The Edinburgh Castle in Brunswick is the venue for a new comedy room – Jumpers for Goal Posts, run by comedian Craig McLeod. These free shows are held on the first Thursday of every month and I was there to attend the second show.
The night got underway at around nine o’clock with the first bracket comprising of four up and coming comedians, followed by a 10-15 minute break. The second bracket featured two more established comedians in Tom Siegert and Celia Pacquola, and the proceedings finished up at 11 o’clock.
The room itself is the large dining area of the pub, with the diagonal layout of the tables allowing a clear view of the corner stage from all vantage points. My only suggestion would be to have a brighter spotlight on the stage because there were times when the performers’ faces would get lost in the shadows.
Fortunately, there was a great turn out that night which meant the spacious room did not feel empty. The bright yellow floral wallpaper and the gentle sizzling heard from the kitchen behind the stage was comforting and gave a warm and homely ambience to the room. For smokers, there is a conveniently located beer garden at the rear of the room.
Of course, as with any free event held within a close vicinity of access to alcohol, there can be one or two difficult patrons. The comedians dealt well, in a suitably laid-back manner, with one particularly eager audience member who thought himself a comedian and proceeded to try out his material on stage during the breaks.
Jumpers for Goal Posts provides a great Thursday nights’ entertainment so do be sure to get along next month and support Melbourne comedy!
Jumpers for Goal Posts happens at Edinburgh Castle (681 Sydney Road, Brunswick) on the first Thursday of the month. Entry is FREE!