The Glee Club, Oxford review: Fredrik Andersson, Joel Dommett, Ava Vidal, Gary Delaney

The Glee Club, Oxford review

Saturday, May 28, 2011: Compere Rob Collins + comedians Fredrik Andersson, Joel Dommett, Ava Vidal, Gary Delaney

The Glee Club is slap bang in the centre of Oxford town. Dead handy by bus or the train station if you can afford posh transport. Hythe Bridge Street is the location and easy to find. Once you have found the said venue you are ushered to your personal numbered seat. The place has a very friendly atmosphere and the staff are helpful to boot.

At The Glee Club you get a very different night out from just booze and your usual boom boom boom DJ music. An excellent idea for a stag or hen night and brilliant for a birthday surprise too.

Tonight we are in for a treat as the host is Rob Collins who certainly has the gift of the gab. Explaining why he has a plaster cast on his left forearm and picking out people in the audience creating an informal atmosphere.

First up is a lad from Sweden, comedian Fredrik Andersson, and he immediately gets the party going with stories from his country and very good risque observational humour about such things as being thrown off buses and midget smuggling.

Then we get an intermission, a chance to refill our empty glasses ready for the next acts.

Again, Rob introduces the next comedian to make us laugh by keeping the running jokes going and poking fun at the people sitting at the front of the stage. This is why we always sit at the back at comedy gigs by the way.

Next up is a very entertaining young lad called Joel Dommett from Bristol. He is one of my favourite ones to watch. Keep an eye out for this talented young Bristolian. He makes jokes about a one man theatre in Covent Garden, and the lost mobile phone story had everyone in stitches.

After more banter from Rob Collins, he introduces a very funny young lady called Ava Vidal. She has been on the scene for a few years now and used to be a prison warden, but found stand up comedy through being influenced by Chris Rock. She also is a dab hand at dealing with hecklers. When hassled by some randoms in the audience she replies 'I'll act like every other women you approach and ignore you.' Her routine takes you through her experiences of being a mother, a prison warden and also a dig at racist issues. She is well worth a night out if you are near a comedy club.

Last up is the great Gary Delaney. He is the master of the one liners. It's like he has the ideal recipe for instant comedy and knows it, as he tells us he can't help laughing at his own jokes. Like the one 'I went to see Walt Disney on ice. It was a bit disappointing it was just an old bloke in a freezer.' And many more in that vein. He has a good way of uniting an audience in laughter, with us trying to remember the best jokes to tell our friends the next day.

Comedy is always funnier coming at you raw and in your face. Much more dangerous and gives you a "what if they pick on me" vibe. It is a different experience from just watching on TV.

Yes The Glee Club is a very good night out and much more entertaining than a pint of lager, a packet of crisps and a juke box at your local pub. Like I said, stand up comedy is a very good form of entertainment. Armed with just a microphone and their wit, a stand up comedian can be a lethal weapon when aimed at a crowded room. I definitely will be back for more and recommend this to anyone who is looking for something different on a night out.

The Glee Club Official Website

By: Dave Tommo