Alternative Comedy Memorial Society

Where do safe hands and pop-up anarchy meet to conspire and create – and hopefully amuse in new and interesting ways? The Alterative Comedy Memorial Society!

Hosted by long-time MCs of this collection of new ideas, half-formed concepts and joie de vivre Thom Tuck and John-Luke Roberts – the pair welcomed the Brighton audience to the already well established club of ACMS conspiritors with a hugely enjoyable bon homie, baiting and supporting each other with their genuine friendship. This is a space created in support of the crazy idea, as epitomised by their call and response with their audience between each act: ” A failure?” “A noble failure!”.

Imncluded on tonight’s bill of experimenters were King Colin (aka Colin Hoult) stepping away from his acclaimed medium of character comedy and enjoyably trying on the persona of himself in stand up; Jo Neary delightedly declaring the hormones as a creative factor and trying on two-hander play with a puppet only to abandon it halfway through and end with a song; Laura Lexx impressively dovetailing some pretty heavy mental issues with punchlines that didn’t detract from her truth; and Charile Patridge engaging with the frequently visited loop pedal whilst speaking mainly German.

There were others too in this packed and varied bill – risking, engaging, raising the stakes in their own adventure that we were privileged to witness. It felt like a club house, with its own skewed logic and rules that ban grown ups and ‘skool’. I just hope it comes back to Brighton again soon.

Komedia, 4 June 2018
Rating:
Victoria Nangle