There is something very satisfying about booking tickets to a diverse comedy line-up. No longer do you have to take a gamble on whether or not to see a sole comedian and their potential one-joke monologue on golf or the Kardashians, as you frantically google ‘What is a Kardashian?’ on your phone. No, if such a comedian appears, you know that in fifteen short minutes someone completely new will be along. Of course, it’s entirely possible to have a line-up of six or seven disappointing acts, each one eroding your fervour for life even further, making each tick of the clock seem shackled down, laboriously grinding from one second to the next.  But thankfully, Knock2Bag’s most recent comedic outing at RichMix in Shoreditch was not like this at all.

My stand-out act for the night was Newsjack host, Nish Kumar who I most recently saw at Andy Zaltzman’s ‘Satirist for Hire’ show, satirising topics from the UK General Election. Continuing that thread, Kumar stated that the reason stand-up comedy is predominantly left wing is because right-wing comedy is nigh-on impossible to write. He conceded that the best he could come up with was ‘Don’t you hate it when you start making £100,000 a year and have to move up an income bracket?’, a line unlikely to provoke ripples of laughter through the majority of audiences. By the same logic, he stated that this was why folk music was predominantly left-wing, ‘Because a right-wing folk song would be HARROWING.’ Kumar also delivered an inspired rant about the right-wing prevalence in the game of Monopoly, its name alone sending brashly corporate overtones down one’s spine. He was lyrically indignant about the fact that landing on the tax square and having to pay our tax is the worst thing that can happen to you on the entire board. An arguably irresponsible message for tiny, impressionable minds.

Kumar went on to touch on the ludicracy of those who object to Idris Elba playing Bond, some of whom bizarrely likened it to the idea of Clooney playing Obama (Obama being distinguishable from Bond by, well, the very virtue of corporeal existence). He also revealed how sharing secrets is his favourite thing in the world: ‘When I hear someone say “I’m going to tell you something I’ve never told anyone before,” he revealed, ‘what I hear is “you’re my best friend”.’  Kumar stated at the beginning of his set that he really needs his comedic career to work out because ‘I have a hole in my CV that you could drive a truck through’. If his comedy continues at this strength, he need have no fears at all.

The event was compered by Jarred Christmas who should get points alone for his name. He was an excellent and energetic host, revving up a crowd that took a while to relax. Well. Apart from one man in front of me who, with his wild hair, exotic shirt and uproarious laughter, sinisterly reminded me of Robert De Niro in the cinema scene of Cape Fear. Christmas, who hails from New Zealand, really had the crowd going when getting them to shout out regions of England to which he would attempt to do the regional accent. One particularly zealous chap consistently bellowed ‘LIVERPOOL!, LIVERPOOL!’ in the manner of one calling out a name during sex, until Christmas paid him attention with a beautiful ‘Sorry. Never heard of it.’

Also on the line-up was Australian comedian, Sarah Kendall, BBC New Comedy Awards 2014 Finalist Amir Khoshsokhan, “anti-comedian” Ed Aczel, rising star Tom Toal and Arrested Development favourite David Cross.

Kendall was full of useful advice for the audience such as the enjoyment in spying a person reading a book on the tube, casually wandering up to them and uttering such words as ‘Hi, I’m Ruth Rendell. Glad you’re enjoying it.’ (Considering that Ruth Rendell died last month, Kendall would have that additional ‘Wow’ factor in appearing to be a ghost.) She also bemoaned perfume ads which often feature a woman swanning out of an elevator or riding a horse; grandiose things that are ironically only identifiable as perfume adverts due to their complete lack of relation to perfume. The comedienne finished her set with an intriguing impression of giving a hand-job; it involved simultaneously placing her free hand over the man’s face while looking somewhat distressed. Cape Fear man in front of me, again, laughed with borderline hysteria and a concerning amount of recognition.

Amir Khoshsokhan gave a short but entertaining rendition of a fictional break-up with his girlfriend. At least, I hope it was fictional as if his behaviour is to be believed, he may never date again. ‘Anti-Comedian’ Ed Aczel took on the novel approach of avoiding asking obvious questions such as ‘So who here like dogs?’ and instead opted for ‘Who here has a Nobel Prize?’ and ‘Who here is a Merchant Banker?’ until he struck gold. Tom Toal is a relative newcomer to the comedy scene but was able to regale us with tales of his new baby and the type of father he hopes to be. Upon asking the audience who was a parent, one guy in the front row simply let out an ‘Urfffff’ sound, reminiscent of a dog protecting a bone.  ‘God, I hope you’re not a father,’ Toal quipped.

The final act was Arrested Development’s David Cross, the act that - as many of the comedians joked about – the audience was mainly here to see. I hope they revised their opinions as, great as it was to see Tobias Funkë in the flesh, the other acts had put a great deal of effort and energy into their performances, to great effect, and this shouldn’t be forgotten. Cross remarked that he hadn’t performed stand-up since the last time he was in London and he has revealed in interviews that he enjoys performing comedy in England because he feels there is more freedom of expression – a sentiment he put into full force at Knock2Bag. Engaging with the audience, including one inebriated young lady in the  front row, Cross made sure to keep the crowd involved and a reference to how he was now able to shower naked was an appreciated nod to all Arrested Development ‘Never-Nudes’.

Overall, I’d thoroughly recommend the Knock2Bag events for a varied and eclectic comedy night for a fantastic price. The next one occurs at Bar FM in London and tickets and further details are available here: http://www.richmix.org.uk/

Any questions about this review? Please contact me @kerenzakismet