Alun Cochrane on Edinburgh and Beyond

Recorded at the Bloomsbury Theatre

More Alun Cochrane videos

Storytelling comic nominated for the 2004 Perrier best newcomer award for his debut Edinburgh show, My Favourite Words In My Best Stories, and for the Chortle awards for best compere and best breakthrough act in 2005.

In 2012, he won the Chortle Award for best club comic.

Bristol Comedy Garden, opening night
Live Review

The inaugural Bristol Comedy Garden feels like it has been designed by someone who has spent many an evening in Edinburgh’s Pleasance Courtyard - the site is littered with bijou food stalls, dining tables with tablecloths and kitsch, cutesy touches, making for a delightful welcome to a serious comedy event.

Just as delightfully welcoming is MC Dan Atkinson, coming on like a kind of affable Neanderthal man who has just read the GQ style pages, and an inspired choice for compere. Born in Bath (‘a bit like Bristol, but with more wankers’) he has that local knowledge and infectious enthusiasm which quickly endears him to the crowd, and it’s a pleasure to have him back after each act.

Make no mistake this is a mainstream comedy crowd and the appearance of Mock The Week regular Alun Cochrane is an inspired choice. He ‘doesn’t do proper jokes,’ we are told, but those expecting a Stewart Lee-like rambling monologue will be been sorely disappointed. Instead we are invited to a 45 minute trip into Alun’s mind, a place where the smallest morsels of life are played with, chewed over and hilariously regurgitated with a dry and wry wit. There are very few comedians who can talk about air fresheners for more than ten minutes and keep people caring. Nothing earth-shattering, but to expect as much is missing the point.

Pete Firman’s brand of magic and comedy was met with the sort of audience apathy usually reserved for, well, comedic magicians – a fact he alluded to himself, describing the crowd as ‘largely indifferent’. But it’s this self-awareness which ultimately warms us to him. The Tommy Cooper shtick should be done to death by now, but it’s hard not to be entertained, particularly as some of his magic is actually pretty good. The Carry-On style double entendres are old hat but he flies through them so quickly, a la Tim Vine, that you have no time to groan. Dependably entertaining.

Talking of dependable, here comes Russell Howard. This was a breeze for him really, the prodigal son returning to a crowd of the converted, it’s not a hard sell. In some ways this is a shame, the first time I saw Howard was in Edinburgh in around 2003 at a Late ‘n’ Live in which he tore a drunken heckler apart with stunning dexterity and consummate skill. The closest he got to a heckler this evening was a drunk girl whooping at a routine about drunk girls.

Still it was interesting to see him in his new role as comedy megastar. His act is full of populist references (Come Dine With Me, Embarrassing Bodies) so it’s easy to see why the public has fallen for him so easily and willingly. The only trouble is that he seems too aware of his comedy heartthrob status now. At one point he gets his torso out to screams of adulation from women in the audience. I think – and hope – that it’s to his embarrassment,

Howard is at his strongest regaling us with family stories, his turn of phrase is often a delight and an impromptu Q&A session masquerading as an encore shows he still has a sharp, improvisational wit – but at times he runs the risk of self-parody. Oh, and shouting loudly doesn’t necessarily make something funny.

But a strong but safe first night for the Bristol Comedy Garden, and it would be hard to find a punter who didn’t go home happy.

Skip to page: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Having worked in comedy clubs for over five years I've probably seen 90% of the decent acts on the UK circuit live. For me, Alun is genuinely the best there is. As someone previously said, he's not ideal for stag and hen night audiences, but he doesn't really want to appeal to them and I don't blame him. For dave below, I'd urge you to go and see Alun again. I'm pretty sure I know the "serious part" of the show you're talking about. I don't want to give anything away about the show on here, but you will know that although he is talking about these serious topics in a comedy show, they will clearly have been incredibly hard things he's had to deal with in his real life. It's probably hard enough for him to talk about those things without some moron choosing that moment to heckle. I can only speculate as to why Alun didn't continue the show is because he was genuinely upset by the incident and wasn't able to be funny for people any more. This serious part is only about 5-10minutes of an show that lasted well over an hour. His latest show was outstanding and hilarious. As was his previous show. He's the best. Go see him.

Anthony, May 2011

Was doing a great show at the Arc in Stockton when a heckler in the audience upset him during a serious part of the show and he walked off, would of gone to see him again but this has put me off and probably a lot of others

dave, November 2010

I'd be so bold as to suggest that anyone who thinks AC is smug mustn't have got it. I'd put him quite some way on the humble side of pragmatic. I like his wimsy but would say that he is probably not one for the hen & stag circuit since you do need to be listening to get the most out of his tales. That said, he deliberately yet oddly subversively demonstrates in his current show that he can "do jokes" as well. I'd put him in a similar class to Bishop in terms of affability and laugh-induction ability so can only put it down to his management that his exposure currently lags. Our gain, I'd say.

Ben, August 2010

Genius. Alun is a natural, why he's not playing bigger shows is beyond me. Very very funny - go see!

z, June 2010

Cochrane's "is a Daydreamer (At Night)" show won the audience over in a matter of minutes. His comedy switched from deadpan to one liners to storytelling to the point where the same man in the front row spat out his drink on no more than two occasions. Alun took this as success. He isa lot funnier than some headline, sellout names on the current circuit. His comedy is genuine, it touches on the realistic yet has the ability to conjure visual images with his jokes. He can wander into the obscure and silly, but this is clearly for more laughs rather than just being surreal for the sake of it. To be simple: his comedy works. And it works. If you have the opportunity to see Cochrane, please do so. And there is the possibility you'll spit your drink from laughing so much. He is alongside Daniel Kitson as one of my favourite and likeable stand up comedians.

Sean Prower, February 2010

Just saw Alun at the Fringe, absolutely brilliant! Can't wait for his next show.

S, August 2009

Another smug "are'nt I pleased with myself" comic. Who really cares if someone is eating a peach! & drinking Red Bull! On a train! Hilarious! Not. At least 'garlic bread' was funny.

wilma, June 2009

Very very funny, and has routines are that so original and fresh it makes me envious as an act! Def one to watch at this year's Edinburgh festival.. 5 stars from me

jamie s, May 2009

Skip to page: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5