Last night’s eighth birthday Mostly Comedy was pinch-yourself ridiculous.
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| Doggett, Bremner & Ephgrave at Hitchin Mostly Comedy (20.10.16); photo by Gemma Poole. |
If you’d told me
when we started we would eventually play host to Rory Bremner, I would
never have believed you. He was one of my comedy heroes growing up
(without wishing to make him feel old), who played
a (John) major factor in my awareness of current affairs. It was largely thanks to his
sending up of the cut-and-thrust of the news that I learnt about
the key players in world politics.
While Glyn
and I were hugely excited about having Rory on the bill,
neither of us were prepared for just how lovely, low-key and undemanding he
was. Meeting your heroes can be risky, particularly when you book them at your
own event and have to shoulder responsibility for their
evening. It turns out we had nothing to worry about; from the moment he arrived
and we helped him park to when he left after sharing a drink and a piece of Mostly Comedy birthday cake with us and a few late-leaving members of the audience, he was the picture of modest, unassuming niceness. It was the
equivalent to when Paul Daniels played the club last November, in terms of
level, talent and kindness; it couldn't have been more perfect.
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| Rory Bremner at Hitchin Mostly Comedy (20.10.16); photo by Gemma Poole. |
The whole night
was a seamless way to see in our eighth anniversary. Glyn’s and my material was
well-received, as was Stuart Laws’ set. It was great to have Stu back; the
last time he appeared was at another of our landmark gigs, with
Phill Jupitus. Bremner's set was spellbinding, and that isn't hyperbole. Glyn and I closed the first half in exactly the same way as at the first Mostly, with a rendition of Ukulele Girl; any excuse to get Glyn's grass skirt out.
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| Doggett & Ephgrave, NSFW (20.10.16); photo by Gemma Poole. |
What a night! Here’s to the next eight years (he says,
tempting fate).