AFTER a shaky start, a new Basingstoke comedy night had its audience in stitches, with a remarkable mix of comics.

The wide arms of Jan Jack have spread from her popular monthly Laughter-House at the Red Lion Hotel, in Basingstoke, and after recently launching Laughter-House in Salisbury, she is pitching to a younger local crowd in Basingstoke’s Tonic Bar.

Launch nights are always a gamble, but the London Street bar’s first floor soon had a decent gathering with some brave souls occupying the front row hot seats, lured by comfortable sofas.

The night was compered by Darlington comic Phil Dinsdale (below) who, given that his stand-up can be significantly below-the belt, was a surprisingly friendly guide for the evening, letting his virgin crowd off lightly.

First up was Reeves Peterson (above) from Bournemouth – whose opening gag saying he is not a Peter Andre tribute act gives an idea of his appearance.

Old people, women and relationships formed the core of his act, delivered in a lackadaisical, deadpan style. Some of his questions to the audience were a little probing for an audience still warming up, but his final song – about a woman with David Hasselhoff hair – was brilliant.

Jan Jack was up next, telling her trademark sordid jokes about sex that she cleverly layers. Having set a scene for a joke, she chips away at it and with each added comment gets dirtier and less PC.

A last-minute change on the programme meant bushy-haired Joel Dommett followed the Basingstoke comic.

Very loud and enthusiastic, the young comedian from London tickled the childish side of the crowd with a set about running up a “down” escalator.

He could do with pausing between jokes but went down well with the audience, getting them in the mood for headline act Eddie Brimson.

His rant about children – the “unsatisfied customers” – the benefits of being childless and his various bugbears about what parents say about their kids were hilarious.

“Kids are not funny. They don’t say the funniest things, they don’t do stand-up comedy,” he quipped.

All in all, a successful opening night. More information about future comedy nights, including tonight’s Laughter-House, is at laughter-house.co.uk.