It rarely bodes well when a comedian resorts to a bad impression of the local accent just seconds into a performance, writes Phil Barnett.

Yet to his credit, Lee Mack overcame the somewhat cliched start to keep the sold-out Symphony Hall on side.

Comedians often cite Birmingham as a favourite place to perform due to the 'honesty' of the Second City crowds, with no quarter asked or given when it comes to cheap laughs.

Indeed, Mack had to put a shift in here before ultimately getting his rewards.

In article mpu Two or three slip-ups during his routine were unexpected for such a mainstream star, but perhaps understandable on only the fifth night of his current 'Hit The Road Mack' Tour.

Audience participation is often the mark of a decent comic, taking them out of their written and rehearsed comfort zone and stripping them down to their natural wit.

The Lancastrian had his work cut out here, inviting contributions from the crowd and often being left dumbfounded by some of the left-field 'heckles' thrown his way.

It was here he came into his own, though, firing off improvised gags like a throwback and even making his minor mistakes work in his favour.

What you see is what you get with Lee Mack. There's no theme or clever angle. This is not high brow intellectual comedy.

But if you go to see a comedian then by definition what you want is laughs and there was no shortage of those on Friday.