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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: Bridget Christie: A Book For Her Tour

April 29, 2016 by Becca Moody Leave a Comment

Bridget Christie is currently touring her latest show A Book For Her across the UK in conjunction with her debut novel of the same name. The catalyst for this show is the relatively recent launch of a BIC pen specifically designed for women, named A Bic For Her, which Christie based her 2013 show around. Unfortunately for society, though perhaps fortunately for fans of the wrath of Bridget Christie, not a lot has changed in more recent years.

Gender inequality is still clearly a distressingly vast problem despite recent minor victories such as the abolishment of the tampon tax. But the problem is slowly moving and as a result; so is Christie’s comedy. Feminist issues still hold an integral part of this latest show but it feels as though there is a branching out of comedic focus. Christie’s latest hour feels more personal than her previous two shows, with a stronger autobiographical element to match the tone of her book, with the comedian often reading directly from her own copy on stage.

Christie’s absurdist roots still form the basis of her comedic insight and you don’t have to look too closely to observe them. In fact, these surrealist, almost-slapstick routines are all the more pleasing within this new show as they aid the breaking down of the heavier, political material. Recounting her 2010 show A Ant allows the comic to revisit her surreal character-comedy foundations, much to my delight, though she frequently has to express, “I’ve not gone mad,” to a quiet but appreciative audience. Beginning her show so unassumingly, with such quiet self-assuredness, it is quite remarkable to reflect on the development of Christie’s material over the hour.

Bridget skilfully builds layers of irony, to extents where the thought of audience members misunderstanding the message concerns her so much that she needs to check all in the room are on board. Although dampening the effect of her sarcasm to some extent, a great deal of self-awareness is shown as a result. Perhaps there is a need to cover her own back, as an outspoken political comic, and this quality is endearing, as much as it is disheartening that there are people who may misinterpret. Christie also has a talent for manipulating timing, cleverly sneaking a great deal of important statistics into her routines and allowing their inclusion to become increasingly prominent as the material progresses.

Let us not forget that Bridget Christie is an ever-developing performer, appearing to change the focus of her comedy to fit the time of writing, and this is a hugely admirable trait in an act, reducing the possibility of any stagnancy. Yes, feminism is a greatly talked-about topic, and it can get boring to have to keep covering old ground as the issues refuse to be resolved, but it is to Christie’s credit that this is not her first show with the issue of inequality at its core, and we are yet to get bored. Bridget Christie is a re-inventor, an innovator and voice of absolute sanity. And she and I would like to have it noted that we both look quite like Oliver Cromwell.

BRIDGET CHRISTIE IS CURRENTLY TOURING ‘A BOOK FOR HER’ ACROSS THE UK

The Glee Club Comedy Night, April 2016

April 19, 2016 by Becca Moody Leave a Comment

Stephen Bailey © Steve Ullathorne

Is Birmingham Glee Club the best comedy club in the country? Quite possibly. The latest ‘Best In Live Stand-up Comedy’ show at the Glee is a showcase of four acts as well as compère Andre Vincent.

Stephen Bailey has a rare charm about him. A young face paired with an air of experience makes for a very enticing performer. He speaks with a quiet confidence that suggests this man is a born performer; showing an aptitude for conversing with an audience as a collective. There is an undeniable hint of showbiz behind Stephen’s demeanour but also an endearing realism. With a twinkle in his eye and a manner that suggests both innocence and filth, this comedian seems to demonstrate experience beyond his years. And, having recently supported Katherine Ryan on her UK tour, that comes as no surprise.

Harry Stachini only began his comedy career in 2013 and has evidently been doing his homework. With admirable competence in front of a rowdy crowd and an obvious appreciation of joke and narrative formation, Stachini was indistinguishable from the other acts on the bill in terms of quality of material and stage presence. Next up comes Gareth Richards with an interesting blend of odd mannerisms and relatable observational material. With a silly and playful tone, an audience feels instantly obliged to humour him, although he is well aware that some of his crafted punchlines are cheesy and the addition of a musical interlude helped to maintain this illusion of a somewhat variety act. Richards throws in frequent narrative curve balls whilst playing up to a ‘loser’-status that ensures his audience is on board from the very first, “Everyone say hello to Gareth”.

And finally Andrew Bird; self-depreciating and confessional, Andrew appears to be the voice of reality, accepting and embracing the turmoils of relationships, fatherhood and technology. His qualms about society are both easy and enjoyable to follow. Bird gets caught up on many of modern life’s minor irritations, picking up ideas and running with them with impressive energy.

BOOK TICKETS FOR THE NEXT COMEDY NIGHT AT ONE OF THE GLEE CLUBS ACROSS THE UK

Review: Tony Law: Frillemorphesis

April 13, 2016 by Becca Moody Leave a Comment

It sounds like Tony Law has had a turbulent year. He returns to the stage with an air of a wise traveller, declaring that he has been doing “a whole lot of therapy lately” and has recently given up drinking. He states that we are all mainly there to “see if he’s alright,” which, it may surprise Law to hear, rings partly true.

An enlightened Tony Law is perhaps even more fascinating than his more bashful, younger self. He’s just as enigmatic, just as physical and certainly just as shouty, but his latest hour brings more personal elements than audiences have previously been subject to. That is not to say that his show is free of hilarious gimmicks and props: an extremely heavy cape, the plastic head of a horse, Mickey Mouse gloves, a trombone.

