Well, here we are again; the Covid-secure return of the Comedy Club after lockdown. Let us hope this year it lasts longer than it did last year.
Which of course depends on whether dangerous new variants of Boris Johnson will arise, which is impossible to predict. But we’re safe for tonight, and the place is as sold out as current restrictions allow. Good!
Tonight we have three comics, all of whom complain of being out of practice due to 15 months of no gigs; and wonder whether they can remember how to do stand-up after all this time – but all are grateful to be looking out at a real live audience instead of the rather dispiriting experience of gigs on Zoom.
First up is Harriet Braine, a rather chatty comedy singer/songwriter who kicks off with a song about an imagined sequel to Mary Poppins, which is very sweary and involves cats. Appreciation of which relies on one’s having ever seen Mary Poppins, which your critic hasn’t, so hard to say what the joke is. But the audience responds.
There is much ragging of the audience for how intellectual they are or aren’t, and usual stuff about how posh or not we are in Bath, winding up with a singalong ditty about Capability Brown, which must be a comedic first, encouraging us to shout out different words ending with ‘ability’ according to different characteristics she attributes to him. Good silly fun.
Phil Cooper is an amiable laid-back Welshman, who does much riffing off audience responses to his Welshness jokes, including of course the usual arguments about how to pronounce the word ‘Bath’. Bit disingenuous, since, as he tells us, he used to live here.
But his audience rapport is strong, and his gentle humour has them on his side, the best thing an extended riff on how the dragon on the Welsh flag doesn’t behave in a very dragon-y fashion, complete with interpretive dance moves.
Headline act Alistair Barrie is definitely not laid-back. Despite his claims that he’s ‘rusty’ after his long gigless interlude, there is little evidence of it.
He hits the stage running and has us roaring with appreciation throughout. He is a champion ranter, and can rant furiously, but always hilariously, on any subject, it seems. Covid, child-rearing, marital disharmony, Boris Johnson – he’s unstoppable, and goes on well past the advertised finishing time; but no-one is looking at their watch.
If that’s him when he’s ‘rusty’ it leaves one wondering what further comedic heights he can achieve when he’s not. A triumphant finish to a welcome return of laughs to the Sosh.
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Reviewer: John Christopher Wood | Star rating: ****
