Jackie Mason is very politically incorrect and if his remarks were made by a gentile, it is unlikely that he would be allowed to perform. His commentary on New York Jewish life is extremely witty and his take on how gentiles and Jews differ in purchasing theatre seats is hilarious. He said that his show went down well in Israel, "but I told the same jokes in Egypt, not a laugh." The Palestinians had offered him half a million dollars for one concert "but that's including funeral expenses."

Jackie Mason's trademark is his monotoned, nasal delivery and it is combined with his hand gestures and asides like "D'you understand that?" and "son of a bitches". With insults for every occasion, he began with a few words about Liverpool and how the city has one great building after another. "Why is everyone of them next to a shithouse?" he remarked, and it's an astute observation. Some of our best buildings are next door to decrepit properties.

There was not as much political content as I expected in 'Politically Incorrect'. Jackie Mason made a poignant attack on George Bush but he had his reservations about John Kerry too. He admired Tony Blair and said, "He is an international statesman and he always manages to be away when there is a crisis with your hospitals or your transport."

He is very good on the problems of daily living and his five minute routine on answerphone messages was very funny. "Why does anyone ask you to leave the time of the call? You may say, I would have left a message but I didn't have my watch on."

Another diatribe was against Indian taxidrivers in New York. He said, "They say they know the city, but that city is Calcutta." When in doubt, they take you to the airport. His familiar routine about homosexuals is still witty. "A heterosexual says, 'Darling, I would like to make love to you' and a homosexual says, 'Turn around'."

I saw Jackie Mason in the West End three years ago and thought it was the funniest stand-up I had ever seen. Although 'Politically Incorrect' was billed as an all-new show, I had heard half of it before. Now that's being Jewish for you - if something's working, they want to leave it in. See what I mean. That sounds racist when I say it, but from Jackie Mason, it's all right. Poking fun at ourselves and our national, sexual and religious characteristics must surely be a good thing and it is people like Jackie Mason who make the world a safer place.

Words: Spencer Leigh