October 2007: review by Mark Robinson
LAUGHTER HOUSE Basingstoke opened its doors for the first time on 25th
October with a stonker of an opening night, which was a sellout!
Danny Dawes moved onto the stage to the sound of the audience clapping and
cheering in a vibrant atmosphere, and soon developed some wonderful
interaction with the crowd, mainly the group on The Chesterfield Sofa, and a
gaggle of women from (allegedly) Nottingham Asylum.
The evening started with a brilliant set by Scott Denyer. Scott covered,
amongst other things, the complexities of keeping a relationship alive, with
help and hindrance from the crowd in the form of ʽLeo Sayerʼ and his chums.
Nessie Flange had plenty of fun with a well polished sharp set, which was
appreciated loudly by the audience.
Thoumas Yianni managed to touch a few nerves, walking a fine line between
the funny and frightening as only a man in pointed red shoes can do.
Last, and definitely not least, Andi Osho gracefully appeared as the
Headline Act following the withdrawal (the night before!) of the original
headliner. As the Winner of the Nivea funny Women 2007 competition Andi
treated us to a dose of Nigerian humour, with wonderfully sharp observations
of inner city life. A real treat.
This first show was a wonderful start for Basingstoke's newest comedy club.
