CROWDS have always flocked to Blackpool to see an old fashioned variety show.

And this year The Grumbleweeds are providing the fun part of the Big Big Laughter show at the North Pier Theatre.

These show business veterans have been performing variations on their act -- part comedy, part impressions and part music -- for more than 30 years and it shows.

The three lads from Leeds really know how to keep their audience amused as, at a blistering pace, they race through an admirably varied repertoire of impressions from Cher to Compo and Elvis to the Teletubbies.

Jokes old and new are delivered with impeccable timing and the impressions, while sometimes a bit rough, are always recognisable.

What lets this show down is the first half. The compere, or rather "campere" given the nature of his act, for the first half of the show was Stu "I Could Crush a Grape" Francis.

Opening were Safire who performed a visually strong illusion act. They were followed by singer Gina Pontone with a set featuring a James Bond medley and Irish singer/fiddler Martin Branigan who is performing his first season in the resort.

But for the opening to a comedy show there wasn't much to laugh at and, after more than an hour, some of the audience appeared to be getting restless. It was quite a relief when The Grumbleweeds finally appeared.

The Big Big Laughter Show runs at the North Pier Theatre until October 24. To book tickets call Blackpool Live on (01253) 292029.