WHILE tears of sadness were flowing in Kiev, there were tears of laughter at the Floral Hall.

As revealed in the Wirral Globe, Stan Boardman had booked the theatre venue for May 26 back in December and then discovered that Liverpool would be in Kiev for the Champions League Final n that very day.

But the show would go on.

He promised two and half hours if fun, nostalgia and laughter.

Mr B, who was once n Liverpool FC's books, played a blinder.

Support act Paul McCoy – a one-time winner of Stars in their Eyes 1996 - provided an acoustic sing-a-long warm-up with tributes to Ralph McTell, Neil Diamond and Gilbert O'Sullivan before 80-year-old Huyton-born Stan came on stage to enthusiastic applause.

He thanked the audience for coming and asked them not to shout out the LFC V Real Madrid score as the Reds were about to kick off.

Aided by two screens he introduced clips from his past TV performances the infamous Des O'Connor German plane sketch and greatest hits from The Comedians series.

This was as a relaxed 'Audience with ...' styled show featuring plenty of Mersey memories from his personal life and a career spanning five decades.

He bravely showed a very moving film about his own family's experiences during the May Blitz featuring that other Scouse stalwart Ricky Tomlinson.

Not many comedian can punctuate a show with such pathos and then bounce straight back into comedy.

Stan's warm conversational approach pulled it off.

Many were moved by the juxtaposition of emotions.

There followed a touching tribute to his hero – the legendary Ken Dodd singing Happiness.

After half time, so to speak, Stan read out questions from the audience illustrating his gift for thinking on his feet and sharp comic timing.

He reminisced about days out in New Brighton and recalled the innocent games we used to play in childhood.

Colomendy was revisited and then he described airport mishaps, golf tales and hangover capers.

His wife Viv featured in some hilarious home-grown stories

He ended the evening with a surreal version of Phantom of The Opera ... in German.

No one revealed the disappointing LFC score.

As for Stan it was a triumph back home.

A cracking result.

Out-STAN-ding

FOUR STARS