Comedy - Barnstormers

After an iffy debut upstairs at the Royal Oak in September the Barnstormers Comedy turned the corner in October with a brilliant second gig at their new home. “The venue is really good for stand-up,” says compere Kevin Precious. “There was a lot of good-natured raucousness.” The company don’t make a fortune from the Lewes gig, but the town is kept on the roster because it’s popular with performers. “It’s a small, intimate setting, with an intelligent crowd,” he continues, “so the performers can stretch themselves a bit: they don’t have to rely on crowd pleasers like they do in bigger venues.”

Precious has arranged a line up for November which he describes as ‘three headliners.’ All of them are regulars on the Jongleurs-Comedy Store scene. First up is Eddie Brimson. “He’s a story-teller, in the tradition of Billy Connolly. It’s a hard act to pull off - it’s not gag-a-minute, and it requires a lot of stagecraft. That’s why there aren’t many on the circuit. He’s brilliant.” Next up is Nick Doody, who writes for the likes of Lenny Henry. “He’s informed and there’s a socio-political element to his stuff,” says Precious. “But he’s funny, with it. He had a good run at Edinburgh this year.” To finish things off there’s Harvey Oliver, fresh from a gig at Komedia. Harvey is a vastly experienced comedian who’s lately crossed over from mainstream to alternative. “Funny that, most people go the other way,” adds Precious. Funny, of course, being the operative word. Let’s hope they are. DL