Remember when a good local event involved flocking to the gallows or cheering for blood from the sidelines of an Amphitheatre? Yeah, a bit before my time too. These days we’ve all gone woke and we’ve done away with public humiliation in favour of natural wine and having fun with people. Not in my day…
Having said that, getting out and about isn’t as easy as it once was. Whether it be your favourite restaurant booked up until the end of time or raiding the piggy bank for a spare £355 to see your favourite band play live, attending events in 2024 requires digital skills and financial resources that never used to be pre-requisites.
Last month, Station to Station BID decided to do something about it. They joined forces with Good Ship Comedy to serve up an antidote to the expensive and in-demand shows found in London’s Zone 1 by bringing comedy (in festival form) to the doorsteps of West Norwood and Tulse Hill residents. And with packed gigs over the course of the week in October, the festival was a big hit amongst local venues and residents.
I was lucky enough to catch the hilarious Alfie Moore (pictured above) and his “It’s a Fair Cop” set at the Great North Wood on Tuesday night. Afterwards, I caught up with Ben Van de Velde , founder of Good Ship Comedy (and stand up comedian) to get a glimpse behind the scenes of running a local comedy festival, learn how comedy has changed over the last few years, and find out his favourite joke. Here’s a snippet of our conversation.
Tejan: Ben, how did Good Ship Comedy Start?
Ben Van der Velde : Good Ship Comedy’s name is homage to the Good Ship in Kilburn, a late-night music and comedy club that closed its doors in 2017. We migrated to Camden Town and now pride ourselves on delivering comedy all around London’s neighbourhoods. Our mission is to bring comedy to areas people don’t usually associate with comedy and see the good it can do!
Tejan: How has the comedy scene changed, or more specifically how is our consumption of comedy different to what it used to be?
Ben: Ten to fifteen years ago people used to go to comedy venues without knowing what they were going to see, and that didn’t matter! Today, perhaps down to the internet and social media, there seems to be a culture of only going to see the big names and/or the big venues. Which makes it hard for really talented comedians just starting out.
Also, when events cost a lot of money or are in high demand like in Soho or the West End of London, there comes with it an audience culture of “go on, impress me… I’ve paid a lot of money and I’ve done a lot to be here” and that shouldn’t really be what comedy is about.
Tejan: So what makes a good audience at a comedy show?
Ben: Two things I guess! One is to be expected, which is playfulness. But secondly, it helps when there’s a sense of community within the audience, which luckily for us West Norwood has in abundance.
I think people are too terrified of comedians, talking to them under the misapprehension that we’re going to be horrible! We’re not (for the most part…)! The best comedians like Dara O’Brian and Ross Noble just want to play, like excited spaniel puppies, and our job becomes so much easier when audiences match our energy and become excited little spaniel puppies too!
Tejan : That feels like a state of human nature I can aspire to! What about locations then, sell me the dream of gigs in intimate local pubs rather than big city theatres?
Ben: I liken going to see comedy in your local pub (or board game cafe in the case of West Norwood!) to when an ex-player takes the reins at your local football club… there’s something that just feels right about it!
There’s a communal spirit in local festivals that spurs the whole thing along. Like the greengrocer promoting a show (which happened), or a sold-out venue directing audiences to other venues with available tickets (also happened) or even just the simple fact that you’re having a laugh under a familiar roof!.
Local events, in our case local comedy festivals, do more than just flogging cheap tickets in more accessible locations. They just feel right, they let people see the potential in their local venues, create memories that are precious because of their familiarity. And all you really need is a microphone, spotlight and a speaker which means all kinds of places can join in!
Tejan: Fantastic! Looking back at the festival, did you have a favourite gig or a joke during the week?
Ben: I’d probably say the best joke of the week was my pal Kate Pritchard’s incredible disco song which listed all the 2 letter words in Scrabble, which properly took the roof off the Book and Record Bar.
A special mention also needs to go to Paula Sinha who was great at the South London Theatre, but I think down to the sheer uniqueness of the location my favourite gig was the podcast recording in the West Norwood Crematorium.
Tejan: And finally, what’s your favourite place to go in West Norwood?
Ben: For comedy: the South London Theatre. For Food: Otter. And for vibes? My back garden.
The ChooSE27 Comedy Festival ran from the 5th to the 12th October and featured sold out gigs from a range of comedians performing in different venues around West Norwood & Tulse Hill.
And it wasn’t just fun and games. The positive impact on the local community was clear and measurable. Using footfall data from the ChooSE27 digital town hub, Station to Station BID were able to chart that both local footfall and time on their local app doubled during the festival. Not surprisingly, the festival is already planning a return next year.
Bronwen Rice, Business Liaison at the BID, said the following:
“We are so happy to use ChooSE27, it’s a real asset [and] such a great platform for our local businesses and community organisations to share vital and valuable information about our events and our wonderful area!”
For all the packed out stadium tours and restaurants with queues out the door, there have been (and still are) plenty of fantastic offerings on our doorstep. With the right digital platform to support them, there is nothing to hold these events back.
Who needs Oasis tickets anyway?