Laughter all the way at the Fat Cat Club

Comedian Boothby Graffoe (Image: Archant)

Rule No 1 at the Fat Cat Comedy Club - don’t sit in the front row if you want to stay anonymous.

Amber and her mum found that out at the Apex on Sunday.

Some of the audience had realised the danger and there were empty seats in left in the front row.

So the gang of guys in the second row were in the firing line too, especially for our hilarious host JoJo Smith.

She had the audience roaring as the guys in that row were the target for her sharp tongue, blatant sexism, abuse and were well embarrased.

Our compere Jo-Jo did a fine routine herself, occasionally apologising to Amber for the many sexual references.

As Ken Dodd used to say, “this is an educational show, you will go out of her and say - that taught me a lesson.”

If the teenager is asked to write an essay, “what I learned at the weekend”, her teacher might just need a red pen (or do I mean blue pen?)

Jo-jo went on to target audience members in the side upper seating too, giving Kate’s husband a hard time when he admitted he had run a duathlon in Ipswich rather than waking her with a special birthday morning surprise.

When you are in the Fat Cat Comedy Club, you have to be prepared to be involved in the show.

Fortunately, in the third row back, we were just out of range - this time.

Headliner Boothby Graffoe, who came on stage with his guitar and mouth organ, and began with comedy songs, reminded me of the patter of Billy Connolly and Jasper Carrott in their early days.

He is just so likeable and engaging as well as funny.

When one of the audience left during his act, he checked out his name from his neighbours, then performed a song about Darren - and eventually left the auditorium himself to call him back to his seat.

Now Darren, that was embarrasing!

The rest of us thought is was hilarious.

He also remembered Amber and wanted to know if she had a brother and sister, Red and Green?

“It has only taken me an hour and a half to think of that,” he said.

The third act on the bill was Scottish comic Stephen Carlin, whose self-deprecating act didn’t always hit the market.

His talk of being a “retired” alcoholic was very funny, but the section about being on heroin instead didn’t raise many laughs in conservative Suffolk.

He was funnier when he talked about his failed personal relationships.

Perhaps he was a bit too Edinburgh Fringe for us?

Another fun night at the Fat Cat Comedy Club.