Red Card Comedy

It seems somewhat gladiatorial. I think so, and that's what we were trying to make. We wanted something where the audience didn't sit there in a passive way, watching comic after comic get up on stage. The MC picks the first three judges and they go up on stage, and then the audience heckles the people on stage about putting up their red cards: two out of the three cards to go up and then that comic is off.

So the comics have to win over the audience and the judges, while the audience yells at the judges over the comic. It gets extremely rowdy. It's funny because audiences have gotten so politically correct - I haven't heard a heckle in so long! In fact, the last time I heard a heckle, security asked the person to leave! Part of it is the Responsible Service of Alcohol - the RSA has changed things so that people are just not as drunk anymore. It's changed everything - now it's like it's the opera. They sit there with their hands folded neatly on their laps.

And you're trying to change that? Absolutely. When people turn up we give them a lolly bag and it's got foghorns and duck whistles and what have you, so what we're really giving them is permission to act like five year olds - and I was amazed at how much fun people had.

Red Card Comedy happens on Sat 30 Aug at the Roxbury Hotel, hosted by Tommy Dean.

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