Joe Black: Kleines Kabarett – Komedia Brighton

There’s a thing you’ll find in many a Brighton basement on a Thursday. The sight of a man, lips spread wide, trying to fit as many balls as he can in his mouth.

It’s just another night at Kleines Kabarett, the festering brainchild of Drag Race UK alum Joe Black. A gathering for the weird and wonderful of the cabaret world, and their adoring clan.

Black is a truly captivating host and master of ceremonies. The night is carefully curated by him, and gosh does it show. Being honest, we all know that sometimes the MC is the comedy equivalent of an ad-break in your average show. Black is a point of difference. Every song he does takes us to an otherworldly elsewhere. It’s pure entertainment.

First up Donna Divine, and she lives up to her name. This reviewer likes her burlesque a little freakier, but if we’re talking the more traditional side of the artform, there are no notes. Impeccable.

Next up, we have Fag Packet, serving silk cut audacity with a side of filthy camp fun. First, live inspo for the young ladies in the room, from two babes who are absolutely bossing it. In the second half, they transform into hot young things at the beach who have made an unfortunate mess with their sun cream. Whoops.

Elf Lyons is a woman on the edge. We don’t know how she’s managed to make stand-up alternative, but somehow she’s done it again. This sincere spoof of the mental gymnastics of being a mildly mad woman in your mid-thirties is both original and glorious. Here’s for decidedly odd observational comedy. After the interval, she returns to deliver a snippet of the mime from her short film, The Fly. Much-recommended, bravo.

Rod Laver is a peculiar sort of sing pong artist. He’s introduced by Joe Black with an assessment of the height of the ceiling, which adds an obvious sort of intrigue. He pops the ping pong balls in his wide-open gob to the astonishment of the crowd. One…two…three…four?! ‘We’re not in Bangkok,’ he says wryly. Post drink-break, he returns with card play that’s quite unlike any other shuffling you’ve seen.

The clan are an important part of the Kleines Kabarett community, and Black knows this full well. He nods knowingly as he highlights his main clientele – mentally ill, middle-aged women, and the kind-eyed, stable husbands who drive them to the show. There’s a definite thread of devoted fans here, but also a fair few newbies in the crowd. And boy, is there much for them to return for.

Kleines Kabarett is fast becoming one of this reviewer’s favourite nights in Brighton to see something a bit different. Make room, (approaching) middle-aged women, is there room for a new follower in your crowd?

Reviewed on 4th February.