The Bizarre Bath Comedy Walk

In the city of Bath, during the day, you will see a crowd of people walking along being led by someone wearing a light purple jacket. That will be one of the tours of the city provided by the council of Bath. In the evening, at 8pm, outside the Huntsman Inn you will see a large crowd of people, from many different countries, gathering around another purple coated guide. This guided walk is different. It will be Noel Britten or J.J. and it is a comedy walk lasting about 90 minutes. Its format slightly parodies the walking tours available in most cities but that is where any resemblance ends. Probably unique in the UK, this walking comedy show has run for eighteen years or so. Every single evening, from the beginning of April to the end of October of each year, the Bizarre Bath Comedy Walk has entertained people with its humour and originality. There are very few comedy shows in theatres, if any, that have run for as many years or as successfully.

J.J. welcoming people to the Bizarre Bath Comedy Walk.

The creator of the Comedy Walk is Noel Britten. A successful comedian who has won awards for his comedy acts and who still finds time to perform the Bizarre Bath Comedy Walk between gigs and touring. On the evenings that Noel Britten is not available for the Walk, it is usually hosted by J.J., who has been with Bizarre Bath since its beginning.

Between them, Noel Britten and J.J. (and one or two others) have entertained who knows how many thousands of people on this unique tourist event. It is deservedly mentioned on most, if not all, the reputable travel guide web sites (for example Trip Advisor).

As to what happens on the comedy walk, well … describing that would spoil the fun of going on the walk. It is very enjoyable and more than worth the price which, by the way, is £8 for adults, £5 for students and £5 for children.

Visit the website: http://www.bizarrebath.co.uk/

Caught in the (street) Act!

A quiet day out in Jill’s favourite city, Bath Spa, seemed like a good idea. What could possibly happen to interrupt the pleasant, tranquil feeling obtained by strolling through the historic streets, taking in the splendour of the architecture and the beauty of the parks, enjoying lunch by the riverside, and more?

Well, I spotted a street performer in the area in front of the Abbey, over by the Pump Rooms. Jill wasn’t keen; she was worried about being asked to join in. I said it would be okay, it wouldn’t happen, and that we’d enjoy seeing the act. So we went over. It was a comedy juggling act and was just starting.

Jill was chosen as one of the three people to hold flaming torches. The three of them were required, at the right moment, to throw the torches at the juggler; he would catch them, without burning himself, and begin juggling them. Jill was very concerned about being involved. Jill, almost as shy as me, found it uncomfortable being picked out and she was also worried about being responsible for causing a juggler to be burned alive. I reassured her that no one would get hurt and in regards to assisting the act I asked “How bad can it get?”

Minutes later I was picked out along with another man. We were made to put on pink ballet tutus and pose in suitable ballet positions before holding steady a very tall unicycle. The juggler asked us to rip off his trousers; we did so as the juggler threw off his jacket and revealed that underneath he was wearing a pink leotard. Putting on a matching pink crash helmet he leapt up the length of the unicycle onto the seat. The other man was then allowed to take off his tutu and go back into the audience. My ordeal continued for a while longer. I haven’t described the full act here. If you can get there, it’s worth seeing. Just don’t stand in the front row of the audience unless you’re keen to end up as part of the entertainment.

After the show Jill spent a lot of time laughing at what I went through. I didn’t mind. It was fun but I still would have preferred to watch rather then participate.

As summer approaches, more and more street acts will begin to appear in Bath Spa. The most active time will be around the end of May and early June. This will be the annual Bath Fringe Festival. All sorts of acts will be performing on the streets, in pubs, in clubs and theatres. You can found out more nearer the time by going to the Bath Fringe website.

http://www.bathfringe.co.uk/

Since first composing this blog I've discovered the name of the street entertainer; it is Jon Duz.