One of last year's highlights was the delighfully manic performance of Jason Byrne in the Nerve Centre. Having seen him on RTE's 'The Panel' on a few occasions, we were confident he would put on a great show. Being on time for the gig meant leaving The Brandywell at halftime, but it was well worth the sacrifice.

A lodger in the Tower Hotel during his time in Derry, Byrne was bemused and amazed at the sight that greeted him as he made the short walk down Magazine Street to the venue.

He bounded on stage and began his act by demanding: "Seriously! What the **** is the craic with all those pissed kids out in the street? Do their mums and dads drop them off every Friday night and say (in a brutal Derry accent),'Right then, son. Away ye go. Yousins stay here and get wrecked. Me and your ma'll be back to collect yees in the morning!'?"

Byrne immediately connected with the local audience, and his boundless energy and rapier-sharp wit kept us in hysterics for the entirety of his show.

At one point, my stomach and throat ached from laughing. It was brilliant.

Live comedy isn't for everyone and if you're easily offended it's probably best to stay away. No subject is taboo any longer and comedians have carte blanche to wax lyrical on any topic of their choosing - no matter how un-PC or inappropriate it is.

Occasionally, weaker comedians will rely solely on insulting or offending their audience. It never works. The great comedians make us take a long hard look at ourselves force us to re-evaluate some long-held beliefs and opinions.

They are not mere jokers whose aim is to entertain. The greatest comedians are bright, articulate, and brave. They take risks and are usually far more intelligent than their detractors or their audience. The best comedians inform, challenge, and entertain.

There is something exhilarating about the prospect of attending a live comedy show - you never know what to expect. The prospect terrifies me if the comedian is an unknown quanitity.

If a crap band are playing a gig then they'll usually be met with a polite, if not raucous, round-of-applause after every tune. Comedians are not awarded the same luxury. No audience member wants to be the lone voice laughing uproariously if no-one else appears to find it funny. You'd look like a goon.

If a comedian fails spectacularly then they are on their own. Standing on a spot-lit stage must seem like the loneliest place in the world if your audience isn't buzzing.

I've seen it in the past and have wanted the ground to open up and swallow me whole. My face turned a light shade of purple as I watched a poor guy drown in a sea of silence. The occasional dry cough echoed around the room as he threw out punch-line after punch-line to an exasperated and embarrassed audience. It was horrible, but my sympathy for him quickly elapsed. After all, no-one forced him to take to the stage. Neither did anyone force him to insult his audience's intelligence by telling a series of really lame jokes. He subjected himself to the awkward quiet and had only himself to blame.

Thankfully, the organisers of The Big Tickle have done their best to ensure that such moments will be few and far between at this year's festival. It will inevitably happen that some comedians will miss their mark here and there, but fingers crossed the festival will be enjoyed thoroughly by the hysterical majority.

For me, the jewel in The Big Tickle's crown takes place tomorrow night in St. Columb's Hall. Four, count 'em, FOUR much-loved and well-respected comedians will all take to the stage. It will be a far cry from the family-friendly pantomimes that I loved and took part in there, twenty years ago. Bloody hell, twenty years...

Anyway, I'm expecting tomorrow night to be even more enthralling than those locally-produced shows from times gone by.
Colin Murphy, Reginald D. Hunter, Fred Cooke and David O'Doherty (the if.com award - formerly the Perrier award - winner at this year's Edinburgh Festival) will all appear at the stunning city centre venue from 8pm.

The best comedians currently plying their trade on the Ireland and UK circuits will appear in a variety of venues over the coming twelve days. There'll be comedy on at the Little Theatre, St Columb's Hall, Masons, Sandino's, The Millenium Forum and The Alley Theatre, Strabane. It's fantastic for the image and reputation of the North West to have such a celebrated bunch of funnymen (and women) come here, and I for one can't wait. Let the laughter commence...