Bill has combined age of 400

A comedy club is out to prove that experience triumphs over youth with a special 'old gits night'.

Acts at the Laughing Horse gig in north London next month will have a combined age of more than 400.

The oldest performer on the bill, Norby West, is 73 and is billed as 'the granddad from hell'.

And headliner Tony Allen is one of the founders of the modern circuit, founding his Alternative Cabaret in 1979 - the same year The Comedy Store opened.

Allen only rarely appears in clubs today, and is more likely to be spotted at Speaker's Corner, espousing his anarchist politics.

Other old codgers on the bill in Camden on November 8 include Brian Damage, Jimbo, Kevin McCarron and US comic David James.

* Meanwhile, Tony Allen is leading a stand-up workshop open to comics at any level. The six Monday-night sessions, which cost £60, start on October 29 at a central London venue For more details, check his website.

Published: 15 Oct 2001