Dave Spikey @ Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham

Apr 19 2009 by Paul Cole, Sunday Mercury

LAUGHTER is clearly the best medicine.

Well it certainly is in the accomplished “healing hands” of comedian Dave Spikey.

The former star of TV’s Phoenix Nights and 8 Out of 10 Cats team captain is cramming in 60 dates during his Best Medicine tour following two-and-a-half years away from live stand-up.

And Dave appears to have found the perfect comedy formula as he takes an in-depth look at the health service from both sides.

The one-time biomedical scientist gives a particular insight drawn from 30 years in the NHS, such as an internal hospital code that includes T.U.B.E – totally unnecessary breast examination.

But he also hilariously recalls his own “below waist problem” and the resulting encounter with a hospital barber.

But Dave has plenty more, and equally funny, tales to tell, especially his description of overweight slobs he calls “dobbers” during a shared flight to Spain.

And then there are his takes on everything from changing bedclothes and primary schools to song lyrics and driving his brother’s Korean car to a gig in prison.

TONY COLLINS