Image: Facebook/LUU Events

LUU’s monthly comedy showcase, Comedy Central Live, is a new addition to the campus calendar and upon walking into the usually rowdy Stylus early on a Wednesday evening, it was difficult to know what to expect. However, from the beginning, what was in stall turned out to be a pleasant surprise.

All Day Breakfast welcomed guests with their melodic jazz tunes and the relaxed mood lighting and modest set combined for a gentle and warm atmosphere. Andrew Ryan was the first to grace the stage and in keenly focussing on audience interaction, Ryan took his slot to a fair chunk of those in attendance. Specifically picking up on international students and a suspiciously relaxed looking audience member, he suitably managed to get the audience on side. They opened up, interacted and were suitably warm by the time he left the stage as those who followed him would have hoped.

Next up was Carl Donnelly. Although some of Donnelly’s subject matter seemed to be forcibly targeted at his student audience, it was generally well received although his set of anecdotes varied in their success rate. Some relied on the drug and gap year themes and others were genuinely engaging and enjoyable to experience. Unsurprisingly, the highlight of the evening was Gary Delaney’s routine. After modestly entering the fray, Delaney delivered one liner after one liner and thrilled his unsuspecting guests with intelligent, sometimes edgy and relentless humour.

The combination of these three comics made for a successful evening and one that exceeded expectations. Despite the small turnout, with some promising bookings lined up for the modest price of five pounds this is an event that is sure to grow and grow.

Mark McDougall