PLAY: Comedy Night

The Cabbage Patch, Twickenham

Thursday 16^th June

Adam Bloom & Robin Ince

w/ Louis Bryan and MC Ben Van Der Velde

A cold, wet evening in Twickenham is not my preference for a night out I must admit. As I sat in the Cabbage Patch pub, looking outwards watching the night draw in with only my pint for company, the first thought that entered my head was, ‘I’ve got to get home in this’. Luckily, my future torture was put on the back burner as I was treated to a night of good company and great comedy. And all for a great cause – The Richmond branch of MENCAP.

The Cabbage Patch is clearly not designed for such nights. However, they worked with the space they had and actually produced quite a nice, intimate area for comedy. The lack of stage was of no concern as the acts were right in front of you – a good view was had wherever you sat.

The night kicked off with the energetic and youthful MC Ben Van Der Velde. The role of an MC can be a tricky one, moving the evening along smoothly whilst getting your own material in the mix. Velde performed his duties effortlessly, drawing in the crowd and building up the atmosphere nicely for the rest of the evening. Banter and light hearted heckling were in abundance, as the crowd was eased into the night and became just as important to the success of the night as the talent. Once we had dealt with the North-East, dinosaurs and the number five, we were introduced to our first act of the night.

Louis Bryan does not seem like a happy man. Yet he is funny, very funny in fact. His somewhat pessimistic outlook on life has an element of charm that you automatically warm too. There are aspects of Jack Dee and Ricky Gervais which come through, particularly when discussing his personal life.Bryan’s dry wit and sarcasm shone through and made up for any lack of physical movement on stage (that some feel is necessary in stand-up today). Some may say thatBryanwas a risky choice in being the opening act of the night, but I believe it was a risk that paid off. The laughs began to increase as his set picked up pace, and as the rest of the night panned out, it turned out to be the perfect beginning to the structure of the evening.Bryandealt with the amusing heckles well and incorporated them into his set with ease, hiding any frustration he may have had impeccably. A thoroughly enjoyable start to events.

After the interval we were introduced to the two headline acts. Up first was Robin Ince. Finding just enough time to step away from Twitter for 20 minutes, Ince arrives on stage with his beer and proceeds to have the audience in stitches from the off. Having only seen a few glimpses of his work before, I was very surprised, and highly entertained by his high energy, high pace and rather physical routine. Despite some of his pessimistic viewpoints, you can easily relate to him – I particularly enjoyed his rant on the tediousness of parties. Ince comes across as negative, yet I have rarely seen such pessimism performed in such a positive way. He is almost joyous in his rants, jumping around the stage like an excited child, wanting to tell his tales to anyone who will listen. Of course, his vocabulary is a lot more advanced than a child. In fact he is very concise, witty and not afraid to throw his knowledge upon an audience. His charisma is such that you do not feel aggravated by his intellect, but instead feel drawn to him. You want to listen and laugh, but with Robin Ince you feel like you are also learning, and that is in no way meant to sound derogatory. I highly recommend seeing Robin Ince. A good laugh will be had – as the audience showed – and you will go away wanting to know more.

Once Robin Ince had left the stage, and indeed the venue, we were left thinking that it would take some beating to top that. Then Adam Bloom appears on stage and from the moment he rushes on and explodes with enthusiasm for the crowd and the laughs, you have no time to sit back and compare. After 25 minutes of pure, raw energy that fills the room, you are left with your hair standing as if you had just watched a nuclear explosion from 30 feet away. Bloom packs a punch and then some. Instantly attaching himself to the audience and what they have to say, the feel of improvisation is a constant and adds to the unpredictability of the set. I cannot really compare Adam Bloom to any other comedian because I have literally not seen anyone like him on stage before. He is warm and affectionate, with a natural ability to get the audience on side, sympathise and relate to his stories. With Robin Ince you felt like you were learning, but with Adam Bloom it feels like you are being told something that this guy has just found out for himself. The way he grabs the audience is akin to a child grabbing a parent and urging them on to a ride. It is just a phenomenal experience to behold, with Bloom never stopping and the audience around you in fits of laughter. The heckles are thrown back, not with anger, but with joy a genuine sense of listening to what the audience has to say. Have you ever left a comedy gig where you laughed and laughed, yet when you try to recite a joke, you cannot think of a single joke? This is what happened to me on this night. I was too busy laughing. Bloom commented that this was one of the best gigs he had done in 17 years – and I can certainly believe him.

And so the night came to a close. Ben Van Der Velde ends the proceedings nicely with thanking one of the stars of the night – the audience and all those that took part. The comedians’ names were received with increasing cheers and I headed to the bar for another drink – not worrying about the rain and the journey – but thinking, ‘how am I going to put this night into words’.

William Evans

PLAY was supported by Richmond MENCAP. For more information go to www.mencap.org.uk