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Review: Bramall Comedy Night Wayne Deakin, Ivo Graham & Andrew Ryan

May 25, 2016 by Becca Moody Leave a Comment

Ivo Graham

The latest comedy night at the Bramall at the University of Birmingham sees two returning acts to the stage, compèred Australian stand up Wayne Deakin. Deakin’s enthusiastic demeanour allows him to win over a crowd within the first couple of minutes, even a particularly quiet, low-energy gathering it seems. He flits around the room, asking surprisingly interesting off-the-mark questions to audience members about their jobs and relationships. Deakin is able to effortlessly create an atmosphere of familiarity and goodwill, summoning an energy from apparently nowhere which enables him to break through any starchy feeling that a compère may be faced with.

Next, Ivo Graham ambles on stage, announcing that there is a “nervous energy in the room,” of which he seems to feed off. Graham is apologetically middle class, appearing rather defeatist in his outlook at times, perhaps due to an apparent concern for the way others might perceive him. Immediately adopting a ‘loser’ status, it seems that this comic wishes to be likeable but also slightly enjoys the alienation that comes with playing up to his Eton College upbringing. Ivo proves himself to be a very capable and efficient storyteller, incorporating a sinister element to his delivery that may be caused, in part, by the inevitable tension caused by confiding in an audience about his schooling.

The final performer of the evening is Andrew Ryan. Charming and bright-eyed; eager to entertain and unafraid of sharing more intimate details about his life in front of a live audience. His anecdotes are confident and consistent, his delivery assured, and even relatively untested material seems to have legs. It appears that this gig provides particular benefits for the structuring of Ryan’s narratives, with the comic feeding off his own energy to propel him in all sorts of directions, providing plenty of room to develop these for his latest Edinburgh show.

BRAMALL COMEDY NIGHTS

Review: Bramall Comedy Night, Craig Murray, Damian Clark & Nathan Caton

April 9, 2016 by Becca Moody 1 Comment

This month’s comedy night at the Bramall at the University of Birmingham sees a change of room, with a smaller audience congregating in one of the ‘domes’ on the top floor of the building, making for a more intimate comedy gig than the main hall allows. And with most of the university’s students being at home for Easter it soon becomes clear that this is, in Nathan Caton’s words, a very “non-student student gig”.

Craig Murray compères (failing, I was later informed, to mention that he is in fact the face of the Plusnet adverts). Here we have a prime example of a comedian who knows how to work a room; there was none of the anxiety that often comes with an MC’s opening skit, where they inevitably pick on a few unfortunate audience members. Murray did speak to many members of his audience but his friendly demeanour eliminated any nerves. His anecdotes are packed with energy, effortlessly finding hilarity in the mundane whilst also proving himself to be excellent at bouncing off the audience’s ideas, allowing an enjoyable atmosphere to emerge.

The first act to be introduced is Australian Damian Clark, a powerhouse of comedic frenzy. Almost childlike in his excitement at apparently everything he experiences, he is incredibly endearing as a performer. Damian was able to comment on British culture whilst being one step removed from those he talks about, having only lived in England for four years, and he doesn’t claim to understand everything about the culture, which is in itself something not often seen within stand up performers. Getting worked up about seemingly monotonous aspects of life, Clark’s material builds in its absurdity as it progresses, even becoming rather sinister towards the end of his set, which, he notes, ran over considerably, perhaps by almost fifteen minutes. Neither he nor the audience seemed to mind.

The final act on the bill, as alluded to earlier, is the markedly laid-back Nathan Caton. His perspective on numerous political and social issues is refreshingly down to earth, and he certainly does not fear stating controversial opinions, such as his sarcastic retorts about allegations against the late Michael Jackson. Not only can Nathan back up his bold claims, he also manages to squeeze every last laugh out of them, and one can’t help but wonder if he is saying what the majority of us are thinking anyway. Nathan Caton is touring the UK with his latest solo hour this year; purchase your tickets here.

