With a name like ‘Barrel of Laughs’, the Frog and Bucket comedy club in the heart of Manchester sets the bar very high for the standard of the evening’s comedy acts. And the evening did not disappoint. If you missed out, do not fear, the Barrel of Laughs event occurs every Friday and Saturday evening at the Northern Quarter’s Frog and Bucket; a popular stand up location since 1994. This award winning comedy club has had the likes of Johnny Vegas, Peter Kay and John Bishop tread their boards.
With a friendly and approachable compere for tonight’s show; Jessica Fostekew, the audience were relaxed and engaged within the show’s first few minutes, which I assure you, is no easy task when faced with dozens of unfamiliar faces, all demanding to be instantly amused. Regularly turning to the audience for her material, this allowed her performance to become familiar and relatable. A funny comedian must know their audience, and she definitely seemed to know hers. From tonight’s show, I can see why this is not her first time as compere for the Frog and Bucket comedy club, and why it won’t be her last.
Sandwiched between her outings on the stage were three other comedy acts; Mike Newall, Javier Jarquin and Phil Walker. All seemed more than comfortable on the stage, and handled the audience’s ‘interruptions’ with gusto. A varied bunch of comedians; however, all managed to hold the audience and evoke ‘barrels of laughs’. For me, the stand out of the three comedians here was Javier Jarquin. A New Zealand comedian and performer with a cultured background in stand-up, his flare for comic-timing and observational skills are both fresh and liberating, demanded our full attention as a collective audience. Using his foreign roots to explain his confusion over various British-isms had the whole audience roaring with laughter. This included me, and I am (sorry to say) for the most part; a silent laugher. There will be a few aching bellies tomorrow, no doubt.
Added to this; Mike Newall’s dry and matter-of-fact performance about life as an adult rung true to many of the audience members. Being local to the area also greatly helped this comedian, as his material and accent proved tonight. Coupled with Phil Walker’s closing performance that was both expressive (it was clear that Walker had done some acting work also) and wisely scripted; these comedians were batting out jokes like they were members of the New York Yankees. And we were happy to receive them in much the same way.
The night, overall, was a huge success. The Frog And Bucket comedy club is a small, intimate venue in which parties are expected to share large tables with others. This may seem a little daunting, however, this is a great set up, allowing like-minded strangers to meet as well as promoting a friendly and all-encompassing atmosphere in which an audience are more likely to act and respond in unison. This venue also serves a varied host of drinks to suit every palette, along with a great looking, generously portioned food menu. You cannot help but leave The Frog And Bucket feeling overjoyed and satisfied, with great welcomes on the way in, to wonderful entertainment, to great service and finally hearty goodbyes.
Reviewer - Megan Relph
on - 8/2/19
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