Regular readers of Funny.co.uk will know how highly we regard "The Office " and thus the incredible contribution to British comedy made by it's creators Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant.  So, as you sit here reading this review you could be forgiven for expecting us to stamp onwards in blind cult-like Ricky Gervais worship, heaping praise on everything he does.

For this reason I feel the need to set the record straight.  When I heard the news that Ricky Gervais was bringing out a live stand-up DVD I was immediately sceptical.  I vaguely remembered mixed reviews of the run at the Bloomsbury theatre, during which this was filmed, and was left expecting either "David Brent: The Stage Show" or some sort of attempt to translate the banter of his Saturday morning radio show into a stand-up routine.

What a breath of fresh air it was then, to see Gervais actively trying not to rely on his past glories and push his comedy envelope into uncharted waters, despite the risk that it could go soggy and sink at any moment.  But despite the risk, illustrated by this reviewer's awkward combination of analagies, he pulls it off brilliantly and certainly does nothing to dispell the Radio Times' assertation that he is the most important man in British Comedy.

There is of course a certain amount of David Brent evident in the act, inevitable when you consider that much of the character Gervais based on himself.  As a result he comes across something like David Brent's nicer brother, keeping some of the politically incorrect comments and opinions, but losing Brent's offensive and seedy undertones.

You can't fail to be impressed by Gervais's skill as a stand-up and considering how little experience he has had in this area of comedy he has done brilliantly to produce a show that holds it's own alongside some of the greats.