A night of drinks, prizes and profanity helmed by an entertaining Fin Taylor along a lineup of upcoming comedians.
My typical Monday evening consists of going for British Sign Language class in the city, but this week, it featured attending my second comedy event this year at The Loft at the City Students Union.
The evening started off with free drinks (and non-alcoholic options too!) which went down really well. It then drifted towards a humorous Barry Dodds as a pleasant supporting act, who used his voice and volume to gather the attention of everyone in the room, as well as engaging with students mostly in the front row.
An interval came about just the right time, in which people were able to dance and socialise. After about fifteen minutes, the headliner of the night Fin Taylor emerged, whose humour came unexpectedly dry, witty and sarcastic – it was brilliant.
His list of topics included – as expected and sonically closer to his supporting act – mainly hard-hitting and appropriately aggressive subjects such as sexuality, gender and consent, homophobia, race and of course, the discussion of the year – Brexit.
But pay attention solely to Fin’s words and you are missing the bigger picture: his demeanour and body language. This was very extremely minimal which was perfect for the setting and enhanced the overall atmosphere, also in part due to the students’ reaction, which simultaneously elevates him in his own right as one of the most comedic provocateurs of his generation.
When he used his minimal body language (of which every moment deserved to be studied and celebrated) and spoke about often undiscussed subjects, the contrast alone makes for an incredible détente in decoding his reasons for this – but it was hardly the only fun.
A word to the wise: if you have the opportunity to see Fin Taylor, Barry Dodds, or any other stand-up comedy – go.
By Zach Omitowoju
Feature image credit: Fin Taylor