“Welcome to London’s Second Worst comedy club!” announces host Brian Damage, and while I have not been to enough other comedy nights to fully verify the truth of this statement, the Pear Shaped Comedy Club at the Fitzroy Tavern is certainly not the worst way to spend a Wednesday evening. 

At the very least you get your money’s worth – for the £5 entrance fee you will be treated to a number of different of comedians from a variety of styles and experience, ranging from nervous first-timers to professional and even international acts.

Run by MCs Brian Damage and Krysstal, along with Anthony Miller and Jimbo, the Pear Shaped Comedy Club has been at the Fitzroy Tavern for eight years.  With the clear statement that “quality control is not an issue”, the focus of the evening is on having fun – which the MCs will certainly ensure you do whether you like it or not!

The intimate setting – or as one audience member put it “It’s certainly not the largest comedy club I’ve ever been to” – adds to the relaxed atmosphere of the evening.  Although if you are easily embarrassed I would certainly recommend sitting as far away from the stage as possible as the MCs do like to have “friendly chats” with audience members. 

In fact, the MCs were often the funniest parts of the evening as the crowd, while not at all hostile, were quite unresponsive to several of the acts.  No matter how hard they tried!  Fortunately each act has a five-minute time limit so even if one comedian is not to your liking you will not have to wait long for the next one.

Highlights of the evening were American professional comedian Dave Hill’s “2 pronged comedy attack”, popular “rock and roll poet” headlining act Paul B Edwards, and the incredibly brave – and patient – Kevin Mahoney who waited all evening for his brief first ever appearance on a comedy stage.