The evening's variety showcase of visual acts began with Don Giovonki, a guitar playing pub singer puppet (aided by Sandra Taylor and Chris Landon). Good music and great manipulation, only one note jarred – a woman's voice from a male puppet. Jason Maverick followed with mime and crystal ball manoeuvring. Although his technical ability and skill level were high, the material lacked originality. Before the interval Hannah Ringham performed Clowning About Pigeons. Wearing a red beak she proceeded to tell her own poems and strutted amongst the audience pecking at cigarettes and scrounging beer. Absolutely great. Post interval started with a dark tale, Johnny’s Liver by Alison McGowan, with music by Clive Bell. Johnny has to buy liver for his tea but spends his mum's money on a dog. A cemetery provides the dog with the liver but with dire consequences for Johnny. A mixture of shadow and hand held puppets were used but the best was the headless ghost, a lilac glove with lace trimmings whose movements were superb. Frazer Hooper performed a variety of skills as a clown. The best routine comprised of two chairs, a plank and an audience member who by accident teetered magically into a levitation. Chris Duffy told the tragic tale of Life and Death in Milton Keynes. Text and puppetry were combined to produce a dramatic climax to the evening. Throughout the cabaret, hosts Lenny and Morris (Ruth Glaser and Chris Cresswell) kept things moving with their own humorous blend of improvised interaction, wacky skills and expertise in eccentricity.