I’m not quite sure why I was surprised to see an entirely dry bar in the Leicester Square theatre, but it left me panicking in the queue about what drink I wanted to order, surrounded by similarly bewildered audience members, furrowing their brows and ordering arbitrary soft drinks.
Dry Humour; a night set up in air of Alcohol Concern is an admirable attempt to raise awareness for alcohol abuse, whilst simultaneously taking on the task of making people laugh without a drop of alcohol in the room.
The prospect of an entirely sober audience is a worrying one for any comic. Returning MC Rob Thomas took an alcohol free Monday evening in his stride, and did a commendable job of setting the tone for the night.
Thoroughly entertaining Ellie Taylor opened the show. She kept the audience on her toes, delivering a smart and cynical set that was a tough act to follow.
Arthur Smith followed, who has the enviable ability to command the attention of an entire room with a single turn of phrase or look. I would have expressed my sincere doubts that a room full of sober people would have responded well to Philip Larkin’s The Mower on a comedy night, but Smith has an enigmatic wisdom that makes you entirely hang on his every word, and perhaps feel a little smarter for listening. Household name Richard herring closed the set on a high.
I was dubious about how the second act was going to go, considering the natural post-interval lull combined with the lack of a single drop of alcohol in the area had left the audience a little more subdued than normal, but then Hal Cruttenden made his entrance. It is safe to say that he was on form. Improvising with the audience and absolutely tearing to shreds a 23 year old city worker in the front row (who already owned an Alpha Romeo), he possessed an effervescence that was so infectious the whole room was buzzing.
Nathan Caton bravely stepped in at the last minute for Sarah Pascoe, and proved to be worthy substitute. He was a powerhouse of energy, delivering a killer set that closed the show perfectly. Both Cruttenden and Caton ended the show on a high, extracting belly laughs from a very sober audience with ease.
Overall the night was a joy to watch, and an interesting alternative to a regular comedy night. If you are taking part in Dry January, this is just the ticket to boost your morale, and if not then it was a fresh and fun night show your support for such a worthwhile cause.
The next Dry Humour will be on Feb 10th. With Jo Brand confirmed, and many more guests to be announced, this promises to be a night of incredible alcohol-free comedy.
For more information click here!
