THIS was a triumphant sell-out show from Stan 'the man' Boardman.

An evening with one foot in the past and one firmly in the present.

There are two projection screens which provide pop videos from the 1960s and '70s as you take your seats.

First on stage is Johnny Kennedy - one of Stan's oldest pals.

JK, an accomplished tenor, reminisced about his youth and his love of the Epstein theatre while paying tribute to his dear, inspirational gran.

She would have been proud of his rousing renditions of classics such as Bring Him Home and the crowd-pleasing Stay In Your Own Backyard.

JK also opened the second half to an equally enthusiastic reception.

And it was time for some stand-up magic.

Stan was clearly on form as he displayed his natural humour and gift for knowing what his loyal fans want to hear.

He talked about his childhood, football, golf, Ken Dodd, his son Paul and daughter Andrea, Jurgen Klopp and his wife Viv.

She was there taking it all in and laughing along notably to one gag about an anniversary dinner at a Birkenhead restaurant.

A brilliantly delivered observation.

He told risque jokes adding "that's why you won't see me on telly these days" - this is a great new catchphrase for him.

He invited members of the audience to ask him anything they wanted.

And they did.

This unscripted section proved a real highlight as he showed his ability to think on his feet.

Stan also took us back in time with projected clips from the controversial Des O'Connor German aeroplane gag to his contribution to the ground-breaking series The Comedians.

Johnny Hamp, that show's producer and Stan's mentor, made a guest appearance on stage.

It was a special appearance with Mr Hamp praising the vast array of stars he helped make household names - including Stan.

We heard Stan's World Cup Song (which reached number 16 in the UK charts) over the speakers with a message beamed on screen 'See You Next Time'.

The two-and-a-half hour evening flew over and illustrated why Stan Boardman won't be giving up his day job.

He is doing this sparkling format all over again on September 29.

If you want to see and hear a celebration of laughter then you would be mad to miss it.

Five Stars - Stan-tastic

Tickets are from the Epstein Theatre on 0844 888 4411.