Enough with the Jokes…Nevermind… I See Americans

Quiet nights in Flat 13B equate to wasteful nights in London. With this thought in mind, my flatmate Christopher “13B” Mahoney and I took advantage of the TimeOut London website and stumbled upon what was labeled “Absolutely Free Comedy Night.” We figured it would be worth a shot to check it out if not for any other reason than to kill curiosity, so we hopped on the tube towards Piccadilly Circus, and eventually found ourselves in front of a pub, the Queen’s Head.

           
             At this point, skepticism was beginning to set in, as the venue seemed a bit odd and informal. We were led by a sign to walk upstairs to where the “show” would take place. Sure enough, there were about twenty or so pub stools, a small table, and a microphone in a room no larger than 500 square feet. It was quaint and cozy, decorated with a sort of Victorian-styled elegance. To say that this room was an intimate room would be an understatement. Toes were touching and hands were grazing. By default, Christopher Mahoney and I were now on a date.

            The show commenced with a British host full of energy and curiosity scanning the crowd. In asking everyone who they were, it came to the forefront that there were Californians, Canadians, Chinese, Scots, and Brits all in attendance. Soon after establishing who would make up the audience, the first act came up. She was an Italian woman, she wore a yellow tank top, and her act relied heavily on punch lines revolving around blowjobs and the job market. Her crudeness came too early in the night as no one was drunk yet, and as such, her act was unfortunately a dismal misfire. The next act was a bit more appropriate in his focal points, and so was the next woman. The pattern continued, and the night started to pick up whereby the acts would playfully and comfortably interact with the lively audience, discussing the topics of international politics, and quite surprisingly a great deal of comparisons and references to the United States. None of the acts were headliners, and it was visibly clear that they were struggling comedians, there was a degree of rawness and humility to them, they made the night real.

It was a fun time…until this one self-righteous, youthful New York bitch came in and started yapping away. She clearly threw off the composure of some of the acts, she had intentions of embarrassing them, and it was both malicious and unbecoming on her part. She was ignorant to the norms of a genuine performance audience member, and it was disheartening to see.

            Aside from the pithy bitterness, the night was a great time at the Queen’s Head. It was brief, interactive, and original. It was not the most memorable experience I’ve had here in London, but it satisfied.

Jacob Johnson
UC Irvine