This was my first time at the Glee Club with four comedians that I had never heard of before, so I didn’t really know what to expect. I was warmly welcomed into the dingy room which contained a small bar and a few rows of plastic chairs packed closely together. But I guess this was a comedy show and not an opera.
Compère Dimitris Deech started the proceedings well, and was great at bantering with the audience throughout. His interactions focussed mostly on Barry in the front row, but he also joked about current affairs and his family life. His humour was quick-witted, intelligent and unscripted, which warmed up the crowd nicely before each act.
First up was likeable George Lewis, a young Northerner who was diminutive in size, and comically played on this fact throughout his act. His clever puns and double entendres kept us hanging on to his every last word.
Then there was Canadian Glenn Wool, who looked as though he could have been the love child of Alan from The Hangover and Jack Black. He was just the burst of energy the crowd needed after the first interval. With him either mumbling or shouting, (sometimes both in the same sentence,) Glenn’s act was different to anything I had seen before. He was flamboyant and rowdy but by the end of his set, had won us all over.
The final act, Andy Askins, was an enigma. He came on stage with a guitar, looking sheepish and uncomfortable. Anyone would’ve thought he didn’t want to be there at all! You can imagine the crowd’s disbelief when he burst into foul-mouthed song on dark subjects such as road kill and his dislike for his wife. His self-deprecating humour and musical talent rounded off the show nicely.
The club, set in The Bullingdon in the heart of the bustling Cowley Road, is a little shabby and quite cramped when at capacity. However, it really is a great way to spend a Saturday night with friends or even on your own if you’re looking for a beer and a few laughs.