Stand-up, and promoter of Manchester's XS Malarkey club, for which he won the Chortle Award for best offstage contribution in 2008

XS Malarkey, Nov 1, 2011
Live Review
Manchester XS Malarkey

XS Malarkey, by overwhelming consensus Manchester’s best independent comedy club, has not long settled into its new home in a disused chapel in the studenty Fallowfields part of town.

It feels like an appropriate site, with a quirky, homespun ‘knit-your-own-organic-teabag’ atmosphere, but with enough professionalism to ensure sound, light and audience comfort is all just right.

The main thing that makes the night, though, is resident compere Toby Hadoke, who treats the paying punters like friends popping round his house for a chat – trying out new material with varying shades of success, but primarily creating at ambiance of relaxed, respectful bonhomie that has defined the club over the years.

He plays up the attitude of a mildly irascible middle-aged man, but he’s someone who just knows what he likes rather than being overtly angry at the world. He stresses the differences between XS and more corporate clubs, berating himself for the odd double entendre, though, of course, not holding back from doing them.

It builds up a supportive clique, and never more so than the section where he reluctantly handed out cheap prizes. By refusing to play along to the cheesiness of the idea, it becomes hilarious in its casualness.

Opening act was Javier Jarquin, a half-Latino, half-Chinese Kiwi. Cue predictable racist stereotypes about each half of his heritage and how they might conflict – a predictable, by-the-book approach he never really got beyond.

He can sometimes wring good jokes out of the over-used formula, though, as his bit about British store names attests, and he’s a robust, confident performer – perhaps learned in his other professional life as a magician. It all made for a solid, if uninspiring, set.

Andrew McGowan is a Robbie Williams impersonator in the Rochdale area, clearly taking advantage of XS’s genuinely open ‘open mic’ policy to make his first moves into comedy.

But he has a very restricted outlook of what modern stand-up entails. Generic jokes about Josef Fritzl and Fred West abound, with fast-decreasing returns, and when he told a gag about Jedward being ‘less popular than a gypsy’ you could hear a pin drop, as the last vestiges of support evaporated. Add flabby set-ups and old pub gags into the mix, and you have someone who’s still got a lot to learn about the comedy basics.

Ruth E Cockburn is an intriguing personality, adept and in control on stage but apparently racked by self-doubt and klutziness in real life. Her embarrassing stories have the ring of truth to them that makes the self-deprecation really work, and there are a good number of solid jokes here.

She’s not yet the finished article, as the different elements of her comedy and personality don’t always fit well together, but she’s eminently watchable, sympathetically flawed and quirky enough to be interesting. However, the closing song – ‘You’re Girlfriend’s A Minger’ – is old-fashioned and, frankly, a little dull. The rest of the set suggests she is better than this, and certainly has the potential to be a lot better.

Finally, late-booking headliner Chris Cairns, a large friendly Scouser who has so many years of experience in the business that he knows how to hold the room in rapt attention. He needs to, as well, as his pace is incredibly slow, and he spends a lot of time talking around a subject before settling on its punchline. The payoffs are usually strong, but not really worth the wait, which adds nothing to the tension.

The occasional turn of phrase nicely highlights the precise mundanity of his middle-aged, lazy life, but again he doesn’t exploit them particularly well, meandering around the subject with little concern where the next punchline might be. There’s definitely the feeling that he’s a comic who’s found his place on the circuit and is now doing the least he needs to do to get by. But with so many hungrier comedians coming up behind, such complacency doesn’t seem nearly enough.

Another excellent evening at XS Malarkey last night, brilliantly compered by Toby who came out with some fantastic lines (the one involving drama students and millinery being my favourite). And note to self - must read Gulliver's Travels!

Dave, October 2011

Brilliantly funny as the compare of XS Malarkey.

Kerri Leigh, March 2011

Having watched Moths Ate My 'Doctor Who' Scarf earlier this year, I was greatly excited about getting the opportunity to see Toby Hadoke's follow up show, and was not disappointed. This is a heartfelt look at how it was as a thirty-something growing up watching the best television of its time. Through Toby's childhood memories, the audience gets to live those moments again when we would sit in front of the TV after escaping from school for another day and taking in the adventures of Zammo and friends, and pressing our eyes against the screen to catch site of our contributions to Tony Hart. But, worry not, those young 'uns out there, because this show will appeal to you as much as it will of people of a certain age, Toby has a gift of making all his material relatable to his entire audience. But even more than reminding us of the TV days of years gone by, Toby reflects on the difficulties in growing up a little different, and how TV (and primarily the BBC) relates to how we see the world. Toby provides a compelling argument against all the naysayers who continue to attack the BBC. . You'll leave the show feeling pumped, contented and ready to burn any copies of the Daily Mail or Sun that you find in the street. I apologise in advance for any misplaced apostrophes.

Andrew McKie, August 2010

Toby Hadoke is an absolute gem! His weekly night at XS Malarkey in Manchester is a must and, unlike a few other nights in Manchester, provides a supportive atmosphere for the comedians (there is rarely a heckle) and is also a bargain. Hadoke as a compere engages wonderfully with crowd and makes you feel truly at home. On top of that, he manages to draw in some of the best comedy talent around (Robin Ince and John Gordillo have both made appearances this year). Toby Hadoke's Moths ate My Doctor Who Scarf' is excellent. A heartfelt look at the influence of the (previously) much lampooned series on his life and an education to those who don't know, as to why the show is so much better than some of its old press may suggest. Interwoven with this are numerous top gags and an insight into Toby's relationship with his son (which almost brings a tear to the eye! See Jason Cook's shows for similar).

Alex, June 2008