PAUL Merton, one of Britain’s best-loved comedians, is back on tour for the first time in 14 years – and his show is proving a bit of a mixed bag.

The audience at Bournemouth’s Pavilion Theatre waited with eager anticipation, on Friday night, for the man who cemented his reputation as a comedy great on the BBC’s long-running Have I Got News For You programme.

Paul’s well-documented struggle with mental health issues are charted in this autobiographical variety show, of sorts, which is cobbled together in a rather innovative way.

Titled, Out of My Head, it was a surreal mix of comedy sketches, stand-up, improvisation and even ventriloquism.

Paul was joined on stage by Comedy Store Players cohorts Lee Simpson, Richard Vranch and Suki Webster.

As entertainment, the show works - flying by at an engaging pace and leaving the audience with something meaty to ponder.

However, as pure comedy, it did suffer at times from a lack of big laughs.

If you’re looking for an insight into the quirky thought processes of one of the country’s true talents, then this offering does not disappoint.