The Dead Parrot Society

The Dead Parrot Society Present Stand-​Up Comedy at The Royal Oak
If you are looking for an alternative night out away from the perfunctory beer fuelled evening at the local or a curry with your mates, then why not think outside the box and visit a stand-​up comedy night.
The Royal Oak pub, Teddington, hosts a comedy night cleverly named The Dead Parrot Society – an homage to a Monty Python sketch and the best of British comedy – it is designed to showcase new stand-​ups and more established comedians trying out new material.
Organised by Maggie Tibble and hosted by Edinburgh Fringe Festival success story, Viv Groskop, the night is one that you can go and enjoy in a relaxed, intimate atmosphere.
Last Friday, This is Our Town was invited down to sample an evening of wit and quips in the downstairs function room of the Teddington pub. With a wonderful card on there was a total of eight comedians and comediennes performing on the night.
Starting promptly at 8.30pm there was a lot to get through and the seamless show got under-​way with a bang.
Wonderfully punctuated by host and MC Viv Groskop the show began, with a distinct female flavour to it.
Consummate professional Mary Bourke kicked things off, displaying her on-​stage competence with an hilarious routine looking into the social fabric of youth nowadays and a series of ‘your mum’ cusses. If unfamiliar with this phenomenon it is, as Burke explains, two youths having a battle of linguistic ferocity, cunningly highlighting the physical, or mental, detriment of each other’s mothers.
In between Bourke and the headline acts, Mark Silcox and Pete Beckley, who bookended the line-​up perfectly with a sheen of comedic authority; there was a host of fresh, new comedy for the audience to indulge in.
Jasmine Jones a.k.a. Steve the boy wizard was undoubtedly the night’s most enigmatic performance, heavily lending to the eclectic feel brought about by the night’s diverse acts.
Portraying a young boy in the mould of Harry Potter it was awkward yet hilarious and the comedy timing of Jones added to the routine.
There were also notable performances from New Comedy Awards performer Chris Gau, esteemed circuit regular Brenda Gilhooly and the energetic Alice Frick, whose comedy bordered on being Frankie Boyle-​esque at times but was delivered with an innocence that allowed her to get away with it.
The night, however, was stolen by the fledgling act of the evening a young girl from the North-​East aiming to make a name for herself, a reason which makes The Dead Parrot Society so special, as they afford such opportunity, remember the name Lauren Pattison.
It was her first gig in London and I can assure you not her last. She had a presence and confidence that belied her age, 19, and with a self-​effacing attitude and an interesting outlook on life her observational skills are superb and can only get more refined.
So instead of chugging back several pints of lager and scoffing your way through the pubs entire quota of pork scratchings why not explore a different evening’s entertainment of a Friday night. With tickets just £10 for 3 hours high quality comedy full of laugh out loud moments The Dead Parrot Society stands up above most stand-​up nights.
The Club has moved venue since this article was written. For full ticket information and event dates visit:
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