Tony Law

There are more down-to-earth elements of Frillemorphesis than I have noticed in previous shows. Tony frequently references his family pets, time spent at last year’s Edinburgh Festival and even the car he drives (it was a shock to most that he is even allowed on the roads, judging by the fact that half an hour previously he had been energetically impersonating a horse).

It is intrinsically important that we don’t get too caught up in Law’s narrative, as this often leads to confusion. The trick is to let yourself get swept up and trust that this comedian will tie up all the loose ends eventually. I don’t know how he does it but the mayhem is invigorating. He’s very aware of his own absurdities but doesn’t seem to care in the slightest. And though his surreality may alienate audience members who don’t follow, it only serves to strengthen the sense of community within those who do: Tony refers to his stand up as “a bit of a group effort,” and in many respects he is absolutely spot on. The audience of a Tony Law gig is a hell of a lot rowdier than that of many other performers I have seen; we reflect his own energy and enthusiasm. In this sense, I believe that Tony Law is comedy at its finest. And all over by 9.30pm.

SEVEN QUESTIONS WITH TONY LAW

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: Stuart Goldsmith – An Hour

March 24, 2016 by Becca Moody Leave a Comment

To finally and officially put face to the voice of Stuart Goldsmith has been a very long time coming. I have listened to his podcast The Comedian’s Comedian for years but it’s strange to have a visual rather than just an audio; strange not to be wearing earphones. Goldsmith’s debut tour kicks off at Birmingham’s Glee Club; the studio being satisfyingly busy and Stu holding his ground incredibly well.

Stuart Goldsmith is the genuine article with no showing off and no false illusion of power. Goldsmith gives the humble impression of being a just guy stood in front of a group of people and telling a few anecdotes, but his act far exceeds that description. Any fan of the podcast will already know that Stuart is a lovely guy: that’s why we bought tickets. But what I certainly wasn’t expecting was for him to be half as commanding in front of an audience as he effortlessly was. Any of the self-doubt he so often alludes to quickly becomes a faint memory as Stu recounts stories of his childhood and adolescence. And he is just so nice. Even an irritating drunk lady who slurred through the majority of the show was dealt with reasonably and politely by Stu who quickly worked to smooth over the slightly sour feeling in the air, referring to it as “gently harassing a talkative woman”.

Goldsmith’s comedy is clear, succinct and not self-indulgent. His show is pleasingly structured and the final moments of the hour are a thing of absolute beauty. It’s very apparent that he knows how to craft a show and there is an authentic respect for performance as an art form as well as consideration of the audience throughout. The hours of interviewing all manner of comedic performers has clearly had an impact on Goldsmith’s own craft in a way that I doubt can be said for the majority of podcasting stand up comedians.

And Stuart’s audience is as passionate about the craft as he, evident in the large number of people that stayed behind afterwards to ask questions about the podcast in a group-discussion setting. We chatted about the issues of censorship in broadcasting peoples’ opinions as well as other things that, somewhat ironically, I am unable to disclose. So, after an evening of suitably nerdy entertainment I am left with my feelings of appreciation towards comedy as an art form, and Goldsmith’s informed and pioneering podcast itself, being as strong as ever. Let this serve as a strong recommendation of Stuart Goldsmith’s tour show, An Hour of your life well spent.

PURCHASE TICKETS FOR STUART GOLDSMITH’S LATEST SHOW ‘AN HOUR’

SEVEN QUESTIONS WITH STUART GOLDSMITH

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.

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

Jonny Awsum: Everything Is Awsum, Edinburgh Preview

August 22, 2015 by Becca Moody Leave a Comment

There’s something inspiring about attending a comedy show, which you have no prior information about other than a name, and discovering something quite remarkable. Witnessing a preview of Jonny Awsum’s second musical stand up show (at the MAC in Birmingham, of course) was certainly a unique experience, with the comic bringing boxes of mysterious objects on stage which were to be used throughout the hour, starting with three audience members on the front row who were supplied with plastic silver trumpets.

It is really no surprise that a large portion of his comedy work is in the form of being the ‘warm-up guy,’ or Hype Man as it is apparently called, for the energy Jonny managed to summon from a mixed-aged Thursday night crowd in Birmingham was admirable. One reason for the sustained high-octane feel of the show was that the audience as a whole were called to action regularly, whether that be to cheer performers on in their harmonica solos, shout back obscenities, or simply hum along to songs. Just because some of us weren’t picked on, it doesn’t mean that we weren’t a crucial part of the show.

The most applaudable aspect of Jonny Awsum’s performance was that no audience member was ever the butt of the joke, which made for unexpectedly enjoyable audience participation. Jonny enabled us to create something fantastic as a group and it unified us all as one; I chatted to people I’d never have mixed with in my daily life due to age and general background and that is a testament to this comedian’s positive attitude and the uplifting nature of his show as a whole.

Jonny Awsum’s latest musical extravaganza is magnificent: exciting and skilfully crafted. It seemed as though he didn’t even need to be doing previews at this point in late July, but the crowd were certainly pleased that he was. Musical, interactive comedy is not my preferred style of entertainment, but this show made it felt like it could be.

Jonny Awsum is currently performing his show Everything Is Awsum at the Edinburgh Festival.

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