Self-confessed "posh, specky, corduroywearing liberal" Marcus Brigstocke unleashed an incendiary barrage of political comedy on Monday night and the Corn Exchange audience was happy to be on the receiving end.

Kicking off with the description of Brighton as a place where "Conservatives and gay people are melded together with tuk-tuks", it was a night where Brigstocke's brand of direct, no-nonsense humour was let loose.

The man who recently learnt French alongside "racist Ron Atkinson" and "cow Esther Rantzen" on the BBC2's Excuse My French was fresh and up-to-date.

The request: "Any Muslims in the audience please keep your veils on as it looks funny when you laugh because they kind of float up and dance around a bit" was obviously freshly penned.

The audience audibly held its breath as Brigstocke countered the argument that "every immigrant came here to rape my wife" but it was a brief flirtation with disaster in an otherwise excellent set.

Brigstocke remains, for many, a fringe name but on this form it is only because nobody has found a more mainstream vehicle for his talents.

For more information go to www.paramountcomedyfestival.com