BRAMALL COMEDY NIGHTS

Review: Bramall Comedy Night, Bethany Black, Bobby Mair & Zoe Lyons

February 24, 2016 by Becca Moody Leave a Comment

Comedy nights at the Bramall on the University of Birmingham campus seem to be getting busier each month, and this is in part surely a result of the increasingly diverse nature of its lineups. The compère for last week’s event was Manchester comic Bethany Black; a performer with a subtle, untroubled confidence on stage that speaks for itself, without any need for an exaggeration of character to make up for underlying insecurities often present in the stand up business. I’m unsure as to whether she would be surprised to hear that she gives this impression, but Bethany has an incredibly cool and calm manner. She successfully balances sinister elements of narrative with a down-to-earth tone and her style of audience interaction is reassuringly laid back.

Bobby Mair

Bobby Mair, a previous Comedian of the Month on MoodyComedy, followed. Mair’s performance was surprisingly subdued, playing up to the persona of perhaps a vulnerable, oddly menacing child. Silences were more often utilised than shouting in this set, which is not an element of his performance I expected but gave his whole character a whole lot more substance and grit. With a host of near-one-liners, this comedian displayed a knack for making written material sound impulsive, whilst keeping an intriguing distance between his true self and the audience at all times throughout.

The final act of the evening was Zoe Lyons, a recognisable face from programmes including Mock The Week and Live At The Apollo. Her arrival at the Bramall was clearly well appreciated by those in attendance, with her accessible observations regarding the differences between cultures getting the biggest laughs. Lyons is very physically and vocally expressive in performance, indicating a lot about each person’s character and background through her depiction of their voice, and her impressions of various elements of British wildlife added an absurdist twist to her material.

BRAMALL COMEDY NIGHTS

Review: Bramall Comedy Night Daliso Chaponda, John Robertson & Ellie Taylor

January 20, 2016 by Becca Moody Leave a Comment

It is always a signal of a friendly, supportive atmosphere at a comedy gig when the compère decides to sit with the rest of the audience and watch the acts. That seems to sum up the feel of the monthly comedy nights at Bramall Hall in Birmingham, and is perhaps why audiences are consistently keen.

Daliso Chaponda is not a comic I was familiar with prior to Bramall Hall’s most recent comedy night but he is certainly an example of someone with a great enthusiasm and respect for the craft of stand up comedy, frequently being the one laughing the loudest at the rest of the evening’s entertainment. Chaponda himself is an extremely endearing performer, speaking in hushed tones with the audience quietening in order to listen. This somewhat delicate demeanour contrasts delightfully against the occasional expletive or crude remark, making his set one that ticked all the boxes, as well as providing that little bit of extra shock factor.

John Robertson

With this next act being the proud creator of live-action videogame The Dark Room (look it up if you haven’t already), I was unsure of what to expect from Australian comic John Robertson. I was expecting, however, that he would naturally require a microphone to amplify his voice across the relatively large music hall, but alas he did not. Robertson is the epitome of the naughty boy at school who everyone knows is an attention seeker (he is, of course, a stand up comedian) but is still the most popular boy in the class. Incredibly loud and well-articulated, this act surely won’t please every audience member but that didn’t seem to matter with so many people being on board from the get-go anyway. The next twenty minutes were a storm of unpredictability, shouting, audience interaction and ideas that weren’t always followed through, with the majority of us being left wanting more.

Ellie Taylor, last June’s Comedian of the Month and presenter of popular makeover programme Snog, Marry, Avoid, is a confident presence on stage, with an aptitude for audience communication as well as storytelling. Her height, while providing a space for material about her time spent as a model, allows Taylor’s stand up to take on a more physical element. The fact that this comedian is not afraid to be goofy or silly definitely works in her favour, with a warmth to anecdotes that ensures an immediate audience connection. Seeing a live performance from Ellie Taylor was something that had been on my to-do list for a long time and her set showed great promise for a fantastic new Edinburgh show in August 2016.

