The Assembly Rooms 27^th April 2004-04-28

As part of her four year Drama and Theatre Arts Degree Nicola Connor has produced this Comedy Gala. She has brought two of our favourite comedy performers together (Lucy Porter and Adam Bloom) for a one night charity gala and due to the indisposition of the original compare just two weeks before the show introduced Janey Godley to us.  The proceeds, if any, from the show go to The Dystonia Society.  The condition is due to a malfunction of the central nervous system and the most well known form of the disease is probably Writer’s Cramp, which is a very mild form.  As Nicola’s mother is a sufferer this is a cause very close to her heart.

The whole family have become involved in the project living, eating and breathing it over the past few months as well as providing the funding.

Janey Godley was a new performer to me, although Geoff had noticed her name last year during the fringe I was unaware of her which is a pity as this talented Glaswegian has a brilliant sense of humour.

Describing herself as an over talkative cleaning lady, she seemed to be so familiar to everyone in the predominantly local audience. Some of her observational humour left me with some mental pictures which will remain with me for some time and will probably cause chuckles at the most in opportune moments. One in particular includes a 2 litre bottle of coke and a cat!

Sadly Janey is forced to perform mainly south of the border and only really gets to perform on home turf during festivals. She is appearing at the Underbelly again during this years Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2004.

If I were asked to describe Lucy Porter I’d have to say I almost hate her, she is everything I’m not.  She is a gorgeous, young, petit, brunet with a fantastic comedy talent.  Lucy is also such a lovely person I really love her to bits.  I hadn’t actually had the opportunity to see Lucy live before this show although I had seen snippets of her on TV and a one-minute slot in C-Venues 60 acts in 60 minutes 2 or 3 Fringes ago. 

I love her act so much I was laughing myself not only to tears but in to an asthma attack.  There are times you wouldn’t believe what she is saying as, nice young ladies don’t talk about these things!  Some of her observations seem to ring too true as a couple living in the same area of London as Lucy new exactly which shop she was talking about when describing her flirtations with the shopkeeper. Being slightly accident prone myself I totally Identified with the way she gathers the occasional bruise!

By the way chaps Lucy is single and actively looking out for a new man, not that she wants much, but an Edinburgh Lad, living in the New Toun who earns a living as an Architect was mentioned as being ideal.

All I can say is now that I’ve seen Lucy I’ll have to fight with Geoff all the way to get to see her during the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in future.

Lucy is appearing in her stand-up-show in the Assembly rooms Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2004 as well as in a play in the same venue (One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest).

I was delighted to see that Adam Bloom was performing at this comedy gala as it has been, in my opinion, too long since we have seen him in Scotland.  I have been an Adam fan for several years and have missed him.  I am delighted to say he is back with avengance an as brilliant as ever.

His section of the show was mainly new material with only one or two sections which were familiar. I have been told on occasions that I have a warped sense of humour and if this is so I am delighted to say it seems that Adams sense of humour is warped very much in the same direction. Whereas some stand-ups have sections I either cant relate to or just leave me cold I struggle to draw breath throughout Adams set through the tears of laughter.  Even the fact that we both have nieces just a few months apart in age give us an extra bond but thankfully my niece isn’t quite as peculiar as Adams, or is she?

It is wonderful to report that as well as Janey Godley and Lucy Porter appearing during this years Edinburgh Fringe Adam is back!  He is performing in the Pleasance Courtyard and we will be there to see him with bells on!