Reviews

Eight comedians on one bill! That's a lot for any show - and more than you might expect in a quiet bar in Ipswich on a Tuesday night.

The reason behind the massive turnout was a "comedy tussle" between a team of Suffolk comics and another of Essex jokers - plus a top headliner in Steve Day.

This was the return match - the first leg was held in Wivenhoe last month. Essex won.

The night was hosted by local boy Tony Cowards, who was keen to promote the three acts performing for Suffolk.

He was a likeable host, who warmed up as the evening progressed. His American accent was a particular joy - being not very American! And the way he dealt with an audience who all appeared to have the same first name was amusing.

First up for Suffolk was Gill Smith. Although not a resident, she has family in the county and peppered her act with a few local references. She was another likeable, friendly face - and had a good line about what women want from a pub as they get a little older.

She was pitted against Daniel Farmer for Essex. He was very at ease, reacted well to the audience and naturally incorporated what they said into his act. A very engaging and entertaining comic.

Next - former Felixstowe girl Stacy Squibb. She could claim Ewan McGregor was at her first gig - albeit somewhat tenuously, but I'd certainly have claimed it if I was her. She had some nice material about family life - and is probably someone to watch out for in the future.

The second Essex contender was Andrew Doyle. Very slick and capable, sharp and confident.

Last to go for Suffolk was Jaik Campbell. A comedian with a stutter might not sound too promising, but he wrings a lot of comedy out of his predicament - and a particularly nice line about West Side Story.

Finally there was Gerry Daly... He had a great opener involving tins of catfood that got the audience laughing. And his comments about nightlife in Clacton were all too real.

The audience had to vote for which trio they preferred - and despite encouragement from our compere to vote Suffolk, the result went Essex's way. (I did actually score Suffolk a fraction higher, I might add... So either there were a lot of closet Essex people in the audience, or people felt our friends down the road had the genuine edge).

Finally there was the headliner - Steve Day. Known as Britain's only deaf comedian, Steve is far more than just an act about disability. He's very funny and had me chuckling for ages - even after I'd left the bar. Yes, he does tackle the issues surrounding deafness - but it's by no means worthy. In fact at times, you could easily have forgotten he's hard of hearing - if it wasn't for the two great big red hearing aids he was wearing.

Altogether it was a pleasant evening, with some promising new talent and an excellent final act.

The next comedy night at the Ice Bar in Tacket Street, Ipswich, will be on April 18th