"Is that what Manchester's all about?” Josh Widdicombe asked curiously, discovering Manchester has a Vimto statue in the city centre.
The Last Leg star, headlining Saturday evening’s Laughterama fun at Castlefield Bowl, was surprised the cordial is held in similar regard to Manchester’s music and sporting achievements. Particularly as he lived in the city for five years while studying at the University of Manchester.
This revelation might have derailed some stand ups but Widdicombe took this interjection from the crowd in his stride. His set was the cherry on top of a wonderful evening of laughs at the Bowl.
Read more: We spent a day at the huge Therme waterpark that's coming to Manchester
The inaugural Laughtrama, a name Widdicombe felt needed a bit of work, has played to sold out audiences of 1,600 since launching on Wednesday. Many household names from the UK comedy circuit have taken to the stage with Manchester being treated to headline sets from Aisling Bea, Simon Amstell and Nish Kumar among others.
On Saturday evening, those at Castlefield Bowl more than got their money’s worth from the fabulous five who performed. Compere Five Live star John Robins wonderfully held the proceedings together with an ingenious set-piece about headspace and his hilarious interaction with those in attendance.
Big laughs came from chatting to the crowd, discovering a weatherman in the audience and someone who fills up cash machines for a living - carrying £2m in cash each day. Deadpan Robins asked: “Come on, you must have been tempted?”
British-Lebanese Esther Manito kicked things off with a set focused on parenthood, those things we say behind closed doors but never in public and cultural family politics. While, Ivo Graham and Tadiwa Mahlunge dovetailed brilliantly.
Mahlunge’s fast-flowing routine focused on being born in Zimbabwe and raised in Cardiff. In contrast Graham’s edginess came from motorway service station chatter.
Widdicombe’s effortless star quality came to the fore as his closed proceedings. Informing the audience of his time working in Manchester’s Waterstones along with the new experiences he’s encountered since becoming a father - that theme of parental ordeals was one which gave the audience the biggest laughs on Saturday evening.
Castlefield Bowl, arguably one of the city’s best venues for live music, has seamlessly taken to hosting comedy. The organisation on the night ran smoothly, getting served for drinks took little-to-no time and there were people peering out from the overlooking flats - surely the true marker of whether a Castlefield Bowl event is a success.
After its first year, which comes to a close on Sunday with gigs headlined by James Acaster and Dylan Moran, many will be hoping to see Laughterama return in 2023 and it become a staple on the Manchester events calendar.
Read next:
- Christmas family-friendly events you can start booking now
- Festive karaoke huts will return to Manchester for 2022 at Bar Hutte
- Light trails taking place across Greater Manchester for Christmas 2022
- Eight of the best beauty advent calendars available for 2022
- Manchester's first new city centre park in a century has opened