BRAMALL COMEDY NIGHTS

Review: Bramall Comedy Night, Scott Bennett, Angela Barnes & Gary Delaney

November 11, 2015 by Becca Moody 1 Comment

Autumn 2015 signals a new season of comedy at the University of Birmingham’s Bramall Hall with the second event doing predictably well in terms of its line up, with Scott Bennett, Angela Barnes and Gary Delaney performing.

The night was compèred by likeable Yorshireman Scott Bennett, who recently performed his debut stand up hour at this year’s Edinburgh Festival, tickling audiences with anecdotes about his recently retired and slightly mental father. His stories are instantly easy to relate to, speaking of elements of family life that most of us can sift through and relate to at least parts of. Bennett clearly has had a lot of experience as a club host, with an ability to communicate effortlessly with multiple age groups within an audience.

Gary Delaney © Andy Hollingworth Archive

Angela Barnes has returned from August’s Edinburgh Festival with a confidence to her new material that is pleasing to see. Deeply personal and bordering on self-depreciating, Barnes is a comic who knows how to set her audience at ease, with a presence that does not overbear but lines that sometimes cut delightfully sharp. Angela is the voice in all of our heads and it is a relief to hear someone openly talk about hating things that everyone else claims to love. She’s sweet, friendly and endlessly relatable, but with an undeniably wicked streak.

Gary Delaney is the first comedian to return to the Bramall Hall comedy night, speaking of how much he enjoyed the venue and audience last year. Once again Delaney amazed with his impressive back catalogue of memorised material, which he effectively manipulated to suit the feel of the room. Though perhaps a bit impersonal at times due the nature of being a one-liner comic, Gary successfully incorporated technology into his set which made for a refreshing change. He clearly enjoyed the gig and this made the performance feel a little outside of the norm, with Delaney’s infectious positivity ensuring that his whole audience was on side.

SEVEN QUESTIONS WITH… ANGELA BARNES

BRAMALL COMEDY NIGHTS

Review: Bramall Comedy Night, David Morgan, James Dowdeswell & Adam Kay

April 12, 2015 by Becca Moody Leave a Comment

This week welcomed the sixth instalment of the University of Birmingham’s comedy night with David Morgan, James Dowdeswell and Adam Kay performing.

David Morgan was the night’s compère and also happens to come from Birmingham himself (if Solihull counts). He effortlessly cracked the formal atmosphere that such a beautiful music hall inevitably brings with his un-floundering energy and cheeky conversational style. Morgan expertly intertwined humorous personal stories into his interactions with the audience, which ensured his performance didn’t come across as forced which is an obvious obstacle for many MCs. His set was diverse but he tied all the threads together well, talking about his family, childhood and the prospect him and his boyfriend having children themselves one day.

Next was James Dowdeswell, who also showed that he is comfortable talking to an audience and incorporating those interactions into his comedy. With mannerisms that reminded me of Hugh Dennis, Dowdeswell reminisced of the time he met Stephen Fry, which gave him the opportunity to showcase his uncanny impersonation of him. As his set progressed it became clear that this comedian is rather accomplished at performing accents, which definitely enhanced his funny anecdotes about his hometown and experiences of mugging.

Adam Kay, who co-wrote Crims, is not someone I had previously associated with stand up comedy, but I have since learned that he is quite a fantastic musical comic. His demeanour on stage is considerably sinister and, beginning with his darkest material, he certainly set the tone for some distasteful comedy that wicked people like me thrive on. Kay adapts many pop songs: adding new lyrics to develop wacky concepts with the chorus often becoming the ‘punchline’ to the core joke. In this sense, these musical interludes feel a little like stand-alone one-liners, but Adam’s clear aptitude for playing the piano was refreshing enough to avoid the occasional stale atmosphere that one-liners can build.

And so, another wonderful comedy night at the University of Birmingham drew to a close and I am already looking forward to the next event in May.

BRAMALL COMEDY NIGHT: MARCH 2015

Review: Bramall Comedy Night, Laura Lexx, Andy White & Christian Reilly

March 11, 2015 by Becca Moody 1 Comment

Last Thursday brought the latest comedy night at the University of Birmingham, and, not wanting to break tradition, I obviously went along.

