Laughing out Loud for Cherry Lodge Cancer Care

A capacity audience enjoyed top-class comedy at Totteridge Cricket Club on Saturday 11th May 2024. The ‘Laugh out Loud’ comedy night, held in aid of Cherry Lodge Cancer Care, was a great success – huge fun for all and a substantial sum of money raised to help Cherry Lodge keep all its information and support services completely free of charge.

This hilarious event was organised and hosted by loyal CL supporter Sion James of Collywobblers Comedy Club. Sion can always be relied on to help people have a good time, keeping everyone on side despite his frequent teasing. Five top class acts were included in the line up and all were deservedly very well received.

First up was Carwyn Blayney, with his lilting Welsh accent, memories of a less sophisticated age, observation that it was impossible to play sad music on a ukelele, and a rendition of ‘Candle in the Wind’ on a jew’s harp! Olivia Lee was next, finding humour in being the mother of two boys, one with a disability, driven to googling ‘baby in bin’ and relieving tension with a very dramatic silent scream.

Two more acts followed the first interval. Johnny CT, came across as an endearing observer of urban culture – black and white, edgy Walthamstow and genteel Totteridge, shepherd’s pie and sourdough bread. Sassy Indian TV actress turned comedian Shruti Sharma found humour in inter-generational and national differences, contrasting a boring white Indian bra with a sexy yellow French one.

Top star Fiona Allen can always be relied on to enthrall an audience with her lively wit and talent for mimicry. Best remembered by this reporter were the not so empty swimming pool, Fiona’s verbal exchanges with her straight talking Bulgarian cleaner, parental one-upmanship, and her wonderful Spanish mother switching mid sentence into broad Lancashire.

There were excellent prizes to be won in the raffle, including the first prize of bed and breakfast for two at the Double Tree by Hilton London Elstree (generously donated by the hotel). Tina then brought the event to a close with a short vote of thanks to everyone who had attended and taken part, to her team of volunteers and also to Sion, a great friend of Cherry Lodge.

Click on the small images below to enlarge them.