As we all know comedy institution Not the Um Um was named after that famous Bermudian verbal mannerism to fill in the spaces when thoughts and words don?t come.

And to be honest after watching their dress rehearsal on Monday night I feel like filling this review with variations on the um, um theme because fans of the show, of which there are huge numbers, probably won?t want to hear much what I have to say.

Especially as tickets are much coveted after selling out in record time for their 20th anniversary series of charity shows which start at the Fairmont Southampton Princess tonight.

Billed as a comical history tour it covers the two decades since the group was formed but I wonder whether a retrospective is a good idea for comedy which thrives on its topicality.

Certainly I watched the opening section of the show which features recorded sketches from years gone by in mirthless daze.

Some of the effort which had gone into recording the skits seemed to be in inverse proportion to their comedy value.

Seen years later when you have no clue of which advert they are supposed to be spoofing you are left feeling as if you had invaded some family gathering where holiday snaps are provoking laughter over an in-joke you nothing about.

And I think that?s where a lot of this stuff should have stayed ? at a private boozy get-together of Um, Um people who can reminisce about the fun they had making this stuff.

Clearly I am in a minority judging from the laughter among the dress rehearsal audience but there is nothing inherently funny about men dressing up as women in a beauty contest.

You need lines to make it work.

A lot of the impact in those early years must have been novelty from the lack of competition. We are talking about the days before cable when there were a couple of stations broadcasting, and even fewer during strikes.

Which is not to say there weren?t some good moments. The songs are always an Um, Um strong point.

The Mohawk Song, a tribute to St. David?s islanders, is cute while Springsteen take-off Born in BDA and peeper?s anthem Under the Boardwalk are fun.

Thankfully the live show which follows the recorded portion is better ? even if I am the only person on the Island not to find the rain sketch funny.

The return of Sean Dill is a major plus.

With a mastery of accents, inflection and timing he injects some aplomb into the proceedings. I roared during a solo skit where he mimics a local philosopher with a lunatic line of logic.

A musical skit poking fun at the virtual Italian monopoly on the cuisine scene can?t fail to amuse while an UmUm version of Python?s Yorkshireman sketch where participants vie with each other to tell the most horrifying hurricane tale will spark many a knowing titter.

While I believe the UmUms are best at the topical stuff, a key theme, as Tim Taylor acknowledged, is the more things change, the more things stay the same. We saw this in retrospective songs such as one on Independence from the days when John Swan tried to take Bermuda down the solo path.

Ten years on it has new poignancy as Alex Scott tries to take the Island a similar route. Will he too try to sell us burgers if he fails I wonder?

The show finishes strongly with PLP-version of Living La Vida Loca which lands more direct hits in four minutes than the UBP have managed in several years in Opposition.

All in all it wasn?t a bad night and will undoubtedly improve in front of the packed audiences.

But I have enjoyed previous Um Um shows more and hope next time around they stick to the topical stuff and keep the reminiscing to themselves.