Laura Lexx

The compère for the evening was the lovely Laura Lexx, a comedian I had never heard of before, and proof that going to comedy nights such as these are vital for comedy fans who want to expand their knowledge and understanding of who is actually out there performing material. Laura is one of the sweetest and most delightful comedians I’ve watched perform, who was able to balance her well-spoken, polite voice with the occasional dark humour and abstract concepts. She was also the first person to ever pick on me in the “who-are-you-what-do-you-do?” sort of sense which is surprising given the number of gigs I’ve attended over the years, but maybe more of a shock for my friend who was also singled out and had never been to an event like that before.

There is something a little magic about hearing stand up material about the specific area you live in, and, coming from Birmingham himself, Andy White was able to give that to us. Referring to an audience member from Harborne as “Your Majesty” and making humorous digs at Birmingham City University (not to be confused with the university he was performing at), Andy crafted a set that was meaningful to the people in the room. With his naturally chilled manner and remarkable red velvet jacket, this comedian comes across very confidently on stage, which is always reassuring as an audience member in a relatively small crowd.

Christian Reilly

Christian Reilly was the only comic on the bill who I’d heard material from before, by which I mean occasionally hearing him sing a couple of songs on TotalRock radio with Jeff Leach. As well as obvious musical skill, Reilly has an aptitude for pushing boundaries with risky subject matter which gives his songs an extra, often sinister, layer. His style of comedy is all-or-nothing; he takes a stance regarding a topical issue or popular celebrity and works from there, incorporating harsh criticisms hidden in between bouts of silly humour. A highlight would have to be an Avril Lavigne song in the style of Brian Ferry.

As always, the comedy night at the University of Birmingham certainly did not disappoint and, again, I encourage you to join me at next month’s event on April 9th.

BRAMALL COMEDY NIGHT: FEBRUARY 2015

Review: Bramall Comedy Night, Andrew Ryan, Ben Norris & Romesh Ranganathan

February 17, 2015 by Becca Moody 1 Comment

Last week saw the fourth instalment of the University of Birmingham’s ever-growing comedy night with a stellar line up consisting of Andrew Ryan, Ben Norris and Romesh Ranganathan. This month undoubtedly saw the biggest crowd so far which was very nice to see.

Irish comic Andrew Ryan compèred the evening and he was one of the best I’d ever seen fill this difficult role, with unwavering energy and and effortless charm. In a way that reminded me of Jason Byrne (no, not just because he’s Irish), Andrew is very skilled at developing a unique set based on the audience on the night, from what I saw. A fifteen year old on the front row received most of the comedian’s conversation as he was so young, which was a near miss for me, being seventeen and on the front row myself!

Ben Norris was next, walking on with a stern face and surprising us all with his lighthearted style of comedy; I don’t think many people were expecting him to be so lovely, but he really was. With hilarious personal anecdotes broken up by a few fantastic one-liners, Norris presented a perfect blend of the topical and silly, with the dark and twisted. I laughed all the way through his set, particularly because his observations of aspects of politics and religion were spot on, and would definitely pay to see him again soon.

The last act of the night was one of my favourite stand up comedians, Romesh Ranganathan, and I was delighted to finally be able to see him live. Talking about his kids, one of whom is an “unacceptable human being”, Romesh’s comedy has something for people of all ages (he’d probably be horrified to hear that I am one of five girls, when he thinks three boys is ridiculous). His material is very specific to him, covering the things he has experience of such as parenthood, teaching, veganism and dealing with racism, all tied together with his trademark passive aggression and sarcasm.

It was a pleasure to finally see Rom in person and I will definitely be following what Andrew and Ben are up to from now on (and of course attending next month’s comedy night at the Bramall).

