IT’S fitting that The Slightly Fat Show should be performed in the White Rose Rotunda, situated in a part of Parliament Street where street performers frequently amuse and thrill shoppers and tourists.

For aspects of this madcap entertainment reminded me of the best you can sometimes see while walking through the city centre: the juggling, the balancing, the magic tricks…

But this highlight of the Great Yorkshire Fringe also has elements of music hall, variety, cabaret and even panto, not to mention circus, in a non-stop 90-minute show that kept a sizeable crowd laughing and smiling on Tuesday evening. Not for nothing did this troupe of talented men, called Slightly Fat Features, win the Flat Cap Award of The Great Yorkshire Fringe in 2015.

But be warned: don’t sit on the front row – or perhaps anywhere else if you’ve a beard - if you just want to sit back quietly and enjoy the show; chances are you might well end up on stage yourself. On Tuesday night, I thanked my lucky stars I’m clean shaven as a handful of hairier chaps got invited up to take part in a ‘beard-off’ for the title of Best Beard in York, voted for by popular applause.

The show is original, chaotic, enthusiastic and sometimes very funny indeed. The juggling was superb and when a routine went slightly awry, it just added to the amusement. It’s also very family friendly, with the kids laughing just as much as their parents. It’s on until Friday: I suggest you go and see it.

Mike Laycock

The Slightly Fat Show continues at 7pm every evening until Friday at The White Rose Rotunda, Parliament Street, York. Box office: greatyorkshirefringe.com or 01904 500600.