Comedy clubs outside of the major cities are often short lived.  Having now run for around three years the Big Cheese, which currently convenes in both Colchester and Felixstowe, is bucking this trend under the guidance of organisers Carl and Colin.  Carl, who was on the circuit himself, is aiming to bring the best comedians to the eastern counties and the Big Cheese is making a good fist of doing just that.

The Suffolk branch of the club is held at the Felixstowe Trades and Labour club, a good sized room with a bar priced at social club prices.  When I visited the crowd was compact but enthusiastic and with three stand-up turns and a compère the format will be familiar to regular comedy club goers.

So to the night I went to check it out.  A compère that was off the wall, with a great gag on losing your virginity twice started things off and the fake front row that was removed made me chuckle.  Lewis Bryan, who was also on the bill, is one to look out for.  Slightly depressed delivery with a good intelligent use of language and and if he comes back to our part of the world then InSuffolk will let you know (just as long as you’re on our email list!).  I for one would love to see him again.

Junior Simpson, The Headliner, shows what decades in the business do for your craft.  Funny from the off and never losing the crowd, he was exuberant and full of energy and carried you along with him.  Junior epitomises the true observational stand-up with ascerbic and accurate insights into everyday life that spark recognition and laughter in equal amounts. He is just as good as I remember him from many years ago in London.

Live comedy is a fragile thing, especially outside of the established circuit and the world of large theatre and stadium gigs.  To have artists of this calibre in Felixstowe is a delight and could easily become the norm. The success of clubs like this is self-generating as the more people who come through the door, the bigger the budget is for the acts, and with the Big Cheese at £8.50 a seat and £2.80 a pint of Guinness what’s’ not to like.

Big Cheese in Felixstowe now takes a break until September 6th when Steve Best headlines followed by a gig I shall not be missing on October 4th when Ian Cognito (a name that I had on my name badge as a Saturday boy at Sainsbury’s in 1980 so I am looking for my royalties) plays.  Another date for your diary is Mock The Week irregular Zoe Lyons who is in Felixstowe on the 1st November.

However if you fancy some laughs before September Big Cheese is running gigs at Colchester United Football Club in June and August as well as running a comedy hut at the Sundowner Festival at the Norfolk Showground and you can get details of those at: www.bigcheesecomedy.com

Dave Moore