BRAMALL COMEDY NIGHT: JANUARY 2015

Review: Bramall Comedy Night, Ivo Graham, Holly Walsh & Nathan Caton

January 20, 2015 by Becca Moody Leave a Comment

Last Thursday I visited Bramall Hall at the University of Birmingham for the third instalment of their fantastic comedy night. It was great to see a very busy venue this time, as opposed to the relatively small numbers I had seen in previous months, perhaps due to the fact the names on the bill seem to get bigger each month.

Ivo Graham was the night’s compere and showed an impressive ability to build a set around the answers of the few people he questioned, whilst remaining open to the audience as a whole. Only a small portion of what was said was obviously material and Graham seemed to derive most of his laughs from impulsive remarks as his energy bounced of the audience. With a love for Mario Kart, Ivo Graham is a wonderfully endearing loser (like the majority of us deep down) and was able to laugh at himself without it seeming constructed or forced.

First up was Holly Walsh, who I’ve watched for years on numerous television shows, particularly panel shows like Never Mind The Buzzcocks and Mock The Week, but more recently on Alan Davies: As Yet Untitled. Holly brings a lovely enthusiasm to a room and has such a delightfully positive vibe about her, and as she pointed out, she sounds ridiculously sweet when she swears, so it doesn’t have the desired effect. Introducing herself as “Holly. Or if my parents are telling me off, Holiver,” it was great to finally see this funny woman in person.

Nathan Caton

Nathan Caton was a name and face that I knew, but I hadn’t seen that much of his stand up as I’d only ever seen him on shows like Mock The Week and Good News. Caton’s personality on stage is brilliant; he is cool and relaxed, with material spanning family, politics and race, amongst others. His impressions of his grandmother got the audience laughing the most, and were my favourite part of the night, as well as his newfound fear of white women in dark alleyways.

This comedy night just keeps getting better and better, and I truly can’t wait for next month (check the line up to see why).

BRAMALL COMEDY NIGHT: DECEMBER 2014

Review: Bramall Comedy Night, Suzi Ruffell, Caimh McDonnell & Paul Sinha

December 13, 2014 by Becca Moody 2 Comments

This Thursday saw the second instalment of the University of Birmingham’s brand new monthly comedy night, with three new fantastic comedians on the bill.

Compèred by the impressively quick-witted Suzi Ruffell, this small audience felt at ease within minutes and the atmosphere was comfortable: ready for some sophisticated Thursday night comedy. Ruffell showed great skill while compèring; she was friendly and enthusiastic but her role definitely felt more like any other act on the bill, which I definitely prefer as often compères can border on annoying, in my opinion.

Suzi’s material was charmingly open, with topics ranging from adolescence to drunken shopping, and her delivery was self-assured yet the emotional nature of her material meant that she allowed herself to be vulnerable whilst on stage, which made for an interesting combination.

Next, Irish comic Caimh McDonnell was welcomed to the stage, bringing his brilliant energy with him. With personal anecdotes about his wife and time living in both London and Manchester, McDonnell was able to establish a connection with his audience effortlessly, making us feel as though we all want him to be our friend, or that he already was so. I really enjoyed Caimh’s set, particularly the fact he brought a large wall clock on stage with him as he didn’t have a watch. I’ll definitely be on the look out for more of his stuff in the future, as I’d never heard of him previously but thought he was hilarious.

Paul Sinha brought an air of calm with him into the room with his steady-paced, straight-faced delivery of incredibly sarcastic lines. I have been a fan of Sinha since seeing him on series one of Stewart Lee’s brilliant show: The Alternative Comedy Experience, and he certainly didn’t disappoint. His set was endearingly honest, with frequent reference to the fact he is gay, and the implications this has had with various aspects of his life, such as his father’s amusing response when he found out. Whilst on stage, this comedian is very in control. He is steady and stable but not afraid to be silly or self-depreciating. On top of all of this, he is absolutely excellent.

This small-scale monthly comedy night in Birmingham is a wonderful (and cheap) event that allows us to see comics we might not necessarily have heard of before, or that aren’t currently touring the country with their shows. If you live nearby, I urge you to take a look.

SEVEN QUESTIONS… WITH SUZI RUFFELL

BRAMALL COMEDY NIGHTS