The February instalment of this regular comedy night at Norwich’s The Garage saw a line up of three white men – but was more diverse than it at first appeared.
First up was master of ceremonies Jason Stampe, who brings a likeable everyman persona to the stage. His material on living with children and tactics for shopping in Aldi didn’t exactly break new ground, but was well observed and relatable. His crowd work showed a quick wit while managing to keep everyone comfortable and on side – no mean feat in an intimate venue like The Garage.
Next up was Dudley’s Danny Clives, who deliberately plays on his awkwardness on stage. There was nervous laughter on both sides of the fourth wall, as Clives delivered some understated but nicely switched take on topics from mugging to living with your parents.
The headline act was Morgan Rees, who bowled on with about 10 times the energy of Clives and never let the enthusiasm drop. There were even whoops; not easy to elicit from a Norfolk audience. The strength of his character really pulls you along, getting away with some very rude material with a twinkle in his eye.
At £15 for three acts you can’t argue with the value for money of the gig, which adds nicely to Norwich’s established comedy clubs.
- The Comedy Network returns to The Garage on March 1 and April 5; Morgan Rees will perform at Norwich Playhouse on June 26 and Colchester Arts Centre on June 27.
