Lydia Rickards, herself a stand up, decided to make a
night happen in Swindon. Where though? In the middle of nowhere (Purton) lies a pub that
has the magnetism of a imploded star pulling people to it despite its tiny size.
Often a venue for hard rock, folk or singer song-writer evenings, a comedy
night was something different for Riffs bar.
Beginning in November, on the third Thursday of every
month Lydia brings in a selection of stand ups from far and wide. Wayne the
Weird from Southampton was the most recent headliner with his intriguing take
on the art of escape (perhaps he was banned from the magic circle after
developing it?), whilst other acts are more classic stand up; storytellers, one
liners, self-deprecators and alt-poets make Riffs their nest once a month.
Turn outs are usually between 20 and 40, which being in the middle of nowhere
is nothing to scoff at. Rest assured, there’s space for you and your date. Some people
might say “Why come to Swindon from Stroud, Cirencester or Cheltenham?” but the
good fortune is you don’t even have to enter dirty Swindon and it’s magic
roundabout, as you can easily by-pass and drive down a country lane.
Get your sat-nav and set it to SN4 8EQ and prepare to
be amazed. Often a designated driver is a must, but you’ve got mates surely?
Make a night of it, some of the acts you’ll see now won’t be doing free entries
for much longer.
01793 778304
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