Wednesday 31 October 2012

Just the Tonic Groupon Deal


Fans of laughter, booze and money-saving deals - you should probably know that Just the Tonic have gone and got themselves involved in the whole Groupon thing. They're offering a pair of tickets for any of their Friday night shows plus one drink each, for just £9.95 - that's a 60% discount, the crazy fools!

Tuesday 30 October 2012

NOVEMBER COMEDY LISTINGS


November. Month of moustaches, fireworks and the gradual, inevitable encroaching of Christmas into every sphere of your life. My solution? Don't watch TV - it's amazing how much more pleasant life becomes when you ears are not constantly bombarded with smug voices announcing "This Christmas, blah-blah blah-blah blaaaah...", four hundred times a day over several months.

And without a telly to keep you indoors and fearful of the outside world, you're free to go out and watch lots of comedy. Good job too, coz there's LOADS on this month, from telly regulars Kevin Bridges and Greg Davies (pictured, with the back of his mum's head), circuit favourites Tom Wrigglesworth, Andrew Bird and Tony Law, and alternative heroes Paul Foot, Doc Brown and Josie Long. The entire spectrum of comedy is represented here in the city - musical cabaret from Fascinating Aida, animated comedy in the form of Little Howard, and improv from UFI, not to mention those shining beacons of wrongness Devvo and Bob Slayer. Anyway, what am I telling you all this for? Read it for yourself...

Monday 29 October 2012

Free Comedy auditions at Just the Tonic every Tuesday


Just a quick reminder about the Big Value Comedy auditions, that take place every Tuesday at Just the Tonic on Granby Street. The evening features new comedians battling it out for a spot at the JTT-hosted Big Value Comedy shows, which take place each year at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Sunday 28 October 2012

Mark Thomas gets un-political at The Y on Wednesday


Since the early nineties, Mark Thomas has forged a successful career as a humourous political activist, using comedy and fine storytelling to open the public's eyes to the multifarious hypocrisies of the rich and powerful. Numerous government ministers, large corporations and public organisations have been the victims of his pranks, rants and eye-opening exposés.

It might surprise you, then, that the focus of his show at The Y Theatre on Wednesday, should be his father. 'Brava Figaro!' is a very personal show, in which Thomas tells the story of  his Thatcherite, opera-loving, self-employed builder dad, and the often difficult relationship they shared.

The result, by all accounts, is an unusually intimate and emotional journey, so prepare to feel drained (in a good way) by the end. Tickets and more info are available at http://www.leicesterymca.co.uk/y-theatre-whats-on-details.php?listing=1104

Spooky comedy this week from Lions and Peel

Pumpkins are scary, right?

If you like laughing and being scared (and I mean scared in a novelty, spooky Halloween kind of way - not a gritty, traumatic, 'I'm being followed home late at night by this man who clearly wants to inject me with a strong sedative and relieve me of my backdoor virginity' kind of way), then you'll probably be looking for some Halloween-themed comedy nights this week. Good job there's a couple of them out there then, otherwise you'd have had to settle for being stalked and violated to get your endorphin rush...

On Tuesday, the good folks behind Lions Eat Ice Cream present a free Halloween special downstairs at the Looking Glass. Basically it'll be the usual unpredictable, sometimes volatile mix of offbeat stand-up, bonkers characters, silly dancing and experimental musical numbers, but with added scary costumes and macabre themes. In short, it really will be the stuff of nightmares, but much funnier. Special guests this time are the West Midlands' finest - Johnny Sorrow, Jimmy Frinton and Andrew McBurney. The full line-up lives here: https://www.facebook.com/events/463770883654506/?fref=ts

Then on Wednesday at the Cookie Jar, Richard Peel presents his special Halloween show Monsterdrome for your delectation. This promises to be a multimedia performance of the strangest and spookiest kind, featuring vampires, monster trucks and all kinds of weaponry and gadgets, all lovingly acted out for you by Richard Peel and Chris Slowe. Musical support comes from Hey Nostradamus, who are described as a 'post sailor-rock powerhouse' - I have no idea what this means, but I'm bringing earplugs just in case. Check out the flyer and full blurb here: http://www.richardpeel.com/monsterdrome/index.html

Saturday 20 October 2012

Robin Ince: cerebral stand-up at The Cookie Jar this Thursday


Obviously given the bombastic nature of my previous post, it would be terribly rude of me as 'Leicester's self-appointed comedy pimp' not to mention the fact that also performing on Thursday night is the wonderful Robin Ince, who brings his popular 'Happiness Through Science' show to The Cookie Jar.

