Bob Mills, Angela Barnes and Nick Doody at 99 Club Islington

It’s often quite rare for the whole line up at your local comedy club to have the audience in stitches. There’s usually that one comic who doesn’t quite cut it; the jokes are too offensive, too soon, too obscure. Or the comic who gets a little defensive when the audience doesn’t respond and they’re met with an awkward “ahem” in place of a laugh. So it’s rather refreshing to report 99 Club Islington’s Saturday night bill of Bob Mills, Angela Barnes and Nick Doody did not produce a single uncomfortable silence or poorly timed cough.

The all-English line up is strung together by the affable compere stylings of Simon Fielder, who possesses the enviable knack of being able to make instant mates of his audience. A group of Americans bravely sitting in the front row might not agree, as Fielder’s spotlight on them leads to their copping the brunt of the comedic torture for the rest of the evening.

Bob Mills kicks things off and his ironic fat guy jokes are oddly charming through his Cockney-bloke delivery. He manages to keep the crowd roaring even through the obligatory jokes about the weather, as his mastery of observation transforms the stock standard “it’s too bloody hot” into a brilliant take on the English mindset.

Angela Barnes quickens the pace, as her equally self-deprecating style is carried by her sprightly, almost chipper delivery. She tackles what it means to be a single 30-something woman in a way that eludes the bitterness that plagues many of her fellow female comics. Also unable to avoid the topic of London’s unusually warm weather, Barnes still manages to avoid any tired repetition of Mills’ jokes and instead expresses the struggles of being an overly sun-sensitive, fake redhead.

The evening is wrapped up by the incisive wit of Nick Doody, a favourite on the British comedy circuit renowned for his topical satire and intelligent quips. He mocks the absurdity that is airport security in 2013 and unveils his own devilish schemes to ruin any customs officer’s day. Bringing the show to an end with a resounding applause and an audience still chuckling well beyond the punch line, Doody tops off what is a perfectly strung together comedic line up.

Kayla Clibborn

For further information and future events visit the 99 Club’s website here.

Watch Bob Mills’ stand-up here: