John Bishop, BIC By Patrick Gough JOHN Bishop effortlessly takes the step up from playing the Bournemouth Pavilion last year to filling two nights at the BIC this weekend. It just shows how ridiculously popular the Liverpudlian comedian has become in only a few short months.

Now a regular on television, and recognised wherever he goes, he still retains a sense of gratitude and wonder about his rise to success. Only a few years ago he was a manager with a pharmaceutical company, so he's a comparative latecomer to showbusiness.

As he says in the show: “I still feel I’m living someone else’s life. There’s a sales rep driving a Mondeo round Birmingham who’s thinking they should be doing a show tonight.”

This rapid success does have one major drawback, as it felt like I’d already heard most his material before after watching his TV appearances on Live at The Apollo and Michael McIntyres Road Show. His sharply observed humour about life as a 44-year-old father of three teenage boys, at times felt like I was listening to a well-meaning family relative reminiscing about their children.

I very much like Bishop, but his Sunshine show felt too familiar and in need of some timely fresh material. For me, it was Bishop’s ad-libbed moments that truly showed his comic ability.

His confidence and self-belief on stage, especially when taking hecklers to task, was a master-class in crowd control. Bishop’s other great strength was his self-deprecating humour about his life before becoming famous.

His anecdotes of struggling to make it, particularly his auditions for voiceovers, are very funny but with a hint of sadness. I’m not sure if he’ll ever lose that chip on the shoulder, but it’s safe to say that Bishop has paid his dues and made the big time.

There’s no doubt he’ll become a comedy great. With exciting new material, the next tour could see him comfortably playing stadiums and arenas.