On Friday night, South Hill Park played host to comedians Addy Van Der Borgh and Mick Ferry who were previewing their hilarious shows ahead of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August.

On Friday night, South Hill Park played host to comedians Addy Van Der Borgh and Mick Ferry who were previewing their hilarious shows ahead of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August.

The Fringe is one of the largest art festivals in the world with over 3,000 shows taking place each year and throughout July another six talented comedians will be previewing their material at Bracknell’s South Hill Park.

The aptly named comedy cellar made a cosy den for the lively audience, who filed joyfully in clasping pints of beer. Many members of the audience were more than happy to oblige in banter with the acts who skilfully ensured they were never upstaged.

Addy Van Der Borgh quickly warmed up the audience and proceeded to deliver one hilarious joke after another, commentating on the absurdities of everyday life including the bane of flying Ryanair (an ordeal far too many of us are familiar with!) the pressures of modern relationships and the dilemmas of the middle-class. The latter he commented on with hilarious effect after an audience member revealed she hated a book so much “she didn’t even recycle it”!

Addy was followed by Mick Ferry whose jokes were well suited to his late-night performance with edgy humour that was a hit with the audience. Ferry’s talents as a comedian were perhaps best displayed when a woman suddenly appeared mid-performance from a narrow doorway behind the stage. This prompted Ferry to echo the confusion of the audience as he vacantly asked, “where did you come from?” before checking if the narrow doorway was a gateway to a busy street!

For those of us unable to visit Edinburgh, then South Hill Park’s comedy cellar provides a perfect underground venue for a taste of the Fringe.

Amy Horsfield