As the non-NABS representatives on the NABS Comedy Evening Committee, we
were disappointed by the mean-spirited review of the evening in the
Campaign Diary (17 November).
Apart from ridiculing eight acts who had the balls to stand up in front
of an audience of their peers, the article suggested that the evening
was as turgidly unfunny as some of the recent Campaign Diary articles.
Well, from the reactions of the audience on the night and the excellent
feedback NABS has had since, we would beg to differ.
Admittedly, these acts weren’t Jack Dee or Eddie Izzard, but that was
never the point of the exercise. These were all amateurs, some of whom
were doing it for the first time and, while not all of the material was
first class, there was some excellent and original stuff that raised
considerably more than a slight titter.
The people we feel most disappointed for are those at NABS. This was a
new fund-raising event for them and, having had such a negative write-
up, NABS will almost certainly not be able to repeat the event next
year. It was tough enough to try to persuade would-be acts to have a go
without them fearing ridicule in the pages of Campaign. It will be nigh
on impossible now. So no additional income for NABS next year. Pity.
Martin Jones; Kerry Glazer; Annie Evans, NABS Comedy Night Committee
PS For the ill-informed journo who wrote the piece, Tim Clark is a well-
known regular on the comedy club circuit and Kate Robbins is the star of
Spitting Image and commercials voiceovers.
