THE Woodville in Gravesend played host to its monthly Laughing Boy Comedy night on Thursday evening and there were some impressive acts on the bill.

Opening the show was Ellie Taylor, a contestant on ITV stand-up talent show Show Me The Funny and current presenter of BBC3’s Snog Marry Avoid.

Taylor is an Essex girl but certainly not your stereotypical one, although she did a very good impression of a TOWIE empty head pretending to be a BBC news reporter covering American politics Essex style.

Doing accents is clearly a big strength for Taylor.

She is currently in a relationship with an Australian living in Russia and took the opportunity to do a good Russian impression based on what she has seen from her visits there.

Next up was Adam Hess, who unsurprisingly managed to get a gag in about his unfortunate surname.

Closing the first half was Irish comedian Neil Delamere, a big TV name in his own country apparently but a virtual unknown this side of the water.

I enjoyed Delamere’s set a lot and for me he was the star of the show.

His interaction and quick-thinking witty responses to members of the audience were very impressive, as was his story about having his email account hacked.

Delamere should seriously consider a career over here as he is clearly funnier than a lot of people you see regularly on TV in the UK.

Opening the second half was Mark Simmons, who delivered an excellent set of one-liners and some very well constructed gags.

Simmons is definitely one to watch in the future and if you get a chance to see him, then take it because he will make you laugh.

The headliner was Rob Beckett, a south-east London comic.

Beckett is currently looking to buy a house with his girlfriend and started off by telling the audience about his dislike of estate agents, ironic as somebody in the front row had earlier confessed to MC Kevin McCarthy he worked as an estate agent.

He then spoke about his childhood going to school in Bromley and more about his family background, notably  about how his dad can only respond with motorway directions of how to get to places when Beckett tells him on the phone he has been gigging somewhere else in the country.

Beckett seemed quite a charming and personable comic, something the audience clearly liked.
This was a good night which was high on laughs.

I would strongly recommend a visit when the show returns with a different line-up to Gravesend’s Woodville Halls on June 20.

For more information, visit laughingboycomedyclub.com