DONNED in a Welsh dragon waistcoat and waving a flag, Max Boyce bounded onto the stage at the Beaufort Theatre, Ebbw Vale, on Tuesday night.

As synonymous with Wales as rugby, the Glynneath comedian wasted no time in stirring up the audience with his signature catchphrase of “Oggy Oggy Oggy” before bursting into song.

He told tales of rugby trips to Paris, the perils of sponsorship in the modern game and took the audience in a trip down memory lane when a Valleys “mam” was one of the most feared of species.

He brought tears to the eyes of many a fan with his hilarious anecdotes and stories told in song.

For years Max Boyce has toured the pubs and clubs of Wales and performed in the London Palladium and Sydney’s opera house, but you could tell that he was totally at ease among a crowd of locals, the likes of whom took him from the workingmen’s clubs to becoming a household name. A great night out for everyone and thoroughly enjoyed by the 500-strong sell-out crowd in Beaufort.

There’s nothing like a theatre full of people singing Hymns and Arias to stir the patriotic feelings in the most cynical among us.