A one year anniversary is a wonderful achievement for any comedy room and Brew HaHa reached this milestone last month. The room’s promoters, Alasdair Tremblay-Birchall and Spencer Hodges, have been running this monthly room which has been been attracting a solid following among the punters.
Those visiting Gertrude’s Brown Couch for the first time may have difficulty in locating the band room in which Brew HaHa is held. Punters need to break out their compass and head towards the rear of the room, through a labyrinth of corridors to the area where the smoking courtyard and lavatories are located. A small chalk sign indicates a staircase to the left, at the top of which the band room is located.
The room itself features plenty of wood paneling on the walls and a terracotta paint scheme which gives the place the charm of an old school inner suburban pub that is comforting. A small bar at the rear of the room keeps punters thirsts quenched and saves you a hike downstairs to the main bar. A small menu of food that includes pizzas and chips is available from the main bar for those hungry comedy fans.
The seating in the room was primarily made up of plastic stacking chairs, but those arriving early enough could snare a comfy spot on the couches and benches lining the walls of the room or choose to hide up the back in a booth. The sight lines seemed to fine from most points of the room (except those facing backwards in the booths), the only pylon in the room was close to the wall and unobtrusive. As this is a room that normally hosts bands, the stage is large, the PA system is loud and clear, and the stage lighting is great. A projector and screen have been installed and were used extensively on the night that I attended.
This is another room that cuts back on the number of acts featured in each show and gives them extended stage time of at least twenty minutes each. The night is divided into two brackets, each hosted by Alasdair and Spencer. Each bring a unique personality to the night, Spencer’s shouty enthusiasm compared to Alistar’s more reserved stage presence, which give the show a wonderful dynamic. Spencer also presents a regular feature of the night: audience participation in the form of a video ‘What happens next?’ game.
Brew HaHa is a fun room with plenty of personality that has got the thumbs up from the Melbourne comedy punters. Pencil the September show in your diaries as it is a fundraising event for MASLIM (a group of Monash Univeristy students who contribute to, promote and support raising funds for various sustainable development initiatives in South Africa). Entry is $15 and it will feature Claire Hooper, Josh Earl, Neil Sinclair & Anne Edmonds.
Brew HaHa is held on the first Thursday of each month at Gertrude’s Brown Couch (30 Gertrude St Fitzroy). The show starts at 8:30pm and entry is normally $8. Join their facebook group for all the gossip and info.