Laughter and terror

The third London Comedy Festival closed on Sunday with a gale of predictable giggles and one unscheduled hoot. Much-loved troupers such as Al Murray, Jimmy Carr and Gina Yashere trotted out their best 10 minutes in aid of Great Ormond Street Hospital. Laughter, after all, is the best medicine. Although penicillin is probably more effective.

The first half was compered by Suggs, a great singer but no stand-up. Opener John Moloney was on ripping form. His republicanism - the Queen has three names and two addresses, she must be a dole scrounger - had an extra frisson in the regal venue. Rob Brydon's coughing Tom Jones impression has a fresh edge, courtesy of Millionaire and Sars.

The big surprise came after the interval. Graham Norton tripped on followed by a hookhanded Sheikh Abu Hamza lookalike. Norton assumed this was another guest, but when a stream of obscenities spewed forth a tug-of-war over the mike ensued before the gatecrasher fled.
As the quickfire host brilliantly retorted, security couldn't even stop a comedy terrorist, how would they stop a real one? Norton was derailed, but rapidly regrouped by sniping at his fans. Stephen K Amos maintained the status quo, explaining that he was growing his hair and was currently between short and Afro, "the shit stage".

Ed Byrne was too pleased with his "Chicks dig scrawny pale guys" T-shirt slogan, but had some crowd-pleasingly trite texting material. Crumpled satirist Rich Hall was clearly the smartest act of the night. If Blair had run Operation Shock and Awe, he observed, it would have been Operation Underfunded and Poorly Managed.

Hall and Norton deserved longer, but jointly introduced Al Murray. I've never seen his Pub Landlord have an off night. The pot-bellied bigot essayed a fabulous interpretation of a Scottish accent as a squeaking door and mocked countless audience members, but his confused, baby-faced aggression was loved by everyone. Roll on London Comedy Festival IV.