Comics come out in force to pay tribute

Only a couple of years late, London comedy institution Downstairs At The King’s Head celebrated its 40th birthday in style last night.

Gig co-founder Huw Thomas was coaxed out of retirement to host the anniversary gig at the age of 78, including leading the audience in a rousing rendition of I’ve Got A Lovely Bunch Of Coconuts and demonstrating his unique way of playing the recorder that gives a new meaning to the phrase ‘wind instrument’.

Miles Jupp also returned to the stand-up stage after several years dedicated to bringing up children in semi-rural Wales and doing ‘small – but crucially, named – roles in period dramas.’

‘I’ve done panel shows,’ he told the audience. ‘But that’s no preparation for this. This is hard.’ Though the ever-appreciative audience in the intimate Crouch End basement, which included alternative comedy pioneer Jenny Lecoat, surely made it easier.

Arthur Smith kicked off proceedings with a set that included a poem he’d written specially about the club – which was actually founded in 1981 – and its greatly-liked promoter Peter Grahame. The quality of the line-up wa s testament to the esteem in which he’s held.

Shazia Mirza gleefully tore in to the idea that the days of the straight white men are over while sarcastically relating some of the everyday racism she’s experienced; former teacher Laura Smyth shared stories from the schoolyard; and Nick Helm offered a hilariously frank run-down of the various antidepressants he’d been prescribed – while liberally insulting the audience with a fusillade of C-bombs.

This will go down as being one of the greatest gigs I have ever and will attend.

25th April 2023: 40th Birthday Show, Huw Thomas MC, Arthur Smith, Shazia Mirza, Miles Jupp, Laura Smyth, Nick Helm, Ria Lina, Al Murray & Phil Nichol - Downstairs at the Kings Head London

— John Tracey (@acomedyfanguy) April 26, 2023

Ria Lina eviscerated the much-older husband she’s just divorced with a flurry of gags about his advancing years. Though she acknowledged this crowd – who definitely dated back at least as far as the club’s early days – might have found such quips too close to home.

Al Murray was in his Pub Landlord pomp, showering the front row with beer then finding some very chichi occupations among them – ceramic artist, pilates instructor, actor, former Disney TV executive – to fuel his elite-level piss-taking. And as if that powerhouse performance wasn’t energetic enough, the screaming dervish that is Phil Nichol closed the show, hollering his rock-and-roll comedy songs at intimidatingly close quarters.

All this fun was triggered by the release of The Oldest Comedy Club In Britain, the film comedian and director Joe Bor made about the venue where he performed his first gig – and which was screened in the local cinema on Monday (Review). The documentary, like this hugely entertaining night, served as a fitting tribute to this venue’s place in the comedy ecosystem, and the role Grahame has played in it.

Pictured above, from left: Nick Helm, Laura Smythe, Al Murray, Ria Lina, Arthur Smith (obscuring Peter Grahame), Huw Thomas, Phi Nichol, Miles Jupp. And since you can barely see Grahame, this is him:

Published: 26 Apr 2023