Comedy character to love or hate

You either love or hate Lee Nelson, the creation of character comedian Simon Brodkin, and the audience at the White Rock Theatre, Hastings, on Thursday clearly loved him.

Brodkin, trained as a medical doctor, showed great comedic timing and delivery in making ‘cheeky chav’ Lee appear to be a real person.

He worked the crowd very well, picking on individuals in the stalls to insult in much the same way as the Pub landlord Al Murray, but he is a unique stand-up jokester despite his stereotype persona.

Nelson is a working-class wide boy who steals mobile phones and gives bad advice to his 15-year-old pregnant sister.

We were introduced to two of Brodkin’s other creations – egotistic footballer Jason Bent and gay African priest Daniel Doolay, who pretends to cast out other people’s homosexual tendencies.

Bent, whose antics in the on-field warm up at the Everton v Manchester City match in March led to him being arrested, was very funny, but Doolay was sometimes inaudible and predictable as the joke wore thin.

Much is now expected from Brodkin following his successful BBC Three Well Good Show and, as Lee Nelson, he does not disappoint.