The Review - Piste Off at Face 11

My love for what is technically my local, Face 11 on Cathays Terrace is well documented on this blog and so I jumped at the chance to head along to review their debut comedy night, Piste Off! A few of us headed down to see whether the bar could deliver on what promised to be a hilarious night of stand up performances, taking in a range of comedic genres from the conventional routines to poetry and even mime and I'm enthused to report that we had a fantastic time!

Compered by the equally hilarious and irascible Liam Schewitz, he ran the night in grand style and throughout the night kept the crowd bubbling between sets, with his chatter on the towns and reputations of South Wales playing well with the crowd! Gareth Brand opened proceedings with a selection of mildly awkward poetry that played wonderfully on the quirky delivery he worked so well, followed up by Ted Shiress whose observational comedy merged with some occasionally very dark punchlines that left the crowd eager for more!

A quick break then ushered in a range of support slots from Brian Ghosh, Brendan Common and Luke Smith. This second section had a truly diverse range, with Luke's mime, snake and Didjeridoo providing barrels of laughter whilst barely uttering a word. My personal favourite, Brian Ghosh took on an extremely witty interpretation and response to the Corinthians and religion in general while Brendan Common bounced around the stage filled with jokes, energy and a discussion of why you shouldn't always decide things by rolling dice!

The headline slot came from Jordan Brookes, the winner of the Welsh unsigned stand-up of 2012 and a sharp tongued comic who kept the audience on the edge of their seat throughout! He delivered a witty set, loaded with sexul humour without ever becoming too uncouth and a viciously quick mind that proved himself more than worthy of topping the bill. The quality of the talent throughout the night was outstanding all round and the snug confines Face 11 proved itself to be a perfect setting, mild interludes from a man slightly too affectionate for his Lambrini not withstanding!

We had a fantastic time, comedy of this quality, available freely and so close is a huge treat! Piste Off will be running every 3rd Thursday of the month, with the next one on the 15 April, so head on down there and be prepared to have fun!