Review: Stand Up at the Blakehay in Weston-super-Mare

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Stand Up at The Blakehay

Thursday 9th February 2012

Reviewed by Vivienne Kennedy

Last night I visited the Blakehay Theatre in Wadham Street for the opening night of Stand Up at the Blakehay, a series of monthly comedy nights presented by The Comedy Box.

**Next Stand up at The Blakehay is on Thursday 15th March 2012: click for info**

The Comedy Box is based in Bristol and normally presents shows at the Hen and Chicken and the Tobacco Factory, both located in Southville; now they are bringing the same high quality stand-up to Weston-super-Mare for the first time.

The show was opened by John Robins, who is to be the event’s regular compere; he was joined last night by Sally-Anne Hayward and Jimmy McGhie.

All three comedians raised a lot of laughter from the Blakehay audience, who were in fine voice from the very start - applauding, whooping and whistling with great enthusiasm.

It struck me that each one benefited from the diversity of the audience; John Robins, when trying to find out more about Weston-super-Mare, spoke to two ladies in the back row who knew each other from “working in a small factory...and we dance together.” They turned out to be teachers of Burlesque, prompting a story from John based on the different reaction that shouting out “Show us your pasties” could have at a West Country Burlesque night compared to other regions of the UK.

I doubt that Sally-Anne Hayward was expecting anyone to reply “yes” when she asked if there were any Morris Dancers in the house – but Malcolm did, leading to a conversation about whether Morris Dancing was a sign of male fertility and informing him that she was speaking for all women when she told him that it doesn’t really work. I imagine Sally-Anne arriving backstage after her set, muttering to herself that “nobody ever says yes.”

Jimmy McGhie’s interaction with one particular member of the audience created a great deal of laughter after she made the mistake of getting her phone out and texting her babysitter just seven minutes into his set; she was sat in the front row so it was impossible for him not to notice. After venting his frustration with a short but eloquent rant he knew the exact moment to return to his act and used the incident to lead in to a self-deprecating story about his own reluctance to embrace technology and in particular to get involved with social networking.

Stand Up at the Blakehay was a nice way to spend a Thursday night out in Weston-super-Mare, something a bit different from standing in a pub or going out for dinner, and it’s great that the Comedy Box are offering us an alternative. What’s more it’s affordable; tickets are just £10 in advance or £12 on the door.

John Robins will be back on 15 March, 19 April and 10 May, bringing two different acts with him each time. I will definitely be buying more tickets and from comments I overheard last night I think most of the audience members are also planning to go again. There’s space for more people though and I recommend that you get a ticket and experience Stand Up at the Blakehay yourself.

For further information please visit www.thecomedybox.co.uk or telephone the Blakehay Box Office on 01934 645493.