Sean Hughes: What I Meant to Say Was...

Sean Hughes is getting older, and he's angry about it. As with his return to the stand-up circuit in 2007, this year's offering sees Hughes ranting his way through the daily events that rile forty-pluses everywhere.

And just like the ageing dad so many have experienced, he's not shy about it. Rattling through the things that make him angry, there's a sense of daja-vu for anybody who knows someone at a similar stage in their life. From news stories that anger him - like the panic over swine flu - to his annoyance at modern status symbols, these are topics that many will already have had a running commentary on. What makes Hughes' take on events noteworthy then, is the fact that he is simply one of the best comedians around. The former Never Mind the Buzzcocks' captain has a superb talent for engaging his audience, and his combination of irate and animated presentation make it hard to disagree with him.

The 43-year-old shows no sign of omitting more sensitive conversations, including topics such as child abuse in the Catholic church and the 9/11 bombers potentially misunderstood intentions. This edgy and potentially touchy persona may not be Hughes' most famous side, but he has worked it to a tee. Years of experience have given him the ability to judge his crowd perfectly, and he deals with those moments of potentially destabilizing post-joke silence like he expected them along. As far as angry middle-aged comedy goes, Sean Hughes represents the apex.