Category Archives: Diary

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 – 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: Janette Mason featuring David McAlmont – Pizza Express High Holborn, 25th June 2021

David McAlmont is a star regardless of whether he’s walking down Streatham Hill, or dropping off a mattress at the local tip, or on stage in front of thousands of adoring fans. And he’s also a star in front of a socially distanced audience in the basement of a Pizza Express in central London, muchingContinue reading “REVIEW: Janette Mason featuring David McAlmont – Pizza Express High Holborn, 25th June 2021”

Review: Hotel Michelle at Museum of Comedy, Holborn

Banana. Spatula. Improv exists via audience suggestions, and sometimes audiences aren’t very imaginative. Still, it was a surprise to see a Tuesday night audience at the Museum of Comedy in Holborn transmogrify into an Edinburgh Fringe midnight audience. In came the predictable shouts for strippers, nuns, and sex dungeons. But like all good improvisation groups,Continue reading “Review: Hotel Michelle at Museum of Comedy, Holborn”

“It is lumber, man – all lumber!”

Today I had a book returned to me by an old friend. I lent it to her in 2006; she took it back to Canada with her, where it languished in storage for many years. Then it was found in a clear-out, brought back to England, and finally, eventually, unexpectedly, fell back into my possession.Continue reading ““It is lumber, man – all lumber!””