This was the final show of the year for the comedians appearing in this compendium of laughter. The acts showcasing their comedy were Simon Amstell, Lucy Beaumont, Phil Wang, Kiri Pritchard-McLean, Sharon Wanjohi; all were unique in their own right and delivered different aspects of stand-up comedy.
Kiri Pritchard-McLean was hostess for the night, introducing each comedian and delivered a lively warm-up session at the start. She reminisced about living in Liverpool whist at university and portrayed her love of the city and Scousers. She hails from Anglesey and is proud of her Welsh heritage and she talked about how she started stand-up in working men’s clubs over 15 years ago. She shared some personal disclosures exalting the challenges and benefits of being a foster parent and did a shout out for more people to think about fostering. She had the audience in the palm of her hand from the start with some well-crafted jokes and included an abundance of audience participation which went down well with the audience.
Her first introduction was for Phil Wang looking a little different with a bushy moustache which he confided was very difficult for Chinese men to grow. He used his heritage for the butt of many of his jokes and told tales of Peckham where he lives. He spoke about how Millenniums have no knowledge of using A-Z street maps etc…, having been brought up in the Internet age and expanded on many Urban Myths and how they came about.
After a short interval, Kiri introduced Sharon Wanjohi who entertained with comedy about pregnancy and motherhood involving audience members who were pregnant. She complained comedically about not being able to afford to own a house and entertained with a rendition of Slam Poetry. There were a few sound issues which meant some of the endings of her jokes were lost but overall she was appreciated by the audience.
Next on stage was Lucy Beaumont, well-known for her many TV appearances, recently starring in The Traitors. She gave some insights into the TV programmes she’s been involved with such as Would I Lie to You, along with her experiences appearing in them and the well-known celebrities she’s worked with. She also talked about her life with her nine year old daughter, family tales from her hometown, Hull, menopause issues and memories from growing up in the 1980’s and 1990’s. She was very enjoyable to listen to and much appreciated by the audience who I think wanted more from her.
After another short interval Kiri delivered a short section with lots of banter with the audience, some reminiscences from past times and comments on the UK class system.
The final act was Simon Amstell whose humour centred mainly on his sexuality with stories from his youth, visiting Los Angeles and being invited to a showbiz party where his idol, Leonardo DiCaprio and a singer he had a crush on were attending. He spoke about the song he had composed for the singer and his disappointment at his rejection. He shared anecdotes about his boyfriend and their Civil Partnership ceremony as well as commentating on the different roads comedy has taken him down since deciding to become a stand-up comedian.
All in all this was a very entertaining night. All acts were very much appreciated by the audience, who clapped and shouted, showing their appreciation and all went home happy.
There was a Guidance caution stating that the material was suitable for those aged 14+. I think this would have been better placed at 16+ year-olds as some of the content was of a sexual nature, particularly from Amstell.
Reviewer – Anne Pritchard
On – 17th December 2025
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