Backyard Comedy Club

Tonight, I was with CT, who had slightly cheaper tickets for the Backyard Comedy Club. First time I'd been there in years! I always remember them being good, though. Hallelujah, no more walks for a while.. not to mention, a later start, so less rushing.

I took buses - which didn't actually take too long! Bless the first driver for waiting for me - and in fact, both buses flew, and I arrived at the club at 6.50. I had to collect my wristband by 7.15, so I was in good time - ordered some onion rings, and was given a beeper. Interestingly, the only wine they do here by the glass is Pinot Grigio, so I had that - mind you, I could have had a bottle, the amount I drank in the end..

I was in time to get a table - not to be sneezed at. As I say, wristbands have to be collected by 7.15 - that's a general requirement - and by 7.10, the queue stretched out the door. Doors, predicted to open at 7.30, actually opened at 7.20, and we squeezed past the queue at the box office.. I managed to get a suitably safe seat, about four rows back, and on the end, so I could get in and out easily.

In a quite packed venue, for me, the show really kicked off with Paul Tonkinson, with a realistic description of life in your 50s! After the first break, David Whitney turned out to be the bloke who'd been giving out wristbands! Marie Faustin was perhaps the most unique contributor of the night, a hard-hitting New Yorker who'd just flown over that day. She took us to the second interval, and a lot must have come to see her, because there were a lot of empty seats after.

For me, however, the joke of the night came from Francis Foster, who described how he met with this veteran buddy of his, who'd fought in Afghanistan. So they were catching up, and the war veteran was shocked to hear that Francis had been teaching in East Croydon (as he was at that time). "But you've been fighting the Taliban!" replied Francis. "Yes", the veteran replied, but I could shoot them.."

Oh yes.

Final note about the club - great venue, advised to arrive early: but please, install hot hand dryers in the toilets! As it is, they only blow cold air, which is pretty useless for drying hands..

On the way home, The Shard was putting on a light show:

Tomorrow, I'm back to Ireland for the weekend. I've booked to see Haunted Mansion - well, my choice isn't huge - I'm hoping to see some decent SFX. Rosario Dawson is a single mother who moves into what turns out to be a haunted house. Owen Wilson is the priest she recruits to exorcise the place, Danny DeVito is a historian, an expert in its history, Jamie Lee Curtis is a psychic. Jared Leto is.. one of the ghosts, by the look of it! Limerick Omniplex is the chosen venue; it's convenient for the biggest Tesco around!

On Monday, back at the cinema - for Arret Avec tes Mensonges (Lie With Me), at the Curzon Bloomsbury. One of these films about someone returning to his hometown and reliving a past romance - looks beautifully filmed, though. Booked for free, with my renewed membership.

On Tuesday, heading to the Embankment bandstand (weather permitting) at lunchtime to hear the Algoma Community Band - tickets from Eventbrite.

On Wednesday, booked with CT to hear Laurence Juber in concert at Piano Smithfield.

And next Thursday, finally back with Meetup - and Up in the Cheap Seats - for Word Play, at the Royal Court.