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The Bahrain Chuckle Club served up another potent dose of raucous comedy as it brought its current tour to a close with a barnstorming night in the British Club of Bahrain’s Ascot restaurant.
The new venue worked wonders, with the ‘high school gym’ feel swapped for a cosier and more concentrated atmosphere that had laughter and a positive vibe bouncing off the walls.
The show started off with renowned British comedian Ed Gamble – certainly an admirable coup for the event organisers – who gave a side-splitting off-the-cuff set that involved bantering with the game audience, particularly an American troupe parked on the front table, and another lady sat near the back who seemed to forget which country she grew up in.
US-Egyptian Eman Morgan stole the show in my eyes, thanks to a performance completely opposite to what I was expecting. Far from being loud and obnoxious, the humour was close to the bone and drew a few ‘ooohs’ from the audience. And, who doesn’t love self-deprecating material?
Australian Damo Clarke, looking every inch a lumberjack/nefarious gardener hybrid, closed the night with a more visual performance featuring hilarious dancing and exaggerated gestures, and his affable nature left me wishing he had produced a longer set.
This was by far the best instalment of the Chuckle Club since I started reviewing the shows last year (which worked out perfectly as I brought my visiting cousins from England along with me), so I’m excited for what the Punchline Media team can bring to the table when they hit the refresh button and come back even stronger later in the year for the next tour. Bravo!
– Kristian Harrison
