You'd be forgiven for thinking that Rudi Lickwood might be an Eddie Murphy impersonator. He's not, he just looks a bit like Murphy with his gap-toothed smile, but can't help that.

He's a fast talker and shoots from the hip; interacting well with the audience, being rude, crude, extremely personal and sometimes downright insulting but doing so with friendliness and a charismatic grin that allows him to get away with it.

He ran the gamut of subject matter: from the inanities of life through race issues, politics (social, gender and sexual), and at times became deeply poignant without turning melancholy – there was always a punchline.

Rudi Lickwood has been around for a long time and it shows; unperturbed professionalism kicked in as his mic shut down and he completed his set, unplugged, without losing his momentum or his bond with the audience. A truly great comic.

The Comedy Club - Crawley - 26/05/2004 - Headline Act