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Comedy - Barnstormers
I went to the last Barnstormers night a month
ago expecting to laugh, which I did a bit at the first act (who
was nervous), and a lot at the second act (who was funny). There
were only fifteen in the audience. The third act, a malicious
character with studied facial hair, a showy Dickensian check
jacket and a very dark sense of humour, decided to use me as
the butt of his jokes when things got quiet, which they often
did. At first his malicious jibes were met by a frozen smile,
as I prayed for his attention to wander. As they continued,
I stopped pretending and adopted a scowl. He was like a school
bully who’d found a victim. I didn’t have the nerve
to heckle back. When his set finished I clapped for good form.
I felt more like taking him down a dark twitten and giving him
a good kicking. And I’m not a violent man. Afterwards
I kept working out what I should have said back. This wasn’t
audience participation. It was audience humiliation.
Tonight I am assured that there will be more people at the gig
- two 10-people tables were booked by Monday, and other tickets
had been sold. One act, Pierre Hollins, is from Lewes. He plays
‘Englishman’s Blues’ and a musical interpretation
of cunnilingus on a guitar and an electric squash racket. There
are two other acts tonight, Eddie Izzard’s associate John
Gordillo and another unnamed comedian. I shall sit at the back,
in the dark, trying not to be noticed. AL |
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Stand-up and be counted: but don’t go too near the front |
