You won’t find any Thai men with impressive singing voices and a surprising make up talent here.
They would have been more suited to a bigger audience where they can get more response, but in a small room where by the end we all knew each other’s names, it was too heavy.
Beginning with Matt Wills, a pint-sized but undeniably dapper MC, who took time to get to know the audience. It felt like we had all joined a new club and were getting to know one another which suited the small venue and audience perfectly. He pushed through the slightly awkward ice to prepare for the next comedian.
Janine French took over the microphone and my inner feminist couldn’t help but revel in seeing a young woman doing stand-up. She was charismatic and gave a brief sample of potential characters when she became her grandmother. I did feel like she had a lot more personality to give, but perhaps some of it was softened to suit the audience and venue.
Lastly came Ian Miller, a socially awkward (his words) Essex boy, who gave an insight into his dating history and why he certainly isn’t appropriate for a family wedding. He was charming in a hopeless way and probably managed to unleash the maternal instincts of all the women in the room.
Each comedian had a relatable aspect, often using sexual blunders, one-liners and anecdotes to make fun of themselves. They all had a lot of potential and they could certainly get laughs, but the audience was far too small and reserved to make it a hilarious show. It is easy to imagine how difficult it must be to play to eight people, all of whom are sat within six feet of you. All their performances at times teetered on the edge of dark humour taking personal stories and turning their own experiences into the punchline.
At times some of the jokes seemed a little lost along the way and it was necessary to wait until the end before you could tell whether to laugh or not. That said, there were some aspects that didn’t seem as appropriate for such a small and intimate show such as personal problems where the sadness of the case was the punchline. They would have been more suited to a bigger audience where they can get more response, but in a small room where by the end we all knew each other’s names, it was too heavy.
It was fun nevertheless and by the end of the hour you really want them to succeed.
