Comedy: Russell Howard WIP

I was just figuring out what to do tonight when I got an email from Top Secret comedy club, advertising a WIP show by Russell Howard tonight - looked better than what I had been considering, so I booked! In their new venue on Kingsway, which I hadn't yet visited.

The #188 made terrific time, I have to say - when it (inevitably) stopped for a change of drivers, it was not a surprise to hear the replacement driver wasn't there - this one was early. So when a #1 pulled up behind - and Google Maps said that had the same route, as far as I needed it - that's what I took. Arrived 10 minutes early, had my ticket scanned, got a stamp on my arm that amounted to a green stripe. Have to say, it's pretty much the same layout as the Drury Lane venue - downstairs, venue behind the black screen. Excitingly, there are two bars here! The sauvignon is unprepossessing. I couldn't see a single free seat when I went in - someone on the stairs had remarked it had sold out in 10 minutes. I duly got an aisle seat, not too far from the stage.

When he came on, it seemed as though the announcer forgot his name..! Boy, he wasn't allowed to forget that. And wow, he was wearing glasses - don't think I've seen him in them before. Well, it transpired that he was now the father of a baby son - and yes, there was some stuff about babies, about mothers. He's also married to a doctor, typically for comedians. He had a rather good joke about the properties of boobs, producing the right chemicals to combat viruses - gee, as he said, if only that had been how the Covid vaccine had been administered, there would've been no anti-vaxxers..

It wasn't all about fatherhood though - no, primarily he took a swipe at social media, at extremists.. and wow, he had me, at least, in tears of laughter. I couldn't possibly remember everything - but one that stands out is his criticism of women-haters who complain that women just aren't interested in them. As he said, "Make more money or lower your standards! Seriously, look at Bernie Ecclestone; he's been married five times, he looks like a goblin. If he didn't have money, he'd be living under a bridge, chanting spells.."

He had us in the palm of his hand.. when he looked at the time, he was shocked to find there were two minutes left, he had another gig to get to! So he tried something he'd written that day. All good.. from his description of NCT classes to his description of sitting in a class of Americans who'd been abducted by aliens.. we were falling over ourselves. Really, his WIP show is as good as his polished one - we were lucky to get in at such a cheap price.

Eating in Cote Covent Garden afterwards - and I'd chosen my booking time carefully, to have time to get over there. As it was, I was three minutes early - was seated, had the chicken again: that gravy is lovely, and the fries were divine. I was in a drinking mood, which the server was a bit perturbed about, when I ordered a (half) bottle of dessert wine - I assured her I could handle it. And so I duly did, making my way home when the bus finally came. And yes, it stopped for a change of drivers..

Tomorrow, thinking of The Story of Souleymane, jury prizewinner at Cannes, which is an immigrant drama set in Paris. Showing in the Garden Cinema.

Then two Meetups - on Friday, back with London Social & Cultural Meetups for a social at The Parcel Yard. I've warned the organiser about how busy it was last night - hope she manages a table.

And on Saturday, London Museums from A-Z were kind enough to stage an event for those of us with October and November birthdays! We're meeting in The Goodman's Field, then having a ghost walk - one of the group has researched not only spooky stops, but has come up with a script for each, and advertised for people to read them! I've volunteered, and for two if necessary. Hallowe'en costumes encouraged! Finishing in the Minories..

On Sunday, I'm with TAC at a classical guitar concert, Due Cordi Brillanti, at King's Place.

Then three Meetups: on Monday, back with Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) at Soho Theatre for Little Brother - planning to meet my sometime travel companion, who's also going, in the nearby Nellie Dean beforehand.

On Tuesday, a new Meetup group to me, Rewind Tours of London, which apparently runs pay-what-you-like walks, has a special Hallowe'en walk - London: City of Death! (Actually running daily until just after Hallowe'en, but I'm going on this day.)

And next Wednesday, The Hideout has grabbed me again - we're headed to Nightmare on Elm Street 2 at Cineworld Leicester Square. And yes, meeting at Victory House again, and I'll be in Bella Italia before that.

On the 30th, thinking of film again - Urchin is at the Curzon Bloomsbury.

Appropriately, Hallowe'en weekend is all about The Hideout/Movie Roadhouse London (MRL)! On Hallowe'en itself, The Hideout are on another field trip - following the success of Shocktober, we're now off to Haunt Fest. I'll have to get off work as quickly as possible - blast that I can't take the day off this year, I always try to but my days have been spoken for. Anyway, we can get there by Thameslink from King's Cross (gee, I'm there a lot all of a sudden!), and handily, Harpenden, our destination, had the Oyster system extended to it some years ago. We're meeting in The Parcel Yard - well, unless I need to go straight to the train!

On the 1st, planning to go with MRL to the 40th anniversary screening of Back to the Future in the Cineworld Imax - finally got a ticket booked, after some internet trouble. As usual, eating in Bella Italia, meeting the group in Victory House.

And on the 2nd, I'm back with The Hideout for a new horror, Shelby Oaks, Leicester Square venue TBD..

Finally, on the 3rd, fourth Meetup in a row, back with UITCS for Fatherland at Hampstead Theatre.