Last week we held our third annual Stand Up for AKU Comedy Night in Cambridge, at the snug and cheerful Portland Arms. This week’s blog is about the evening and how we raised awareness for AKU. The night was a massive success, and we raised £469.19 in total!
The hilarious Pam Ford hosted the night. Some of you may remember Pam as she has hosted our two previous Comedy Nights. The Portland Arms was once again our venue and was an excellent setting for live comedy.
Alongside our host, Pam, we had Rob Coleman as our first act, then Don Biswas and Jenny B Side, and finally Jason Stampe closing the night.
The comedy show began at 8 pm, the room was bustling as our attendees poured into the venue, grabbing drinks at the bar, chatting in their seats and readily awaiting the entertainment.
Pam warmed up the crowd to begin. The 6-foot Australian blew us away with her outrageous stories and buckets of energy.
Rob Coleman was up first, with dark and ridiculous jokes that played well with the audience. He used a variety of one-liners, joked about his eccentric hair-cut, and always engaged with the crowd, who were left eager for even more comedy by the end of this first act.
We then had our first interval, the crowd topped up their drinks and bought our raffle tickets – with an exciting selection of prizes on offer list below. Settled back in our seats, we were ready for more.
Don Biswas came on stage and discussed his experiences with dyspraxia and mild Asperger’s syndrome – both learning difficulties that affect coordination and social skills. His bold political jokes, social commentary and array of gags made it a refreshing set.
Jenny B Side then arrived with glittery shoes on and a guitar in hand. Her silly and outrageous songs loosened up the audience, even more, her medleys were spot on – much of the crowd didn’t want it to end!
We then had our second interval, where final raffle tickets were sold. We called the audience back to their seats and did our eagerly awaited raffle, including the local fudge almost everyone had their eye on. Our prizes were:
– A chauffeured Cambridge punting boat tour with Scudamore’s
– Two tickets to the opening night of Alan Bennett’s The Habit of Art at the Cambridge Arts Theatre
– Horrible Histories Blood Curdling Book Box donated by Cambridge International Book Centre
– An artisan Italian Hamper put together by Cook Italia
– A bottle of Lanson Black Label Brut champagne
– A fudge box from Cambridge Fudge Kitchen
Thank you to everyone that bought raffle tickets and congratulations on the winners! We sold 155 tickets on the night and a huge thank you to everyone who donated prizes.
After the prizes were handed out, Pam told a few more funny stories and introduced Jason Stampe, who then closed the evening and left the audience in stitches, telling stories about his girlfriend and his daughter.
We would like to say a massive thank you to the comedians for taking the time to provide us with an entertaining evening and everyone who attended. It was a great evening full of laughs while also raising awareness for AKU. We will be hosting another comedy night next year.
Got an idea for a fundraising event? Keen to get involved in our community fundraising? We are always looking for new and exciting ways to fundraise. Why not get in contact with our fundraising officer, Juliet and share your ideas!