Having only recently discovered his satirical podcast The Bugle, I was delighted when Andy Zaltzman announced that he would be taking his Satirist for Hire tour to The Glee Club. My expectations were high, and Zaltzman met (and surpassed) them with ease.

Andy Zaltzman’s show Satirist for Hire does essentially what it says on the tin: before you come to the show, you are encouraged to email a topic, or several, to be satirised by the man himself. At last night’s performance, only a handful of the audience had written in beforehand, prompting Andy to pop onto the stage five minutes before the show to collect last-minute requests. Naturally, some audience members were too shy to shout out their suggestions, instead choosing to email him at that point (and again during the interval), which Andy took in his stride. Despite having only a small selection, Zaltzman was skilled at drawing out the humour in any topic, no matter how bizarre or seemingly inappropriate - meaning he covered a range of subjects from the future of the NHS to the mercy killing of tropical fish.

Although the chosen topics were broad, Zaltzman also managed to intertwine current affairs stories amongst them, with subjects such as the government (including, inevitably, Cameron’s porcine antics), immigration, and ISIS being explored throughout the show. What makes Zaltzman’s show so comic is the fact that he doesn't just take the mickey out of the topic: he explores the thought process behind the suggestion, then opens up the discussion to the rest of the audience. It feels inclusive and even when tackling subjects which could otherwise cause controversy, Zaltzman causes little to no offence. When combined with his quick wit and irrepressible love of puns, this made the show feel personal to that particular audience and more unique than the usual prepared routine. It was a fantastic hybrid of improvisation and stand-up which never failed to amuse. One point was made crystal clear during last night’s show – just because you write in, doesn’t mean he’ll be sympathetic towards your cause: “I’m not a marriage counsellor!” was his response to one lady’s request for Andy to bully her husband into watching The West Wing. One of the highlights for me was Andy’s berating of an audience member for stealing apples from an old man’s tree in plain view of said pensioner, and then writing to Zaltzman to see who he thought was in the right…

Despite laughing throughout the show, I was a little disappointed by the turnout and I felt sorry for Andy. His frustration at the lack of publicity for his show was explicit, (much to the amusement of the audience) as was his slight annoyance at the crowd’s reluctance to share their stances on specific issues lest they were then the next target. This didn’t put off him off his stride and he used his years of experience to swiftly move onto the next topic. But judging by Andy’s comments, I doubt he'll be returning to Oxford any time soon. However, if he does, I urge you to go see him in person and be prepared to swallow your inhibitions and enjoy the ride!