So much has happened since my last post in March that this blog risks sounding like an itinerary.
The main news is that Hitchin Mostly Comedy will return in the summer at a new venue, the Queen Mother Theatre. The road to this decision was convoluted, though enough fell into place en route to leave me optimistic about this new start. The catalyst was a survey I ran via our mailing list a few months back, in which I asked, "If the club returned in the current climate, with tickets still around £15 (and with similar line-ups), would you still attend?"; the response to which, in simple terms, was a resounding yes. Nearly 250 mailing list subscribers responded in a single week, with around a hundred also taking the option to leave some feedback. And only two people were abusive, which counts as a win when you consider they posted their comments online anonymously. Imagine how many more insults we would have received if the comedy club was a woman. Particularly if she was Diane Abbott.
The change of venue is not the only difference to adjust to, as my comedy partner of eighteen years, Glyn Doggett, is no longer taking part. He actually stepped down from the club in December 2021, a few months before we closed, so in that sense I've adjusted to the loss already, though we've only just announced it. But it will still be sad not to have him to my immediate right on stage anymore, though I completely understand his reasoning. I'll miss him though, inevitably.
The good news is that another longtime friend and colleague, Dan Graham, is coming in on the production side of the club to help me run it. I'm delighted to have him on board and wouldn't have persisted with this return without his involvement. The time for pushing myself to the limit to cover every base so Mostly can happen is over (he said hopefully).
The first show takes place on the 20th July as part of the Hitchin Festival, after which we'll break for August to come back monthly from September. Reginald D Hunter is already down for July, with another big name pencilled, to be confirmed early next month. While having Reg on the bill is impressive enough, having both acts together would blow people's minds. And who wouldn't want a little brain-blowage? I'll keep my fingers crossed in the meantime, which will make dressing very difficult.