Pint of titter down at the local?

The residents of South Kensington haven’t laughed so hard since a local Science University said it was going to publish a newspaper! Cue the drums and cymbal.

Don’t worry, you can expect much better material from the actual comedians. The Comedy Hoopla is, you’ve guessed it, a comedy night. It takes place in the underground bar of The Hoop and Toy (near South Kensington station) at the start of each month. The old-school-pub and down-the-cellar-feel combine to give an intimate atmosphere, transporting you out of London and imbuing one with the sense that there is nothing to do in the world but enjoy the acts.

This, in my opinion, is almost a certainty. The comedians ranged from self-proclaimed German Comedy Ambassador Henning Wehn through a very loud, fairly Northern Tony Tinman to the wacky, sex-lined folk duo Clantessential with more innuendos than you can shake a stick at.

The show is split into three parts with several acts in the first two; the headliner taking the last third. In between, you pop to the bar, grab a pint and chat with some of the other comedy enthusiasts. If you’re feeling brave, the petite nature of the venue allows you to go and chat with your favourite comedian, something I avoided following a failed heckle.

There was some real talent on show that night. Present was the much acclaimed Tez Ilyas (victor of the aforementioned heckling match, and other less prestigious accolades), with Pattie Brewster and Sam Furniss, amongst others. The comedy itself was a real mixed bag. Ilyas used a Stewart Lee like dissection combined with the subversion of several stereotypes; the difference between Catholics and Muslims being a memorable one. Brewster did a good impression of a mad cat lady, despite being a pretty attractive young lady. Tony Tinman used his obvious charm to discuss the delicacies of anal bleaching and Sam Furniss, something of a regular at the Hoopla I gathered, regaled us with tales of his family. The headliner, Henning Wehn has recently appeared on QI and brought a bit of class to the proceedings. By this I mean he brought some good old fashioned Brit-bashing banter, observations which seemed to go down well with a South Ken audience.

Not one of the acts was poor and this is testament to the hard work the organisers put into finding great people for the event. The M.C (Master of Ceremonies) and other organisers blatantly take pride in their work. It was this and the fact that we all thoroughly enjoyed the night that makes me sure you won’t be disappointed if you take my advice: buy a ticket and get giggling!

Comedy Hoopla at The Hoop and Toy (South Kensington); returns on December 7. Doors open at 7:30pm