A few years ago, it was Little Britain taking over the comedic world. Now it seems to be Gavin & Stacey; and it was always going to be interesting to see how Rob Brydon – a cast member in this incredibly popular TV show – was going to cope in his first stage venture as a stand-up.

While Corden and Horne are being pilloried in the media for their quickie film and television sketch show, Brydon has built a devoted following over the last decade through clever choices on radio and television. He’s just been chosen as one of the three rotating chairmen of I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue, is a regular guest on QI and has successful TV series such as Marion and Geoff and The Keith Barret Show under his belt. He is a natural mainstream media performer.

And he’s a confident delight on stage. He knows his target: “My audience is middle-class: in Wycombe, they had issues with Horlicks!” As he goes for the usual targets in the front two rows – not nearly as brutally as some – he cleverly defends himself: “It’s hard to do this stuff and be loveable.” He knows also when to back off: “Oh God – you teach children with special needs. You win!” No further jokes there, then.

Brydon does a lot of Welsh (because he is!) with Tom Jones overtones, and the audience loved it: “‘Pussycat, pussycat, I love you . . .’ but society frowns on it!” He brilliantly set up the whole audience to be a tiny bit rude to someone who’d gone out to the loo. And he – for about two minutes too long – showed us his Shakin’ Stephens impression.

Bizarrely, I don’t know when the New Theatre last hosted a current No. 1 chart hit performer: Rob Brydon – with Gavin & Stacey co-star Ruth Jones – has reached the heights with the Comic Relief charity single Islands in the Stream, and Brydon had no hesitation in bringing the house down with it.

And why not? He would be a fool not to use the G&S slipstream right now: but Brydon has a real talent that will transcend fads.