Komedia, Brighton’s premier comedy venue, has been pairing up with guest kitchens every Friday in July to provide evenings of top-notch comedy and top-notch food.
Earlier Fridays featured healthy Brighton fave Foodilic, and the last Friday of the month, intriguingly, will involve a secret mystery guest kitchen, kept under wraps until nearer the time. Friday 11 and 18 are the turn of award-winning Hove Greek restaurant Nostos.
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On Friday 11 I grabbed an old friend and took her to Komedia Comedy Club for a meal, a laugh and a catch-up.
Komedia is the shiniest of Brighton’s comedy venues, and the go-to place for people in the area who fancy unwinding from the week with a night of laughter. On a hot day, it was a relief to be down in an air-conditioned basement, which with its disco lighting and tables set up for dining felt like a mix between a nightclub and a canteen. Doors opened at 7pm for an 8pm show start, and while a firm policy was implemented to not talk during the sets, there was plenty of time beforehand to chat and order food, as well as generous breaks between sets to carry on the catch-up.
For its partnership with Komedia, Nostos has whittled its menu down mostly to an upmarket version of burgers and fries – available are the athenian burger (beef) and a halloumi burger, as well as chicken souvlaki, pork gyros (served with pitta and fries), and a Greek salad. My friend and I had the chicken souvlaki and pork gyros, which we found to be succulent and tasty. The experience was of quality pub grub, which was a fitting pairing with the broad appeal of the comedy.
Our MC for the night was Mike Cox, warming up the audience with crowdwork and blokey observations about marriage. First on the bill was Australian comic John Robertson, with his volume and energy permanently dialed up to 11, scorching the crowd with commentary like a flame thrower that was at the same time persistently affectionate – “with all the love in the world”, he’d bellow, “you look like action men who’ve been partially melted!” He was followed by Chantel Nash, who won the audience over with her cheeky, glowing warmth, delightful wit and saucy observations such as about the difference between ‘short term dick and long-term dick’. Our headliner was Kate Barron, an unapologetically loud Canadian who is unapologetically sick of the world’s bullshit, talking the misogyny of internet trolls, ‘fanny flutters’ and her experience of a date involving dining in the dark.
The next Nostos pop-up will feature Markus Birdman, Hannah Byczkowski, Malina Mukuma and Nic Sampson, with Sam Lake as MC. 2.5 hours of laughter are guaranteed, and a solid evening of entertainment to kick off the weekend!
Address: 44-47 Gardner St, Brighton and Hove, Brighton BN1 1UN
Website: https://www.komedia.co.uk/
