Cellar dwellers: Laughs aplenty in underground lair, with the occasional bomb
Talk about intimate – Brisbane Comedy Cellar is a tight squeeze, but who cares when you are laughing your head off.
What possesses someone to get up on stage to say, “Hey, look at me, I’m going to try to make you laugh”? This question kept swirling through my head as I watched eight comedians on a tiny stage at Brisbane Comedy Cellar, an actual basement cellar below the Raven Hotel in West End. (The club’s website refers to it as “Australia’s most intimate comedy room.)
The brainchild of comedian Tony Lathouras, the venue had a sold-out gala opening in late February and was inspired by New York’s renowned Comedy Cellar. As you descend the staircase at the back of the Raven, the temperature drops as you’re enveloped in a very snug but not too claustrophobic space. There are 60 seats at tables and the elevated stage has an attractive sandstone backdrop. Not too elevated, though, otherwise the comedians would be in danger of hitting their head on the ceiling.
On the Friday night I was there, house band The Fruits offered mellow, jazzy vibes with synthy keyboards, bass guitar and drums, creating a jazz-club atmosphere for when patrons arrived. They could then order drinks and snacks before the show started at 8pm (shows start at different times depending on the day of the week).
So, to that question of why anyone would want to expose themselves to potentially die a painful, metaphorical death on stage, Lathouras, who was MC and warm-up act for the night, says that doing stand-up is an addiction. No matter how badly you might bomb one night, you must get back out there and give it a go, because when you do get that great audience reaction, it’s all worth it. Better him than me.
And you ask, did any of the comedians bomb? Well, yes. A few were hit and miss. A few got better as they went on until the “That’s all, folks” moment. And a couple had real potential.
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Brisbane Comedy Cellar is precisely the type of intimate supportive venue that Lathouras envisaged for acts to try out their material in short stints. And the brave patrons who chose to sit at the front seemed more than happy to have questions and comments aimed at them, and to call out answers when asked. It was all very friendly.
I happen to be incredibly fussy when it comes to stand-up. And I am a difficult to get an out-loud laugh from. But I did give some genuine chuckles. Without giving a blow-by-blow critique of each act, I’m pointing out (and yes, it’s one of the most subjective artforms) Josh Coutinho, Georgina Humphries and Jamieson Gilders. I’m sure some of the others just weren’t having their best night and could be on fire other nights. Or maybe not, and they should consider taking an accounting course.
As soon as headline act Rhi Down hit the stage, her professionalism and stage smarts were evident. Her tales of new motherhood and post-partum rage went down a treat. It was a shorter set than I felt a headliner would do, but she did admit she wanted to leave so she could check the footy score!
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Lathouras has had 20 years in the commercial building industry and has always been the “class clown”. He started the club to provide the intimate experience he feels is missing from many comedy venues. He’s evidently onto a winner, judging by the audience reaction and overall ambience. It was all over at about 9.30pm and everyone left with smiles on their faces.
Brisbane Comedy Cellar runs Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights, as well as every second Saturday. Each month on one of the Saturdays it becomes purely a jazz venue. Wednesdays’ Cellar Sessions is an experimental night when comedians can test new material and invite the audience into the process.
Thursdays is a rotating format of The Dating Game, where comedians play matchmaker to blindfolded contestants; The Big Game Show Show, mashing up classic ‘90s and 2000s game shows with audience participation; Crowd Control, an improv battle where the audience decides the winner; and Is This a Bit?, where comics spin wild stories and the audience calls their bluff.
Fridays and Saturdays – Weekend Showcases sees premium line-ups featuring the best of Brisbane’s comedy scene alongside touring headliners. Live piano accompaniment adds to the vibe.
The menu of tasty foods includes mushroom arancini, fries, green curry fish cakes and chicken wings. There are enough wine, beer and spirit choices on hand to satisfy a diversity of tastes. If you would prefer a substantial main meal, book the restaurant above at The Raven and eat before you arrive.
Brisbane Comedy Cellar runs Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights plus every second Saturday, at 400 Montague Rd (below Raven Hotel), West End.
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