Review: Stephen Merchant Hello Ladies... at Liverpool Empire

Multi award-winning co-creator of The Office and Extras Stephen Merchant has shaken off "You Know Who" to rake in the cash solo in his first ever stand-up comedy tour.

"Hello Ladies..." read the welcome message on a large projector screen, bearing a cartoon vision of Merchant standing on a pleasant green pasture with nothing but his towering shadow for company with a smile still playing across his face. A visual aid perhaps the comedy heavyweight did not intend for such a lonely interpretation, but despite his jovial care-free persona, I'd wager nothing Stephen presents to his audience is without meticulous forethought.

Before the much-loved "OggMonster" took to the stage, amiable Scottish comedian Daniel Sloss warmed the audience's funny bones to a toasty temperature with an enjoyable 25 minute set. Still looking "like a child" at the age of 21, he quickly won the crowd over, comfortably drawing laughs from gentle topics ranging from the worst in Vegetarians to childish tricks played on his six-year-old brother as punishment for touching his X Box. Born in 1990, Merchant would later assert that kids Sloss' age mean geek chic singletons like himself are labelled "not trendy enough" to gain entry into nightclubs.

Three weeks into his first stand up show since the mid-90s, the mighty Stephen Merchant's 6'7" frame didn't appear to break a sweat performing to a crowd of scousers on their home turf for the very first time. Merchant's confidence abounds throughout this 70-minute set (no interval), discussing personal subject matter from the highs and lows of being "famous", the light-hearted romantic struggles he faces (not least due to the physicality involved) all linked loosely by his failure to find a wife in thirty-six years on earth.

Is it due to his 'stingy' ('sensible with money') nature in saving cash by buying his popcorn before arriving at the cinema? Or perhaps his unswerving insistance on splitting a bill according to the goods consumed per person - 70/30 if a lady's eaten more than her fair share? I am reluctant to discuss his first-class material further for fear of spoiling the show for the audience visiting the Empire for his second date tomorrow evening (5th October - tickets still available!)

With a fantastically inventive addition of visual gags via the projector screen, and a bold use of audience participation for his encore, if it's true that a man can laugh a woman into bed then I'm incredulous as to why Stephen Merchant remains unattached. Failing that, he should loosen the wallet-strings and go with the golddiggers, or prostitutes... If only they could be convinced to sell their story, then they could still split the cash.

9/10 Ricky Gervais' better half?

Stephen Merchant brings Hello Ladies to the Liverpool Empire tomorrow evening 5th October - visit http://www.liverpoolempire.org.uk for last minute two for one ticket offer.

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