Shelley Wright reviews Lee Evans at King George's Hall, Blackburn.

WHEN I first saw Lee Evans five years ago he was the brightest star on the circuit, hailed as a comic genius who was all set to become the next big thing.

He had arrived on stage in Oldham at breakneck speed and delivered a set like nothing I had ever seen before, his quirky style becoming his trademark.

Since then, 32-year-old Evans has rocketed to stardom with various television series, books, long-running tours and even a Hollywood film but, for me, he has lost his way.

Five years on and his Norman Wisdom impression has become old hat, boring even.

Luckily for him, the audience was made up of mainly young fans who didn't notice when he wheeled out some of the oldest jokes in the book.

Some parts were funny, like his funny takes on married life, but his attempt to make us laugh with his Lancashire accent was more of an insult than a joke.

But at the end of the night, his Bohemian Rhapsody routine got the laughs he was looking for and the crowd gave him a standing ovation.

To be honest, I wasn't sure if they had been watching the same show.

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