I have to admire a group who finish their show by telling the assembled crowd that they’re the worst audience they’ve ever seen; then create an instant standing ovation by using one of the most overused jokes in Australian comedy. The Chaser team are having a break from the telly and touring with The Chaser’s Age of Terror Variety Hour.

The live show is a mix of political jokes, sketches, gags and shockingly choreographed dance routines. It’s more about seeing the boys in the flesh (too much in Craig’s case), than creating a new Chaser genre.

So what do our favourite satirists do now that little Johnny has left The Lodge (and Kirribilli House)?  Kevin07’s gang gave us some chuckles (like Penny Wong trying to control harmful emissions - from Peter Garrett), but the biggest laughs still came from Johnny’s faded team. There was even room for one last Peter Costello joke. The set up was elaborate and misleading; a musical about Frank Forde, our shortest serving Prime Minister, who served for only eight days - but that’s still eight days longer than Costello.

The politically savvy had many giggles, but the leg slapper guffaws of the night were saved for the arse jokes (not just Craig’s), the internet dating research and embarrassing the bogan’s in the audience.

Naturally, the team had to test the satire/offence line. The joke about plastic bags and Philip Nitschke was close, but a couple of Bill Henson jokes were the evening’s balancing acts. The topical subject matter is ripe for the kicking, but maybe the jokes would be better pitched at the critics (and I use that term in its broadest sense) of Henson’s photography, rather than the subject matter of his art. (Jugs too small to be decent….)

Chas Licciardello was quoted in The Age this week saying that reviews of the live show haven’t been positive, but “we’re all so arrogant reviews don't affect us." With theatres full of appreciative, ticket buying fans, should they care was the reviews say? Chaser fans will continue to love every minute of The Chaser’s Age of Terror Variety Hour and non-Chaser fans won’t be there; so let the boys be arrogant. I enjoyed myself much more than I expected to and Osama W bin Laden wins my vote for joke of the month.