Old Rope - "new material" comedy night

The name “Old Rope” in this case comes from the noose which dangles above the performance area – a night where new material is the order of the day for the random assortment of comedians which make up the ever-changing bill.

The comics can of course opt to use jokes they’ve put into other shows or otherwise know will work, and at that point they grasp hold of the rope to signify that this is what’s going on. It’s definitely not a forum in which to expect a fully polished set, but it’s an excellent (and cheap!) way to see comic talent of all levels in the workshopping phase.

Hosts Tiffany Stevenson and Phil Nichol keep the night moving along and insert tracts of their own material or work-in-progress, and other than those two you never quite know who you might see – previous acts have included Holly Walsh, Andrew Maxwell, Rich Hall, Henning Wehn, Mike Wilmot, Glenn Wool, Paul Foot, Benny Boot, Lenny Henry, Roisin Conaty, Stephen Merchant, Chris Addison, Milton Jones, Pete Firman, Brendon Burns, and usually you’ll get a decent blast of unfocused frustration from the wonderful Robin Ince.

It’s worth re-emphasising – it’s a New Material night, so don’t go expecting a polished show. Quite often it’s fun watching a comic veering away from their material on a new train of thought, or watching them shambolically stumble around trying to re-establish their train of discussion. It doesn’t always work out, but that’s part of the fun. The mood’s positive and forgiving, and makes for a great buzz.

Each week also features a headline act with a full-length set, and the rest of the night can vary wildly depending on how many comedians are about wanting to test out new stuff – one week on Easter Monday there were only a couple of people on the bill but we were treated to a tour-de-force performance by Paul Foot telling a story about a gingerbread house, whereas the pre-christmas night featuring Stephen Merchant as headliner had a bill of 9 comics, so Brendon Burns was allowed to do a 90 second set, and Robin Ince only had time to shout out dot points from his notes.

Always top value for £6. Yes, that’s right – I said £6.

New material night. Set expectations, then sit back & be delighted.