What is it with these American comics that they feel obliged to start up a symposium with the front row - asking people what their name is and what they do?

It is something that English comic Jack Dee parodies very well.

Fortunately, in Montana comic Rich Hall's case, we are spared the usual hackneyed nonsense complete with supposedly ad-libbed responses and instead presented with something a bit more fresh and original.

Hall has one of the quickest comic minds on the circuit, and can readily reach areas other comics do not even think of.

The Emmy award winning comic, who is such a favourite at Kilkenny's Cat Laughs festival that he has a venue named after him (but he had it coming with a name like his) has a less structured approach than most.

Taking an age to get himself started, it is just as well he has all manner of improvisational skill at his disposal.

When he did get into his material it was a quick geopolitical tour of the globe, with Hall providing a distinctively sardonic commentary on the state of international relations - a sort of UN task force with gags.

He particularly excelled himself with a routine about the huge growth and influence of corporations and foresaw a world in which companies would get so big that they could easily buy out individual countries - thus we would get "Nike-geria" and "Kuwait watchers".

It has always been said that there will never be another Bill Hicks. While Rich Hall is an entirely different comic from the legend and prophet that was Hicks, it is nice to see someone still flying the flag for intelligent political satire. He is a very good comic - for an American.

Rich Hall continues at the Laughter Lounge until Saturday night, tel: 1800- 266339