Amateur Comedy here in London is far from amateur. In fact most of the people that preform around the city have been getting laughs for quite some time. Competitions like that held at The Bull and Barrel Thursday Night are just another reason for these comedians try out their material.
Around 12 comics preformed on Bull and Barrels stage, all hoping to take home some sweet bar merchandise and for one lucky winner $100 cash.
That lucky winner just happened to be The Bull and Barrels reigning comedy champion Ivan Balltags. Ivan has been practicing stand up for years and uses his Ukrainian heritage and accent to pull the laughs from the audience.
Ivan has previously won comedy competitions at the Bull and Barrel before and maintained that title again on Thursday.
“I was just bored drinking beer on my couch one night and decided to head to the bar and try some comedy.” said Ivan, prize money in hand.
“There’s lots of open mic nights so people that want to give stand up a try can come out anywhere.”
Open mic nights allow for new comics to get their start and for veterans of the scene to hone and perfect their material for competitions. Some locations include Poachers Arm, The Bull and Barrel and even The Rec Room.
