Comedy for Calais was a night of stellar comedy and wine-drinking. But behind its conception was a bleak situation. It has recently been announced that the Jungle Refugee camp in Calais will be evicted by the authorities, leaving at least two thousand refugees without shelter and desperately in need of aid. To help raise donations, students pioneered a night of cheer and positivity, encouraging students to relax and have a giggle while raising money for a really worthwhile cause.

The evening celebrated some of Cambridge’s finest student comedy, and none of the stand-ups disappointed. Host Yaseen Kader kept the energy going in between the acts with lively audience interaction and sharp, witty observations, like questioning the status of foot fetishists in today’s society. Each set was kept short and snappy. I could happily have sat through longer sets given that the performances were of such high quality, but I can understand the decision to cut them down as this may have made the event as a whole drag on somewhat. The comedians launched in with confidence, and left you wanting more. All of them offered original, side-splitting material, but among those who really stood out were Isa Bonachera, Haydn Jenkins and Ken Cheng. My friends had actually seen several of the sets before in a separate comedy show, and they told me that these were, if anything, only funnier the second time round. Many of the one-liners had the audience in fits of giggles including one of my personal favourites: “I left home at the age of sixteen – then I got back from school in the afternoon.”

Had the organisers kept to having stand-up after stand-up perform one after the other, the format might have become slightly monotonous, but this was prevented by the inclusion of an interval in which to buy more wine (all proceeds went to charity) and also by the integration of refreshing group performances. These were the double act, Luisa Callander and Ruby Keane of the recent sketchshow Mavericks, and also Quinoa Comedy. Quinoa Comedy performed a condensed (but no less amusing) version of their recent show No Pain No Grain. They quickly had the room in stitches with Elliott Wright’s hilarious David Bowie impression and some brilliant physical comedy. Their set ended on a belter, with a stage mishap turning into a moment of perfect comedy as a prop baby’s head smashed on the floor (it was less morbid in context, I promise). Meanwhile Mavericks’ Ruby and Louisa made for an immediately likable dynamic duo, sailing comfortably through their range of hilarious impressions. They even included a dad joke.

The only way in which Comedy for Calais disappointed was in terms of the turnout. The McCrum lecture theatre (which, in spite of being a lecture theatre, made for a surprisingly comfortable venue when the lights were dimmed) was far from being at full capacity. Such a splendid showcasing of Cambridge’s comedians, in aid of such a good cause, really deserved a larger audience.

Also, I waited until the interval before buying a glass of wine, so I can vouch that I teared up from laughter before I was even tipsy.

http://www.calaid.co.uk/