This is definitely a show for the more cerebral comedy fan, as bookish Robin takes us on a journey through, amongst other things, "Schrodinger cats, multiverses and evolutionary conundrums". You can expect the usual level of intelligent and thought-provoking (and funny, obviously) stand-up from the man who brought us 'Robin Ince's Book Club', 'The Infinite Monkey Cage' on Radio 4 and the 'Lessons and Carols for Godless People' live shows that bring together the finest secular comedians every Christmas (I recommend buying the CDs from http://www.gofasterstripe.com/ - the line-ups are incredible!)

So if you're looking for a show that will make your belly laugh and your brain fizz, get your tickets from here: http://www.thecookiejarleicester.co.uk/events/robin-ince/

LCS Special Offer - FREE TICKETS to Just the Tonic!!

Okay comedy fans, I've got a real treat for you today. Obviously I want you to go and see as much quality comedy as possible without bankrupting yourselves, and the good folks at Just the Tonic want as many people to come to their fine shows as possible. So with these twin aims in mind, Just the Tonic are very kindly offering supporters of Leicester Comedy Scene FREE TICKETS to their Thursday Night Laughs show, this Thursday, starring Mrs Barbara Nice, Chris Martin and David Murphy, with compere Darrell Martin.

Yes, you heard correctly - free tickets dammit! Normal price for this gig is £5 (or £3 with NUS), but if you book your tickets online at http://www.justthetonic.com/Leicester-comedy/shows/thursday-25-october-2012/913/ and enter the promotional code LEICESTERCOMEDYSCENE, you will get 'em for absolutely nowt!


How's about that for a good deal, eh? You'll get to see the inimitable Barbara Nice - the comic creation of Janice Connolly - a middle-aged Stockport housewife who'll have you laughing at your own problems one minute, then dancing around and waving your hands in the air the next. She has real mass appeal, having supported both Peter Kay and Johnny Vegas recently, and regularly works the audience into a frenzy "with the affectionate attitude of a playgroup leader at a wild Iggy Pop concert" (love that phrase - not one of mine, obviously).



You'll also get to see Chris "Why hasn't he changed his stage name?" Martin, who as well as not being the bloke from Coldplay is also an intelligent and inventive standup, adept at building a rapport with the audience and providing witty observations as well as social commentary. He's appeared on Dave's One Night Stand and his Bitesize Comedy Podcast with Carl Donnelly was selected in the Guardian's Top 10 Podcasts of 2010.

So get yourself a free ticket by ordering the amount you require on the JTT website and entering LEICESTERCOMEDYSCENE in the 'Promo Codes' box. It works - I've just tried it! And if you're umming and erring, just remember - the more people that take up this offer, the happier JTT will be and the more likely they will be to offer us more awesome deals in the future!

Thursday 18 October 2012

Delaney and Whitehead top the bills this weekend...


Mock the Week regular and master of the finely crafted one-liner Gary Delaney continues his recent spate of appearances in the city this weekend, headlining the Bottle Rocket night at the Y Theatre on Saturday. I saw him a couple of weeks back and he really is at the top of his game at the moment - his clever and often twisted quickfire gags kept the audience hooting right through his set, and you get the impression he could've gone on reeling them off all night. Support comes from eccentric storyteller Tom Allen - star of TV, radio, film and the Edinburgh Fringe. Also appearing are Grimsby-born singer-turned-comic Lloyd Griffith and compere Simon Feilder (that is the correct spelling - I've checked!). Tickets are a tenner from http://brcomedy.com/events/


Meanwhile at Just the Tonic, deadpan Canadian Jason John Whitehead returns with his winning mix of sharp wit and 'likeable slacker' persona. To see him in action is to think "This is what Shaggy from Scooby Doo could've made of himself without the distraction of a huge talking dog or the constantly depressing presence of 3 proactive high-achievers around him". Support comes from BBC New Comedy award-winner Angela Barnes and regular compere Romesh Ranganathan. All 3 are appearing on Friday and Saturday night, get your tickets here: http://www.justthetonic.com/leicester-comedy/

Thursday 11 October 2012

How to Enjoy a Live Comedy Show - the basics.


Last night was a good night for Leicester, comedy-wise. Abstract poet, stand-up and Partridge-sidekick Tim Key was performing his tour show Masterslut at The Y Theatre. Meanwhile over at the Looking Glass, Ship of Fools Comedy Club were hosting a new acts night with a very diverse bill of local talents.
I was lucky enough to make it to both shows, and very enjoyable they were. Sadly, both shows were also slightly marred by people who clearly don't understand how a live comedy show works. Incredible, I know... So let's remind them of the basics, shall we? 

