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Archive Press Coverage of our Monday Night Mayhem!
| Itchy Manchester review This, my friends, is where original comedy is born. Like a maternity ward for popping out jesting stars
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| Beat the Frog
World Series 2008 - review - Steve Bennett - Chortle Review - October 2008 Gong shows are springing up almost everywhere these days, given the vast oversupply of new comedy hopefuls desperate for stage time – however gladiatorial the environment. Few venues have made such a success of the idea than Manchester’s Frog & Bucket with its weekly Beat The Frog contest. This is its festival-time showcase of their best discoveries. For this night only, the dreaded audience green cards that can terminate any set are out, and the performers are guaranteed their five minutes – although the Frog Chorus that interrupts them the second their time has expired, even mid set-up, can still be disconcerting. But this is their chance to show what they’ve got…. and it looks like there may be a few aces in the 2008 pack. Andrew Ryan started his set by impersonating young Dougal from Father Ted. And indeed, he shares a lot of Ardal O’Hanlon’s modest charm, twinkle-eyed naivity, and, of course, Irishness. The soft-spoken Corkman certainly seduced the audience, cleverly exploiting his innocent image by describing, with endearing bemusement, activities that would seem outside his experience – especially the sexual ones. There’s a need for more substance behind the huge likeability, but it would be impossible not to warm to him. Chris Sharpe has the air of an old-school pro, with a bold, confident stage presence, great timing and an act delivered with the obvious rhythms of jokes. The set-up for his gags, however, are equally old-school – from ‘my ex is so fat….’ feedlines, to gags about the clitoris being hard-to-find and descriptions of masturbation. Such comic shorthand means the audience immediately knows what the act is about which, combined with the undeniable oomph of his performance, ensures he goes down very well. But the more discerning might be disappointed with the lack of invention and ambition behind his lashings of charm and technical skill. In his pinstripe waistcoat, Sam Gore looks more like a snooker referee than a stand-up, but it certainly helps the aloof demeanour that defines his high-status act. Taking a leaf out of Jimmy Carr’s book, he deals in savagely unkind one-liners, delivered uncompromisingly. While his attitude is unrelentingly intolerant – a ‘gag’ about Jamie Oliver is simply a huge list of unflattering adjectives – the well-crafted punchlines are so strong that his lack of empathy is no obstacle. Such strong writing means he has the makings of a class act indeed. The Frog audience duly voted him the night’s deserved winner, with Andrew Ryan and Chris Sharp first and second runners-up, respectively. Personally, I’d have liked to see Stokes and McLoughlin on the metaphorical podium; they’re less obvious crowd-pleasers, but offer a lot more potential. But you can’t ignore the paying punters, that’s what gong shows are all about.
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| Beat the Frog World Series
2004 - review - Carys Kaiser - BBCi Review.
The atmosphere was electric with nearly 300
people gathered to see and vote for their favourite amateur act. The
standard was very very high, after four weeks worth of heats, with a lot of
croaking it and beating the frog, took forty starters down to the eight who
got to perform for seven minutes each. |
| "Beat The Frog @The Frog and Bucket THE Frog and Bucket has always sustained an amateur night – but only just. Monday nights, whether monikered Red Hot Raw or just plain Raw, were always a bit of a lottery as to whether they would get an audience. After all, drinks promotions or not, it’s pretty tricky persuading punters to come and watch a line up of comics where they all have the potential to die on their arses. A revamp was in order and it came on 16 June in the form of Beat the Frog. Now, there’s a well-known comedy club not so far away, that has a novice night that sounds not dissimilar to Beat the Frog – but all similarities are entirely coincidental. Honest. The Frog have made the concept of the no good acts being vetoed by the audience all their own. They’ve even got a stuffed velour frog’s head on the stage. The deal goes something like this – In the first half two established acts get the audience warmed up, then in the second the crowd gets nasty. Three of them are supplied with large green cards with ‘nasty,’ ‘normal’ and ‘nice’ printed on them and issued according to what their mates have volunteered them for. Here, three green cards don’t mean you can stay in the country, quite the opposite, you get croaked from the stage. If you last the full five minutes without all three cards being brandished aloft – you win through to the end where a simple clap-o-meter vote will decide who is the overall winner and will return the following week to do a proper spot. Dan Nightingale is the new resident compere; a good choice as he is green to the circuit himself yet accomplished enough to carry the show. He opened up to a full room (it’s amazing how much a bit of cruelty attracts people) and immediately connected with the groom in the front row with tales of PGL horse poo. Steve Shanyaski was first established comic up with a mixed surreal set that the audience didn’t seem to know what to make of. Geordie musical double act Matt and Farron went down better with their tramp rap and an alternative love song. The audience only had the interval to take lessons in ruthlessness so the first couple of acts Jonathan Mayor and Dave Ingram survived only scathed by a couple of cards. But Phil Roman was to test them. His monologue on urine testing was provocation enough and he was, thusly, croaked. Richard Ousey just made it to the end of his set and Ian Fox was unfairly dismissed so he stopped on for a while to argue. Danny Deegan kept them entertained sufficiently to survive but the crowd didn’t like Mark and Ben’s innovative style, which involved throwing, melted chocolate bars at a t-shirt. David Blair didn’t last long but the winner was the last act Mr Pineapple, who bore an uncanny resemblance to someone on the circuit who usually goes by the name of Seymour. Mr Pineapple aka Dave, (apparently) due to an accident couldn’t remember his punch lines and catchphrase to the audience’s collective delight. Bloody funny stuff and a deserving winner. Who knows what he’ll do next week. 17/06/2003 " |
| Marissa Burgess - Manchester Online - 17-6-03 |
| "Osama's Frog March.
After the weekends royal fiasco, it wasn't going to be long before we saw comedy terrorists popping up everywhere. And last night the Frog and Bucket was the first place in Manchester to see it's own Aaron Barshak cause havoc. "Just as we're kicking off the second half, a guy shows up dressed like Osama Bin Laden and steals the show," says owner Dave Perkin. "He marched on to the stage, took the microphone from the compere's hand and ranted on until he was wrestled from the stage and detained by a fake copper." Apparently the real Barschak has played in Manchester, but Dave tells me that it's not for want of trying. "He has contacted the Frog before about doing an open mic spot, but we turned him down," adds Dave. "I'd heard that he was a bit of a nutcase and would just grab the mic off comics, when he didn't have a booking. Also, even our open mic comics have to be funny!" The Diary, The MEN, 24th June 2003. |
Try your hand at Beat the Frog. Book a spot at Beat the Frog by calling Hannah on 0161 236 9805