Author Archives: jamesofwalsh

Open House: South Norwood Library and St Bernards, Croydon.

My understanding of London’s Open House began with a vision of queues: hoardes at the gates of the Foreign Office or some other shining city on the hill grudgingly opening up for the hoi polloi for one weekend a year; to reveal where all those tax dollars go. The social media moans about the waitContinue reading “Open House: South Norwood Library and St Bernards, Croydon.”

All of Euan’s sketches from August’s Next Level Sketch show

I had the idea of getting someone to draw our show on Tuesday, justifying it via some spurious tale of Victorian era sketch comedy legislation. Euan very gamely did so, even coming on stage after the interval to talk us through his drawings. “Jesus, Euan. I wasn’t expecting you to attempt every single one”. “IContinue reading “All of Euan’s sketches from August’s Next Level Sketch show”

Next Level Sketch with Luke Rollason and The Awkward Silence – August 31st 2021

After our July show was wiped out by the pingdemic – one of those neologisms you feel dirty for using – it was lovely to be back at Hoopla at The Miller with my fellow Next Level humans for some preposterous, funny nonsense. I wasn’t able to attend the meeting in which the sketches andContinue reading “Next Level Sketch with Luke Rollason and The Awkward Silence – August 31st 2021”

The Comedy Arcade – live at the Camden Fringe, Water Rats, Kings Cross, Sunday 8th August

Cor this is a late show! 9:30pm on a Sunday is when I’m usually cowering in existential terror of the week ahead. So it was nice, instead, to be at the Water Rats – historically, one of Kings Cross’ most “anything can happen” venues – to enjoy Vix Leyton and her Comedy Arcade. The ComedyContinue reading “The Comedy Arcade – live at the Camden Fringe, Water Rats, Kings Cross, Sunday 8th August”

Review: Weapons of Mass Hilarity, 2Northdown, Monday 16th August

“Where do you want to sit?” “The front”. Not the usual exchange when attending stand-up comedy, but this was a show with a difference. Weapons of Mass Hilarity showcases comics with links to the Middle East, and the friend I was with is British Iraqi. Of course she wanted to sit at the front andContinue reading “Review: Weapons of Mass Hilarity, 2Northdown, Monday 16th August”

Review – Funny Femmes, 2Northdown, Sunday 15th August

The conveyor belt of straight white men never stops. I should know: I myself was made at the straight white man factory. Production is booming, and despite consumer feedback, many of my model think that a) we’re funny and b) people should listen to what we have to say. And so we are vacuum packed,Continue reading “Review – Funny Femmes, 2Northdown, Sunday 15th August”

North Downs Way and the Pilgrims Way, Farnham to Guildford

Frazzled after a gig, I took myself off for a walk. Many years ago, I attempted to walk the full North Downs way with a now ex-friend. But for reasons I no longer recall, we started at Guildford, rather than the actual start point of Farnham. And so, a decade later, but still feeling earlyContinue reading “North Downs Way and the Pilgrims Way, Farnham to Guildford”

Review: Paperboy, The Lion & Unicorn, The Camden Fringe

Emerging in preposterously oversized suits and an explosion of physical banter, our two would-be journalists, Matt and Matthew, dominate the stage with their volume, their aggressive movements, and their self-entitlement. Meanwhile Phoebe, their assistant, sits quietly in the corner, staring at her empty inbox, trying desperately not to react… Life imitates art imitates life. ThisContinue reading “Review: Paperboy, The Lion & Unicorn, The Camden Fringe”