And what a line-up it turns out to be; hosted expertly by Bath Comedy veteran Alan Francis, who is an act in himself.
Done in short mini-sets in between introducing the other acts; he certainly keeps the laugh count high in this packed evening with, among much else, his retailing of how to get a shepherd’s pie during an East End pub fight. No kidding.
First of the other acts is Justin Panks. Subtlety is not one of his attributes, as he launches full-on into class warfare, taking the piss out of posh Bath relentlessly, and ranting effectively about the awfulness of parenthood, the failings of young people, which working-class accents are and aren’t suitable for serious news broadcasts – and much graphic stuff about genital shaving, it’s effect on his sex life and some very detailed penis jokes, all delivered at high energy, and barely a pause for breath. Comedy that takes no prisoners.
Aideen McQueen is a saucy Irish woman with lots of intentionally naughty humour about how to be effectively “slutty” even if you are from an Irish catholic background, whatever the nuns may have tried to teach you.
And her tips on how to get men are totally, shamelessly, hilarious. That slight grinding noise in the background is Mary Whitehouse turning in her grave.
A short set from Canadian Muslim Sharlin Jahan is not about hijabs; it too involves how to get the best sex from dating apps, and even jokes about female genital mutilation, which has to be breaking new ground in non-PC comedy.
The evening closes with a great set from local hero Roger Monkhouse, who’s unfailingly on the ball with audience banter and specifically Bath-themed jokes, but ranges over baldness, being middle-aged, whether to like your kids, and lots more – all of it effortlessly timed and unfailingly hilarious. A true professional.
All in all, another comic triumph; we’re fortunate here in Bath to have such a brilliant comedy impresario as Nick Steel to mount such events.
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Reviewer: John Christopher Wood | Star rating: ****