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Dom Robinson reviews
Friday May 24th, 2002
- Price: £13.00
For my second trip to The Comedy Storeon their Best of Stand-up night, there were five acts on again, making itbetter value than Jongleurs as the comedy went on for nearly five hours.
The show was compered throughout the night by the large and effervescentblonde Jo Jo Smith who spent most of her time onstage making her jokesout of the nearest audience members, including a girl who was on a 21st birthdayparty and drinking whatever she was on out of a plastic, colourful pineapple- something later remarked on by most of the following acts.
The first main comedy turn was from Irish Ian Coppinger, several inchesshorter than Jo Jo Smith so had an initial problem with the microphone stand,but overcame that to crack a number of home-related jokes including what anIrish builder would say to the prospect of building the Great Wall of China(“3000 miles long, you say… 80 foot high…?? I’ll call you back in a weekwith an estimate”, only not to bother until a year later when getting anothercall from China).
The second one on stage was Brummie Karen Bayley, a new girl to thecircuit – who must’ve been one of the open mic crowd – and made a couple ofdecent jokes, but for the most part practically died on stage, and she knew it,but also continued with her material. A few people laughed out of sympathy, buton the plus side, you’ve got to admire someone to get up on stage in the firstplace.
The best comedian came at the end of the first half in the form of PhoenixNights‘ Dave Spikey, who starred as compere Jerry St. Clair in theseries alongside Bolton’s Peter Kay. It was a welcome surprise to see him there.
He started commenting on the black curtains at the back of the stage: “Last timeI saw curtains like these I never saw my grandfather again…”, plus many jokes at theexpense of Wigan, such as when he went to do a gig but wanted to get some turpsfrom a nearby hardware store. When asking someone there, “Is there a B&Q in Wigan?”,the response came, “No… it’s W, I, G, A and N!”When he did find the store, he asked for turps and was told (thick Wigan accent),“Over there… video turps, audio turps…”.
He concluded with a story about his idiotic son going to a Halloween party, last year,dressed as Harry Potter. He thought he’d get a night to himself so called allhis friends round, but before he had a single drink he got a call and was toldto go to casualty… since his son was taken in after bobbing for chips! “Ooh,third degree burns all over his face!”
Next up was an excellent Canadian, Stewart Francis, who dealt withhecklers brilliantly and reminded me a lot of the dead-pan style of Rich Hall,also telling a number of crude jokes, the likes of which escape me as I writethis but if I remember them I’ll add them here.
Closing the night was a guy called Pierre Hollins (thanks to Stewart Spaullfor the surname confirmation)but who didn’t seem the least bit French, sounded like he came from Londonand described himself as the “bastard son of Right Said Fred”. LikeStewart Francis, I can’t recall his jokes as I type, but his act did go on alittle bit too long as he strummed his guitar.
Review copyright © Dominic Robinson, 2002.VisitThe Comedy Store website.
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.