Komedia: Alfie Moore

What better way to spend your Sunday evening than nestled away in the cosy Komedia listening to the northern tones of a copper taking a sabbatical? Not that many, as it turns out.

Alfie Moore is every inch the policeman and as a result has access to a plethora of material that just isn't available to most other stand up comedians. You can forget the  'ello 'ello 'ello, this material draws on the varied and sometimes harrowing career of the copper from Skegness. He wanted to be Sipowicz, but endless red tape and pointless training courses caused the dream to fall by the wayside, along with countless other victims of 20^th century killjoys.

Moore describes his humour as dark. It's certainly cynical, as befits someone who has dealt for years with the justice system that will allow a teenager to carry firearms, but not purchase a goldfish. There's plenty of scope for him to have his say on current affairs, middle management and the general state of the world, and all in the easy conversational tone that only the police know how to carry off.

This is not a polished piece. With so much material Moore sometimes has a tendency to lose his thread, but all threads are neatly tied up with a solid structure that leaves the audience wanting more from Moore. His delivery is laid back, delicate and skilful as he handles subject matter which could be potentially disastrous in insensitive hands.  

3.5/5 - It's funny, it's balanced and it's a great way to spend an evening.