Plenty of laughs to be had at the latest Giggling Badger night
By Sam Dimmer
SOME people go to extraordinary lengths to get a laugh.
Take the Giggling Badger gang, of Hinckley, for example. It's 8pm and your gig is about to start, when the headline act phones up to say he has broken down 50 miles away on the M1. As compere Jim Smallman took to the stage a car raced down the motorway to collect the stranded comic - the heat was definitely on.
But even before Jim arrived the scene was set for a weird evening. A wedding fayre had obviously taken place in the room a few days before, and the halls were quite literally decked with creme satin. It was a bit like being in a rap video, except with less violence.
First up was Nick Page, an ex-BBC daytime TV presenter and cohort of Steve Coogan. I had been told that the man can tell a story, and whoever told me that was extremely accurate. Any man who has been dumped by parcelforce is likely to be very bitter, but beneath the darkness Page was fresh, funny and hugely entertaining.
He talked about cheese rolling - his brother chased some cheese down a hill and won a badge that lets him park wherever he wants - and how he escaped the July 7 bombings because he got off a train at Swindon. Page has obviously been doing this a long time, and it showed. If anything, it demonstrated how far the Badger has come if people like him are opening things up.
Gareth Berliner followed, and unlike one or two recent second acts he was likeable and at times very, very funny. Any man who can almost get a whole set of material out of Crohns disease deserves a certain amount of respect, and the usually warm Badger audience showed their appreciation. Ok, when the police showed up we got a bit distracted (don't ask, because I don't know why), but Berliner was worth plenty of belly laughs.When Berliner left the stage headline act Rob Rouse was three miles away, and right on cue he arrived to raucous applause.
Was he worth the effort though? Would he adjust to the bizarre settings and scenario? The short answer would be an emphatic yes. The long answer would be this: Rob Rouse is probably the best act the Badger have ever had. He was silly, clever, and hilarious all rolled up into a big ball of comedy genius. Yes, he may have felt like he had been kidnapped to get here, but Rouse was worth it on so many levels.
We had tales of dogs getting into birthing pools, free form rap-jazz battles, and babies called Keith in a set that could have gone on all night. He was magnificent.So if you want a laugh then come down to the Marston's Stadium in Hinckley next month. The next gig is on May 11, and for tickets text or call 07847 504655, or email info@gigglingbadger.co.uk.
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