Comedy - Barnstormers

The If Awards, previously known as the Perrier Awards, are the Oscars of stand-up comedy, and one of the three acts on tonight was nominated for the ‘Best Newcomer’ award last year in Edinburgh: quite a bit deal in the profession. His name is Russel Kane. “He’s very sharp,” says compere Kevin Precious, who books the performers for all the Barnstormers gigs all over the South East. “He’s a high-tempo performer who’s a council estate lad made good. He got a first in English at university, went into advertising, and then decided to move into comedy. His act is billed as being ‘reverse misogynistic and lethally twisted’: his subjects are anything from psycho-linguistics to tapeworm disorder.”

“Mary Bourke is the next act in a strong line-up,” says Kevin. “She does a sardonic, very Irish set about her husband, her family and the nature of celebrity. She’s a great improviser: you might have heard her on Ned Sherrin’s Loose Ends show on Saturdays on Radio 4.” Finally there’s Micky D ‘a gregarious, world class story-teller with some fresh hip hop beats to keep the story flowing’. “The Royal Oak is a very popular place with the comedians,” says Kevin, “it’s by far the best venue we’ve played in Lewes. You get an audience of comedy-literate types who are pleased to have such a high standard of stand-up on their doorstep. You don’t get a bunch of people who want to come out just to get rat-arsed.” DL