Thank you to the Glee Club for inviting us along in exchange for this review.
Over the passed four days, The Glee Club Cardiff has played host to a fantastic line-up of Welsh comedy talent to celebrate St David’s Day.
On the bill last night was the brilliant Robin Morgan, Tudur Owen, Jennny Collier and kick-ass comedian Mike Bubbins. They didn’t pull any punches and were all fully in their element… and the audience loved it!
The Glee Club itself is of course no stranger to any of this, as they regularly hold speaking events such as Ignite and music cabaret evenings, as well as showcasing some of the best comedy around with their weekly events.
It’s safe to say that the Glee Club Cardiff has become a little bit of an institution in the city, since gracing us with its presence almost 20 years ago. I’m not surprised last night’s gig was completely sold out, as it offered great comedy value!
What I love about venues such as this is its intimacy. If you’ve not been to the Glee Club Cardiff before, you’ll know that firstly it isn’t a huge venue, and secondly, the seating arrangement curves around the front of the stage. This means that you are mere metres away from the acts… or centimetres if you include the front row. It also means that the audience is drawn in to every word, as if you are camped around a fire with your mates. That’s the feeling that you can expect by attending an event here.
If you’re attending a comedy event, you can certainly expect a belly fully of laughs. No doubt you’ll want to fuel that laughter with food, which the Glee happily caters for too. However, unlike other venues, you can have the food brought out to you and placed on the half-sized tables directly in front of you – genius! Without any research to back up my claim, I’m pretty sure these guys invented this concept!
Here’s our run down of the night’s comedians…
Robin Morgan
Compere for the night was the wonderful Robin Morgan. Robin is a seasoned comedy writer and performer, and is no stranger to the comedy circuit having played at the Edinburgh Festival and taken part in ‘Stand up at BBC Wales’. He also holds a bunch of credits from Sky One, BBC Three, Comedy Central and also CBBC (believe it or not). What I’m trying to say is that Robin knows how to engage with a crowd. Robin is witty and a bit cheeky, and doesn’t mind poking fun at himself too. The art of a good compere is his/hers ability to remember facts about the audience… and Robin didn’t disappoint.
Tudur Owen
Tudur has become a bit of a household name here in Wales. This Welsh BAFTA winning comedian is widely recognised for his role in the BBC series The Tourist Trap… and if you don’t recognise him for that, you’ll certainly recognise his voice from BBC Radio Cymru Wales. What made watching Tudur so delightful was seeing him be himself and enjoying every minute of it. Tudur’s style can only be described as modern Welsh comedy. The references to our Facebook friends and to our neighbours in England are all something the audience can relate to. I suspect we’re going to see a lot more of this one!
Jenny Collier
Jenny must have a big cabinet at home, because this comedy writer has picked up a number of award wins in recent years. Again, you’ll most likely recognise Jenny’s voice rather than her looks, as she has an extensive portfolio of working with BBC Radio Cymru Wales. However, don’t get me wrong, Jenny certainly doesn’t have a face for radio, and like Tudur, it was great to see her doing her own thing live on stage. How best to describe Jennny’s sense of humour? Refreshingly honest? Open? Perhaps a little dry? In any case, it was a surprising performance that the audience could really relate to.
Mike Bubbins
Mike, Mike, Mike, where do we begin. Mike is a complete professional that lives and breathes his 70s persona. This all man, man’s man, is the complete package. What you see is what you get. I’m acutely aware that so far this has been a bunch of one lines, but what all of this adds up to is an absolute legend of a comedian. It’s like giving your dad the freedom of the stage after a few beers.
Mike’s stand up last night all stemmed from his sporting background (a PE teacher). You can read more about this on his website, which is all written in first person and again echoes his entire 70s persona – you will be left in hysterics. You may also recognise Mike from the Tourist Trap too, in which he plays a similar type of character. So, if you haven’t seen it, go and watch it on BBC iPlayer.
This ledge is going to be around for many years to come and we can’t wait to see what he has in install for us next.
To view all upcoming events at The Glee Club Cardiff, visit: https://www.glee.co.uk/cardiff/
