokes told in one hour (499) keeps the pace up here, and the timing is where his expertise particularly shines through. He knows when to break up the puns with songs (these ones really are only there for that reason) and visual gags.

While the set design must be his best so far (he uses the background brilliantly as he exits the stage) his material lacks some of its usual killer content, but still has some very memorable bits. For sheer weirdness, the Variety Pack Display Team takes some beating, as he attaches small breakfast cereal packs to an umbrella frame and gets them to fly (Honey Nut loop-the-loops, All-Bran new material….). His extreme ventriloquism is very amusing and the Chasing Butterflies visual joke is superbly off-the-wall.

On my third viewing, I was surprised to catch several jokes that I hadn’t remembered from before, such is the speed with which he delivers them. So it does bear repeat views, and as always with Vine, the whole family can watch it without embarrassment.

The extras are generous. I have doubts about his 11 minute 1999 amateur comedy drama Strapbeard and Latebreaker with John Archer, but the 15-minute ‘making-of’ is excellent, featuring several very funny jokes and watching the development of his show is fascinating. The commentary is both entertaining in places and frequently candid, with a few extra jokes thrown in.

There are no changes in direction, but why would there be? It is simply Vine doing what he does best – being wacky, pouring out the puns and taking us with him.

Derek Walker