The premise of this monthly night at Komedia is a simple one: A generous serving of the best in new and more seasoned stand-up comics introduced on stage by compere Guy Venables.

It is the ideal way to test the comedy waters since each act only appears for a maximum of 15 minutes, just long enough to leave you wanting more.

This brief appearance can, however, feel like an eternity when the comedian arrives on stage with an inappropriate sex joke and the set goes into freefall.

But even the less-successful acts serve a purpose forcing the next performer to do even better and reminding the audience what they really want from a stand-up comic.

It is just over a week since Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in America but this natural disaster was already fair game for the men and women at Joker Basement.

Safer territory during the show included a tirade against stag parties, the joys of longterm relationships and clever observations about the ordinariness of unusual dress in Brighton.

At least three of the acts, including Stephen Grant, quickly got the audience on their side. The confident host, Venables, opened the night with an inspired selection of holiday snaps and a slide show.

The number of acts appearing during the evening must make the Joker Basement one of the best value-for-money nights you can have in Brighton.

And with a guaranteed laugh thrown into the deal, it is always worth a look-in.