1. Stand-up comedy is LIVE PERFORMANCE. It is not the telly in your living room, a football match or a  drunken chat amongst friends.
2. The comedian is a performer, who has lines to remember, whilst at the same time having bright lights shined in his/her face and a sea of expectant faces staring at him/her, who have paid to be entertained. This is actually bloody stressful (have you ever tried it yourself?) and thus the comedian is deserving of our respect (whatever we may think of his/her material)
3. This means you shouldn't just shout whatever you want, whenever you want at the acts, because unlike the people on the telly, THEY CAN HEAR YOU and in most cases it will distract them from their job of entertaining you. 
4. The same goes for just talking away amongst yourselves. If you just came out to drink and chat all night, why on earth are you in the audience of a comedy show?
5. Many acts encourage audience participation, generally looking for a springboard for some banter or an ad-libbed segue into their next routine. Some, like Pat Monahan, base entire shows on messing about with the audience. This is the exception though. Most acts only want your contribution IF THEY ASK YOU FOR IT DIRECTLY. If this happens, knock yourself out!
6. If not, your job is to listen and laugh. And as if by magic, the more you listen, the more you will laugh. This is the way to get involved in a show, because a comedy show is, generally speaking, a journey through a comedian's mind. Some are pretty easy to follow, some most certainly are not, but just like every journey you've ever taken in your life, if you're not paying attention to where you're going, you can find yourself lost and frustrated. Likewise, the more complex the journey, the more rewarding it often is when you reach your destination, so stick with it.
7. The final thing to remember is that unless you are the billed performer, NOBODY IN THE ROOM HAS PAID TO HEAR YOU. If you feel you are not being entertained, go somewhere else. The more distracting and destructive input you have in the show, the more people you are going to piss off. Nobody likes having their evening ruined, especially when they have paid good money to be entertained and have fun.

Rant over. 
You may now continue to laugh responsibly. 
If it's funny.
Otherwise, applaud politely and leave at the next available opportunity.
Er, I'm just going to shuffle away now...
PB.

Tuesday 2 October 2012

OCTOBER COMEDY LISTINGS FOR LEICESTER

It's October - the month that makes everybody habitually spout such waffle as "Oooh I can't believe it's October already", "Where did the summer go?" and "Oooh isn't it getting dark early", as if none of us had ever experienced the changing of the seasons before. Jolly lucky that there are plenty of funny folk out there to offer us an amusing and inventive alternative to the barrage of moronic truisms we're subjected to during the day. And here they are in full:


Tue 2nd - The Comedy Occurence @ Just the Tonic
Wed 3rd - Writers Stand Up @ Exchange Bar
Thu 4th - Chris MartinAngela Barnes @ Just the Tonic
Thu 4th - Ross Noble @ De Montfort Hall
Fri 5th / Sat 6th - Tiffany StevensonChris MartinJohn MannJohnny Candon @ Just the Tonic
Sat 6th - What's The Story? (Comedy storytelling workshop) @ Y Theatre
Tue 9th - Big Value Comedy Auditions @ Just the Tonic
Wed 10th - Ben Clark, Antony King, James Hately, Firm Handshakers, Lindsey Warnes-Carroll @ Looking Glass
Thu 11th - Bob SlayerMartin SoanSpecial Mystery Guest  @ Just the Tonic
Thu 11th - Stewart Francis @ De Montfort Hall
Fri 12th / Sat 13th -  Paul McCaffreyJohn RobinsDana AlexanderEric Lampaert  @ Just the Tonic
Fri 12th - Live at The Barley Mow @ Barley Mow
Fri 12th - Unidentified Flying Improv @ Manhattan34
Tue 16th - Lions Eat Ice Cream @ Looking Glass
Tue 16th - Big Value Comedy Auditions @ Just the Tonic
Thu 18th - Open Mic nite @ Just the Tonic
Fri 19th - Jason John WhiteheadKeith Carter,Angela BarnesRomesh Ranganathan @ Just the Tonic
Sun 21st - Should I Stay or Should I Go? @ Kayal
Tue 23th - Big Value Comedy Auditions @ Just the Tonic
Thu 25th - Robin Ince @ Cookie Jar
Thu 25th - Barbara NiceChris Martin @ Just the Tonic
Fri 26th / Sat 27th - Phil NicholSusan MurrayDaliso ChapondaDarrell Martin @ Just the Tonic
Sat 27th - Chris Ramsey @ Y Theatre
Sat 28th - Gary DelaneySarah Kendall, Lloyd Griffith, Mark Simmons @ Y Theatre
Mon 29th - Clever Peter @ Just the Tonic
Tue 30th - Lions Eat Ice Cream @ Looking Glass
Tue 30th - Big Value Comedy Auditions @ Just the Tonic
Wed 31st - Richard Peel presents Monsterdrome @ The Cookie Jar
Wed 31st - Mark Thomas @ The Y Theatre

As usual, send me any of your additions to the list via email, the facebook page or tweet @leiccomedyscene