Bremner was apparently nervous about returning to stand-up following a seven-year break but thankfully it didn't show.

After admitting he had been forced to ditch ten minutes of the act because "this is the only place in the country where people actually like John Prescott" he embarked on a seamless routine.

Nor was there any display of the smugness into which political comics, often faced with audiences who laugh as much to show they understand a gag as because it's funny, can lapse.

Bremner promised us "satire and cheap jokes" and was as good as his word.

A few digs at Bush were followed by him asking whether there were any Americans in the audience. Whoops to the affirmative were met with the delightful put-down: "Don't worry, it's just friendly fire".

His flawless impressions gave fresh life to what in other hands would be over-familiar territory, namely the many sins of New Labour and the neo-cons.

First Mandelson - "Sometimes I ask myself what I did to deserve this job. Then I remember - I got sacked from the last two," then Bush - "I have a message for people who've blown themselves up. We're coming to find you," - were brought down to size. The finest moments were an inspired sketch in which Blair read out an autocue intended for Bush, and the following one-liner: "John Smith, Mo Mowlam, Robin Smith...Labour are like The Beatles - they're dying in the wrong order".

With fewer time constraints, his delivery was less frantic than on TV, at least until the finale, a retelling of the Bible story featuring, among many others, Jimmy Saville, Michael Caine and Bruce Forsyth, the latter greeting Jesus on his entry into Jerusalem with a cry of "Didn't he do well". As did Bremner.