Went to see Romesh Ranganathan at Utilita Arena Birmingham and laughed so hard my face hurt

One of comedy’s most likable – and sarcastic – men had the sold-out Utilita Arena in stitches as Romesh Ranganathan brought his Hustle Tour to Birmingham. You know Romesh.

If you don’t know the name, you’d recognize it immediately. He would make a joke about his eye at this point.

You will have seen it on TV as it is everywhere these days. The Weakest Link, A League of Their Own, even its own travel show. Even he said that when he sees himself in the mirror he wants to turn the channel.

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This kind of self-deprecating humor lends insight to Romesh’s Thursday night Utilita, which was basically a list of gripes and irritations about life from the comic’s unique perspective.

It was a fantastic evening from a comedian who is right up there with the best. I didn’t stop laughing during the two hour set. My face hurt until the end.

He blew our minds as he confided in us the things he wishes he could say in social situations he really can’t be bothered with or at home – whether it’s with his partner Lisa, friends or strangers he is forced to engage and with whom to speak. – but they never would.

There were some non-PG moments and darkly comic turns – he was the first to admit it as he apologized to the Birmingham crowd while chuckling to himself on a number of occasions – which cannot be repeated here. But he’s Romesh, everyone loves him, so he gets away with it. His almost embarrassing reaction to shock the audience with his edgy material made it all the funnier.

But these were digressions. His set was mostly about the annoyances, frustrations and banalities of life that we can all relate to and the social situations we’re forced to put up with because we can’t say we don’t actually want to. Things like making small talk with your partner’s friends’ husbands or being forced into a couple’s night.

Even meeting friends is a chore for Romesh. So much so that he says he doesn’t want to do it anymore. Ever. This is just a flavor of Romesh’s debates. “Life coaches” tell us to wake up at 5am and work out, and Laurence Fox took it down her throat too.

He’s been doing this for a long time. In fact, Romesh is probably seen more these days as a TV host than a comedian. His comfort in the spotlight after years of fame – he’d probably balk at the word – was evident and he was at ease on stage doing what he told the Birmingham audience he loved.

Natural. I can’t remember laughing so hard at another comedy gig. If you have the opportunity to go see him, take advantage.

Romesh returns to Birmingham on Friday night for his second sold-out show in as many days before his tour moves on to Nottingham, Hull, Leeds and Manchester.