Chortle Reviews
Student comedy awards 2005. Bristol heat
Torquay-based student teacher Kai Barron triumphed in the West Country heat of the Chortle Student Comedy Award last night.
Barron, who has been performing comedy for about two year and runs the Gagging For It club in his home town, now goes forward to the final in London on April 25.
Kai Barron
A powerful bundle of energy, this circuit newcomer has strong and stupid opening, as he pounds and postures across the stage under the delusion he’s of gigantic proportions, rather than the shorter-than-average, ginger, trainee teacher from Devon that he actually is.
This exaggerated, surreal delivery continues throughout his set, even if it is a little too close to Harry Hill for comfort, generating a variety-act atmosphere which he feels allows him get away with some fairly ropey old jokes.
On a simple level, it’s unpretentiously enjoyable stuff, but ultimately the lightweight, punny material can’t sustain the levels of Knockabout energy that his performance promises.
Review by Steve Bennett Chortle
Performing, producing and promoting
comedy for over two decades
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Shaft Of Wit Comedy has evolved through many incarnations over more than two decades. Founder Kai Barron started performing in 2003, enjoying some early semi final success in the So You Think Your Funny New Act competition and, whilst training to become a teacher, reaching the finals of the Chortle Student Comedian Contest. During these early years, regularly compering for comedy agency Mirth Control provided opportunities to meet many of the UK's leading circuit comedians and emerging artists.
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By 2005 the Dickens Bar gig in Torquay was attracting some brilliant comedians from the South West and Midlands. Booking shows that allowed three or four comedians to travel together in one car, made the lengthy journey to The English Riviera slightly less unappealing. The shows benefitted from having lineups that knew each other quite well, or if they didnt before hand, the four hour drive did much to bring them closer together .
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The Bristol comedy scene was absolutely thriving at this point with some future stars preparing for lift off and, together with some competition successes along the way, What had started as a platform to continue performing was growing into a fun and exciting adventure providing a creative outlet, opportunities to perform and weekends hanging out in pubs with some of the funniest humans on the planet.