'The best of stand up' at The Comedy Store

Our September Cog night was a trip to Leicester Square’s legendary The Comedy Store. It was Lydia’s first Cog outing and we promised her ‘the best of stand up’.

I never thought I’d be able to answer to the name Madonna, but on our September Cog Night, I found out that The Comedy Store is not only a venue presenting amazing comedy but also a place where dreams come true.

Listing your pizza order under the name of an iconic celebrity was nothing short of genius, although naturally there was some disappointment when we first entered the venue and the ‘Bruce Willis’ going up to collect his Margherita bore little resemblance to our favourite action hero.

Without any previous knowledge of the comedians on the bill for ‘The Best of Stand Up’, I was eager to see what kind of comedy would be on offer and there was definitely no disappointment there. We were greeted with a great line up including Fringe alumni Tania Edwards and Mike Gunn.

The variety of the acts was fantastic, jumping from topics such as the lethargy of middle class married life, to the role the male ego played in a story that quickly escalated from accidentally getting into someone’s car into a full blown car jacking (he was hardly going to admit it was a mistake, was he?)

Of course, Brexit was mentioned consistently throughout the night, with each comedian managing to find a different angle, which is especially impressive considering it has been a ‘topical’ subject for over three years now.

It was the compere, Laura Lexx, who really stole the show though, targeting a corporate work outing on the front row as the source of her brilliant comedy. From the intern trying to establish himself as serious with his out-of-place shiny shoes, to the leader of the group trying to separate himself from the ‘subordinates’, nobody escaped her cutting wit.

It’s safe to say we will all be returning to The Comedy Store now we are very clear why – with such an impressive offering of comedy and great pizza – it’s the busiest comedy club in town.

Illustration by Katja Grosskinsky for our Cultural Calendar.