Another spectacular shambles at The Brewery the other evening, thanks to Count Arthur Strong.

All of it carefully planned, of course, and familiar to listeners to his show on Radio 4.

Judging from the turnout, audiences are increasingly aware of his show; Saturday night was a sellout.

For the first time, we have the pleasure of the Count’s company for a full 90 minutes.

This is more satisfactory than the one hour shows but does show up the episodic nature.

There were excellent set pieces - a rambling version of Max Bygrave’s famous Deck of Cards and a superb ventriloquist act with a mummified dummy.

One or two other aspects were less successful; the Dad’s Army character seemed unnecessary, for instance.

It’s always ambiguous whether the Count is drunk or suffering some kind of mental breakdown.

Over a longer show, it would be great to see more progression and development of the character.

Count Arthur is a wonderful comic creation and his progenitor, Steve Delany, gave a terrific performance.

The audience clearly loved it and we all look forward to his calamitous return.

The Count is currently on a national tour. Full details on his website: www.countarthurstrong.com