No getting lost for Milton on the road to comedy paradise.

Milton Jones at the Drill Hall, Lincoln.



Even before the show began there was a reminder that the world of the stand up comedian can be a lonely slog as the snow descended on Lincoln last Friday night. Given the conditions, fans of the quirky jokemeister must have been wondering whether the show was to be on at all and indeed whether there would be much of an audience, even though the event was sold out months ago.

As it happens, almost all of the seats were taken up, the audience made of sterner stuff and they were rewarded with a fantastic evening of off the wall entertainment first from a thinly disguised “Miltons Grandfather “ who arrived on stage on a motorised scooter and then a comedian who might easily hold his own on stage as a main act, Chris Martin (not that one), before the “real” Milton Jones in the second half.

Talking of the audience it was definitely a Radio Four crowd rather than a Mock the Week one and you could safely take your aged Aunt to see the show, both Jones and Martin not uttering a single swear word proving you don’t have to swear to be funny.

Milton Jones was in great form and given that this is the try out for the main event, the show proper will be at the Engine Shed, Lincoln later on in the year, audiences can look forward to being very well entertained. If you’ve got an aged Aunt or your Mother would like a night out for her birthday, Milton’s the man for you.

Again, just looking at the composition of the audience, it was striking that the women in it were enjoying the show enormously and whilst the comedy would appeal to both sexes, unlike some female comediennes, the jokes, or to be more accurate, one liners seemed to strike a particular chord with those of the female persuasion and there were whoops and giggles galore which seemed to take Jones by surprise. It shouldn’t though because this is a very well thought out routine, finely honed and delivered with very few jokes missing the mark. By the time Jones returns to Lincoln in November those duds will be long gone but it does underline that these pre run shows are well worth seeing and at £12.50 a ticket you really can’t go wrong.