Review by Beverly Greenberg: THE morning after it is hard to believe the roof is still intact on the Albert Halls because on Monday night Bolton's king of comedy Peter Kay well and truly raised it!

What is there left to say about Peter Kay?

The Bolton comic has rocketed to fame and an across the board popularity that in the space of just a few short years has seen him crowned as this country's most sought after comedian.

But, as huge acclaim continues to be piled on the broad shoulders of this down to earth comic, one question lingered last night at the start of his sell out five night run at Bolton's Albert Halls -- would he really live up to the hype?

This was his homecoming, and, appearing in front of a home crowd, his harshest test.

Success and failure are easy to gauge for a comedian. The response is instant and obvious. And this was never more true than on Monday night.

From the moment he walked on to the stage to the moment the audience begrudgingly had to let him leave, Kay had them roaring with laughter.

His appeal is universal, his observations timeless and spot on, and his ability to ad lib second to none. But it is his delivery which makes him special. Like most comic geniuses -- and make no mistake he is right up there with the best of them -- Kay has an indefinable quality that makes him special.

His routine covered just about everything -- from Crimewatch to pop videos, video machines to family weddings, and from the Sunday ritual of watching Bullseye on television to funerals.

It was relentless. His ongoing patter was hilarious -- and exhausting on the cheek bones!

And his sharpness in dealing with hecklers was mesmerising.

"Next time someone offers you a penny for your thoughts . . . sell!" he told one person brave enough to shout out.

Forget the hype. This is one star who relies solely on his talent to shine . . . little wonder unprecedented demand for tickets has deservedly made this the hottest show to come to town.

In an opening routine dedicated to Bolton, the star declared "I'm home, I'm happy" . Judged on Monday night's performance, that goes for all of us.