So it was that I found myself at Old Rope for the first time last night. This is a weekly show of new material from some well known, and not so well known, faces. Runs every Monday at the Phoenix pub, just off Oxford Circus. Last night's headliner was Zoe Lyons, and I decided I liked her stuff, so I'd give it a try. It turned out that tickets are only available in advance from WeGotTickets, and cheaper there than on the door (£5.50 instead of £7), so I booked. They conscientiously ask you not to print the email, for environmental reasons.
Oxford Circus isn't a place I frequent very frequently, so I had to look it up. It turns out that the Tube station there is on the Victoria Line, so I took that. The show doesn't start till 8.30, so I had plenty of time, and ate at home. Now, this is one of the more confusing junctions. I knew to head north on Regent Street, and I knew to be very careful which direction I went in, because I've got lost here before. Streetview showed me that H&M would be on my left, and helpfully, H&M was mentioned on one of the signs in the station. I followed that sign. Strangely, when I came to street level, I found myself diametrically opposite H&M, precisely opposite where I should be. Maybe they meant you could get a good view of H&M from there..
After crossing the road, and taking Regent Street north, I took the first left down an alley, then right, and the Phoenix was on the corner on the left. The main door was crowded with people smoking and chatting, so I entered by a side door further along. The pub was pleasantly uncrowded - but it was Monday. After visiting the toilets, I headed in the direction of the giant neon arrow that pointed down to the basement, and the neon sign that advertised food and laughs. A doddery old man took my name, and proceeded to start to cross off the wrong one on his list before I stopped him, then wrote an "R"(?) on my hand and I was in.
Again, it was less crowded than the last comedy gig I was at; but it was a Monday. There's a pleasant vibe to the place - less dingy than the Soho Downstairs, where I attended my last comedy gig, the Phoenix basement is decorated with wood, and filled with long, communal tables at which people were eating. That did mean that I could smell food throughout the show, but what the hey. There were a couple of rows of seats in front of the stage, so I took one there.
The 80s rock soundtrack blaring through the speakers put me in a good mood. The food seems to be American diner style, and the whole atmosphere is more relaxed than a standard bar - although there is a bar down the back as well. Performers sit on a large, leather corner sofa to the side of the stage while they wait to go on. The stage itself, appropriately, is decorated by a rope, complete with hangman's noose, dangling from the ceiling:
I saw many, may acts last night, each - apart from the headliner - having about 10 minutes. So the great thing is, even if they weren't terrific, you wouldn't have to put up with them for long! The idea is to premiere new material, and if they tell an old joke they have to hold the rope. My only quibble was the seat I took wasn't that comfortable - notwithstanding, I still had a great time.
Sadly, I don't remember the names of most of the people I saw. Apart from the headline act, I only recognised two names. The first was Mike Wozniak - interesting to see him live, after only having seen him on YouTube before. Like most of the performers, you could tell he had a natural talent for being funny, but his set did ramble a bit. Well, that's the problem with presenting new material! Most of the acts were very entertaining, although I did find they improved as the night went on. After an hour, there was a 10-minute interval, then we were into the second section, which was populated with young men - including, to my delight, Alex Edelman! I had thought about going to his show at the Soho Theatre, but by the time I got around to doing something about it, it was sold out. So that was an unexpected bonus.
The show was MCed by Tiffany Stevenson, who spent her time amiably harassing the front row. You have been warned. Zoe Lyons came on for a longer set - without a break beforehand, since she had to get on the road that same night. She made me laugh till I cried, and I went out into the night - at 11pm, so good value for money - a very happy bunny. I highly recommend this show. Cheap, with a great vibe, and you get to see a whole host of semi- and not-so-famous names try out new material. There are worse ways to spend an evening!
The weather had turned nice and mild, and the rain stopped, by the time I was coming home. Too late to blog though. Tonight, I'm off to another performance of not-so-well-known people: a new dance showcase - called Resolution - at The Place. Victoria Line again, I see, but an 8pm start, so I shouldn't be too rushed!
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