It’s coming home, it’s coming home

We knew it couldn’t last. When the Wanstead Comedy Night bizarrely relocated to Leytonstone last year, organiser Jon Fentiman did his best to put on a brave face.

fentimanIt was possible, he told us at the time, for the proud folk of Wanstead to venture outside the hood and remain psychologically intact. He encouraged the recitation of a mantra – “I am part of Wanstead and Wanstead is part of me. Knowing this helps me feel safe beyond the Green Man Roundabout” – and even imagining wearing a Judith’s dress to give the ego a boost to overcome the trauma.

Well, that was in May. Now we’re in February and are delighted to report that it’s coming home. From this Thursday evening, the Wanstead Comedy Night will be back in Wanstead – initially at the Eton Manor Rugby Club on Nutter Lane but from next month at its new regular home of the Wanstead Golf Club (ie this is change of venue to the report in the Wanstead Guardian).

The celebratory line-up for this return event will include Paul Sinha, who is a regular on Radio 4 and has just been commissioned by the station to produce his first series.

Paul_Sinha_3Tickets are £5. Rugby Club members and guests can pay on the door or phone Pete Finley to reserve a table (07896 940932). Non-members should call Jon on 07950 759587. More details at the Wanstead Comedy Night website.

Wansteadium now plans to resume its former practice of a post consisting of half-remembered best lines from the evening. Anyone contributing will win a keyring.

Wanstead comedy: Best lines

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Wansteadium invited anyone who went to Thursday night’s Wanstead Comedy Night at Bar Room Bar to submit their nominations for best lines of the evening.

Wansteadium reader Clive e-mails the following:

I was a bit the worse for wear and the scribbles I wrote on a piece of paper I had in my pocket don’t make quite as much sense this morning, but some odd phrases which stood out include “how come there’s no such thing as chaps with flaps”; “We’ve got Jehovah’s Bystanders in Peckham because no one witnesses anything in Peckham”; “My tip for a happy marriage, lads? Tools – options – delete history.” Also a line from Robert White about how he came from a musical household – he lived in A Flat. And every time he moved he had to change key. At one stage (for a reason I can’t quite remember) he put a plastic poo on his head and said something about that when it came to criticism he was undeterred. This all makes me think being a comedy critic must be very hard – you need to drink to find it funny but the drinking means you can’t remember it. Well, I tried.”

You did Clive, and for that you will get a build-your-own model of Andrews Builders Merchants. Any further suggestions are welcome at wansteadium@gmail.com

Comedy in Wanstead: Choose your lines (and win a keyring)

Tonight the Wanstead Comedy Night takes place at Bar Room Bar from 8.30 (doors open at 7.30).

On the bill are Philberto, Robert White, Pat Cahill and others. Full details here at www.wansteadcomedynight.co.uk; tickets are £5.

And in the first of a regular collaboration between the organisers and Wansteadium, anyone who attends and successfully nominates one of the best three lines of the evening (by email to wansteadium@gmail.com) will win a luxury Wansteadium keyring (actual value 0.0001p).