Karen Koren: Katie follows in dad’s footsteps

WE had our second comedy night at the Festival Theatre Studio on Saturday. It was a good night and the venue is really comfortable. The fact that it is a more formal setting is quite refreshing, as the audience get to concentrate on the comedians and the comedians get to talk to a listening crowd.

Jimmy Cricket. Pic: Comp

Katie Mulgrew was the capable compere. Katie is from Manchester and started doing comedy because of her famous father. Well, we say famous; he was well known in the 70s and 80s as Jimmy Cricket. He is Northern Irish and was known for his distinctive outfit, cut-off trousers, tuxedo, hat and wellies always on the wrong feet.

Unlike many comics of his generation, it wasn’t The Comedians show that made his name, as he never appeared on the show. Instead he came to prominence in 1981 after reaching the finals of the ITV talent show Search For A Star. He is still working and is a regular pantomime star as well as touring the art centres and theatres around the north of England. Great inspiration I am sure for Katie to follow in follow in her father’s footsteps.

Joel Dommet was first up and charmed the audience with his dress, even if he was wearing too much denim, his stories of being in a hard rock band when he was 16 went down well. Joel is a typical hipster. I had that confirmed from him, as I wanted to make sure I wasn’t pigeonholing him. He is a proud hipster, it seems.

Chris Forbes was the perfect Scottish comic to balance the show. Jarred Christmas was the headline act and brilliantly told strategy stories of how to play the board game Risk and, his personal favourite, Monopoly.

Jarred’s comedy is rapid fire and like a whirlwind of words, his energy is relentless. He also has a beard, but I would say he is not a hipster, not sure why. There was a lot of boring (for me) talk about beards in the dressingroom.

There will be more comedy coming to the Festival Theatre Studio next month with Justin Moorhouse.