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Comedy Death: Comics Talking About Their Worst Gigs

 
Ed Barnes Review by Ed Barnes 4 Published: 12 Aug 2014 Cowgatehead Show Dates: 2 Aug 2014-24 Aug 2014

Comedy Death does not immediately sound like a good idea: a chat show involving comedians talking about their worst ever gigs seems destined to merely extend that list - but somehow it works.

With a fantastic host, and different guest comics every day, their cringe-worthy tales will have you rolling in the aisles whilst offering a glimpse into the workings of the comedy industry.

Javier Jarquin plays the perfect host, as interested and amused as the fascinated audience is. Between guests he offers up stories of his own; some from the world of comedy, others from the plethora of obscure jobs he had before becoming a full-time entertainer. Despite the smallness of the converted storage room the show is held in, Jarquin's warmth and enthusiasm makes the audience feel involved, almost part of a special little gang.

His first guest of the evening is Darius Davies, who offers up tales of misjudged gigs and terrible performances of room-clearing proportions. It is these brutally honest and intensely personal stories that make the show what it is, a glimpse behind the curtain into the dark and lonely world of a stand-up comedian. But, with tragedy often comes hilarity, and with the power of hindsight these tales have the audience laughing out loud.

Up next is Rob Coleman, who reveals to us how much worse a comedic death can be when it involves family and friends, and gig-wrecking potential of incorrectly identifying an audience member as pregnant. He is followed by Rosie Wilby, whose anecdotes stem from her days as a musician all the way up to her being challenged by other comics to clear an entire room in order to save them from performing. Not only did she achieve this, she explains, the pub in question also closed down a couple of weeks later.

Finally, we are treated to Damian Clark, whose experience of bombing shows outdoes them all. He regales us with accounts of the time that he ruined a wedding, and of a gig so bad he ended up moving country. Not only are the stories ridiculous, but the way in which Clark brings them to life means we can almost feel his pain - whilst having a good chuckle at his expense, of course.

Comedy Death is a perfect hour to kick off your afternoon at the fringe. With a fantastic host, and different guest comics every day, their cringe-worthy tales will have you rolling in the aisles whilst offering a glimpse into the workings of the comedy industry. They have died in previous shows so you won’t have to suffer any suffer any painful stand-up catastrophes during this one. 

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The Blurb:

Join Javier Jarquin as he hosts a wide range of guest comedians baring all and telling you about their worst soul-destroying, agonisingly painful times on stage. Call it what you will: bombing, tanking or dying - at Comedy Death we call it entertainment. Great comics telling their worst experiences in front of understanding crowds; because really, who wants to hear the good stories anyway? Remember, we're not here to judge - we're here to laugh.