Social Event: The Comedy Night

Last week, as part of our weekly social programme, I accompanied a group of students on a visit to a stand-up comedy night in a local pub. Although I have been to lots of comedy shows before, the students had never attended such a night. It was their first experience of live stand-up comedy in London, and one which I am sure was not only fun but also good for their English.

First of all, what is stand-up comedy? It is very popular here in the UK as well as in other English speaking countries, but as far as I know it is not so common in other countries. So, if you are not familiar with stand-up, let me briefly outline its features:

It is performed by one person each time: a stand-up comedian who stands up on stage and talks to the audience
The only aim of the performance is to make people laugh
The comedian doesn't use a script (unlike in theatre plays), and they often improvise and ask the audience questions
Sometimes the comedian will pick on members of the audience, but it is just for fun
They share personal stories and experiences with the audience, as well as talking about recent news stories or politics
The night is hosted by a compere or MC who introduces the acts and warms up the crowd

Secondly, what was our comedy night like? Well, at the beginning of the evening we went to a lovely pub which is in walking distance from school and had a drink. There we talked and shared information about our different cultures. I was curious about the role of comedy in the cultures of other countries. I was interested to see what they would think about the performance and whether they would understand everything. The students were also curious about what the comedians would say, and how much of it they would catch. Then we walked to the comedy venue where we ate some food and waited for the performance to start. The show took place in a small room in a pub, where there were rows of seats for the audience, a small stage, a light and a microphone. The students were a little bit nervous because they were worried that the comedians might ask them difficult questions.

During the show, the students laughed and had a good time. I was pleased because they managed to understand quite a lot, although when a comedian from Scotland took the stage, the students didn't understand a word because of his strong accent. He was very funny though, particularly his slapstick routine about London pigeons. One of the comedians did ask the students some questions and I was glad to see that they answered without being too shy. What a confidence booster!

It was great to see the students enjoying some real British entertainment, and it really was a good way to practise their English. In my opinion, if you can understand stand-up comedy, you will be able to understand all the nuances and subtleties of English as a spoken language, and it comes with another reward - laughter.

So, in conclusion, I highly recommend that learners of English experience some stand-up comedy for themselves. Not only is it good for your listening, it is also a great insight into the culture of the English language, and a fantastic way to enjoy yourself while doing it.

If you would like to find out more about stand-up, then you can click here to listen to a conversation I had with a friend recently.

To find out more about stand-up comedy shows in London, click here.

a script = the written words of a performance (used in plays, films, television shows)

to improvise = to perform without any preparation, to make it up on the spot

to pick on someone = to make fun of someone, to say things about someone in order to make other people laugh

compere or MC = the person who hosts an entertainment event and introduces the other performers. MC means Master of Ceremonies

to be curious about something = interested in learning more about

to catch something = hear and understand

didn't understand a word = understood nothing

slapstick = physical comedy

a routine = a part of a comedy performance

pigeons = birds which are very common in London, as well as in many other cities

a confidence booster = something which 'boosts' (pushes and improves) your confidence

nuances and subtleties = specific little details

a reward = a good thing you get as a result of doing something difficult/worthwhile

insight = a deeper understanding

brave = courageous

elsewhere = somewhere else

Image: www.dailycomedy.com

Social Programme

Conversation in The Grand Union

Last week about 30 students and three teachers from the Westcroft Square School visited some local pubs. We left school at 4.30 and walked through Ravenscourt Park to a pub called, The Grand Union. This pub has recently been refurbished and has modern decoration and some slightly crazy artwork. As we arrived quite early and most people in London hadn’t finished work we were able to take over a large section at the back of the pub. The students were able to relax after school and practise using their English in a more natural setting than the classroom.

Teachers Howard and Raphael

Howard, a teacher from the school, was in charge of the event and I attended to take photos, along with another teacher Raphael. There were students from over 11 different countries and there was a lot of discussion about culture, customs and places from various countries. Sometimes students become a bit more fluent after a couple of drinks but it can mean they lose some accuracy. The important thing is that English is being practised in a relaxed environment.

Students and the pub artwork

After about an hour and a half in this pub Howard and the students moved to another more traditional pub called The Goldhawk on Goldhawk Road. This pub is a little more old fashioned but still has a relatively modern feel. Some of the students tried some traditional English ales, while others drank wine and soft drinks. Some even had a snack or some dinner there. There was a band playing later on in this pub and a few of the students were happy to stay there for the evening although some left to do their homework. Overall it was a successful event, everybody enjoyed themselves and a lot of English was spoken and heard.

Glossary
has recently been refurbished - has been redecorated and modernised

to take over - to take control of something
a more natural setting - a a place and situation which is more normal than the classroom
customs - traditional habits in a country or culture
a relatively modern feel - having modern look compared to siome other pubs

The School Band

Not only are our staff at LSE very experienced and well qualified in teaching English as a foreign language, they are also great entertainers! In fact, I think we might be one of the only schools in London to have its own band.

The group is called Banned Practice and is made up of teachers and members of staff at the school. Banned Practice have been practising, writing songs and performing for at least 20 years. The group has had many different members and has played possibly hundreds of different songs over the years.

I am the most recent member of the group. I joined about 3 years ago when I started working at the school. I play the drums, and I sometimes sing (but the less said about that the better). Teachers and staff members from both Holland Park and Westcroft Square are involved in the band. We have two guitarists (Robin Gray and Francis Duncan), a bass guitarist (Johnny ‘Danger’ Diablo), and lead singers (Michelle Oldman, Richard McNeff, Kevin Scanlan, Carrick Cameron, Simon Williams). Some of those singers are also guitarists, keyboard players, flutists, saxophone players and even tambourine players. There is so much talent packed into this group that sometimes it feels like we are going to explode!

We play cover versions of classic rock and roll songs from the 50s to the noughties, and we also write some original material. Richard McNeff in particular has written quite a few of his own tracks (Richard is also a published novelist – check out his website here).

We practise once a week either in the school or in a local rehearsal studio in Shepherds Bush, and we perform concerts to our staff and students regularly during the year. The concerts are usually great parties in which everyone has a good time grooving to the music or just observing the incredible display of musicianship and entertainment on stage! Our gigs often end with the crowd shouting “Encore encore!”

Being in the band is great fun, especially during gigs, but we also work very hard at learning the songs. Hopefully the hard work pays off when we get in front of the audience and start our set. We aim to entertain, and always hope that everyone enjoys themselves.

If you come to LSE or you are a student here now, watch out for up-coming social events involving Banned Practice. We are also on Facebook, so check us out!

Definitions:

is made up of - consists of

over the years – during the long time since it started

the less said about that the better – don’t talk about it

cover versions – songs which were written and recorded by someone else

the noughties – the informal expression for the decade 2000-2009 (e.g. 80-89 = the eighties, 90-99 = the nineties – 2000 – 2009 = the noughties). The word ‘noughties’ is a kind of pun on the words ‘naughty’ which means ‘badly behaved’, and the word ‘nought’ which means ‘zero’ or 0)

original material – songs written by the band (not cover versions)

tracks - songs

rehearsal studio – a place in which a band practises

grooving - dancing

musicianship – the ability to play a musical instrument

gigs – live concerts

to be in a band – to be a member of a musical group

the hard work pays off – hard work is rewarded in the end

a set – the whole list of songs which a band plays in one concert