Elvet Underground

ON THE LAST Sunday in November, wrapped up in all manner of Grandma’s knitted favourites, I found myself skidding my way up North Road to one of my favourite Durham evenings: the Elvet Underground at The Fishtank.

The Fishtank is a complicated space. Its intimate atmosphere should, technically, work well for comedy evenings. But it’s long and narrow and the only feasible spot to perform is at the far end near the toilets. A word of advice: be comfortable holding it, or don’t drink.

However, the stand-up was, as the week before, of a very high standard, with each comedian flavouring his set with quick-witted audience repartee suitably adapted to the relatively small attendance. And a shout-out is well deserved to the ever indisputably energised maître de of the evening, John Davis.

The highlight of the soiree was, undoubtedly, Durham’s improvised comedy troupe ‘Shellshock’. The group combined wit and heroic amounts of energy to, sometimes tricky, audience suggestions. John Shafer and Rhys Collier certainly make up some of Durham’s more formidable comic talent.

The last stand-up comedian, James Christopher, really hit the right notes with his set; cutesy and dangerously charming, he smartly shrugged off the cocky little git at the front and, when one joke died a death, saved it wickedly with a swig of his wine and a “f**k you”. And why the hell not? Offended? Yes? Well, f**k you too.

4 Stars