Intrigued by the sound of a "secret comedy anti-lecture: the world's only live comedy think tank"? So was Stevie Martin...
"Good evening PLEBians. Welcome to the PLEB Talks. Please have your tickets ready." Ben Target addresses a sold-out crowd, told only to wait on a specific street at a specific time in the heart of Soho. He is stood on railings and supported by fellow comic Mark Cooper Jones sporting a schoolmasters cap and cane. Led down a corridor, tonight's talk takes place in a school hall complete with children's chairs and a fake lecturn.
Overseen by the razor-sharp Nish Kumar, reacting at high speed to an unpredictable audience and showcasing his particular brand of articulate, witty stand-up, he makes way for the first speakers of the evening, the three-strong lifecoach team Kieran and The Joes. Led by the gravelly-voiced booms of Joe Parham, the gang are intent on promoting teamwork, involving workshops, slow motion singing and a spot of torture psychology, as well as some wonderful interaction between the inept threesome. The idea of team-building within the comedy sphere may have been done but you won't find a better executed and more entertaining example of it here. Their original blend of audience oriented skits, in-house bickering and near-tangible onstage chemistry sets Kieran and the Joes apart from anything else currently on the circuit.
After leaving an audience now fully bonded, Kumar introduces Nick Sun (pictured) as the second act of the first third. Bearded, disillusioned and currently on the phone, Sun shuffles through the rows while ending the call and displaying a large packet of Quorn shoved down his jeans. What follows is fifteen minutes of self-deprecating cynicism, wherein Sun sorts out a flatshare and wangles £3.20 from someone in the front row. His spontaneous style is best described, in his own words, as "demotivational", ending with him throwing three packets of Quorn into the audience after hearing the meat substitute is supposed to make you happy. It's a bold end to a strong set. After a quick ten minute interval, the Quorn covered audience are seated for the small, wide-eyed Mae Martin.
After two structured (if surreal) acts, Martin's conversational style is refreshing and wickedly funny. She puts one foot up, awkwardly, on the table to appear more authoritative. She chats abouts life, displaying surprise at the ways of the world. Her anecdotes are shot through with the phrase " holy shit!" spoken in soft Canadian tones. She's gentle but intelligent, sweet yet sharp and it's a winning combination. Every time a musing threatens to peter out, it's spiked with a killer throwaway line and, after the night is over, it's Mae Martin people are talking about. She's the gem in an evening of outstanding comic talent.
After Martin there's a close quarters basketball match played at the back of the hall with two teams consisting of audience members picked by Cooper Jones and comedian and Sun journalist Tommy Holgate. There are doubts as to whether it's some sort of stunt but, no, it does take place and, yes, six of the audience are noticeably sweatier by the time the keynote speaker takes to the stage ten minutes later.
Simon Munnery is, as ever, utterly wonderful. His keystone anecdote centered around a dog showcases his ability to see the most mundane aspects of life through a warped lens. His perception is constantly tinged with the surreal and delivered casually, almost flippantly, which serves to magnify the absurdity even more. From figuring out how to walk, to skewering tired standup convention ("Anybody from anywhere? anyone know anything about anything?") he may look like an English teacher but his set is tight, whimsical, and a masterclass in observational humour. None of your "airplane food... what's that about?!" to be found here.
Munnery ends a cracking debut for the PLEB Talk series: with no misfires, a half time basketball match and a lot of Quorn, it's got the whole package. Not only is it an evening of great comedy, but also a unique experience executed to perfection. According to Target, the finer points of the second PLEB outing are still being decided but when details are released, act fast. These tickets are bound to sell out.
The next Pleb Talk is yet to be announced but you can subscribe to Pleb's mailing list for advanced and exclusive gig alerts or like them on Facebook.
Photo credits (respectively): Adam Roberts and Pleb Talks.
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