Altered Feast - Norwich’s Best Kept Comedy Secret

If you’re looking for an alternative night out in Norwich, Altered Feast might just be for you. The brainchild of native Norfolkian, Tom Clutterbuck, Altered Feast is a monthly comedy event that takes place at the Birdcage, nestled in the wonderful Norwich Lanes. Our resident host guides us through the evening, performing his own little bits of stand up between the main acts. And yes, Clutterbuck really is his name.

Marketed as a cabaret, with a “signature brand of hilarity and excitement” at the bargain price of £5, we have so far enjoyed an eclectic mix of performances from comedians, musicians, poets, magicians, story tellers, people who do it all, and some more comedians thrown in for good measure. When I spoke to Tom, he said, “In addition to my background in comedy, I also do a lot of work with poets, theatre-makers, spoken word artists and musicians, so I wanted to create a night that could easily fit any or all of the above onto a single lineup.  My experience working behind the scenes in technical theatre has taught me quite a lot when it comes to constructing live events with a certain production value. Although it is still in its early days, we have put on a few technically ambitious performances at Altered Feast, and hopefully these have all flowed pretty naturally without too much of the clunky awkwardness that usually goes with poor technical production.” Also, because it’s a cabaret, Tom wears an excellent suit every time. It really is something special.

Altered Feast secures up and coming acts for their monthly show, and treats us to some famous names from the Edinburgh Fringe circuit, such as Howard Read, Matt Green, Bec Hill and Ian Smith to name but a few. Having been to all seven Altered Feast shows so far, I can personally confirm that everyone has been hilarious and wonderfully talented. Two of my favourites include Chris Read & Steve Pretty, and videos of their acts can be found on youtube (links here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_o3M0c_yJjA / https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_qNrLVr6uQ)

That’s one of the best things about this event; Clutterbuck has enticed people to become regular audience members, the crowd each time being full of familiar faces. That’s not to say newbies aren’t welcomed though, with such a friendly atmosphere and brilliant comedy, I feel it is an event that will just grow and grow.

As I mentioned, I’ve been to all seven of the Altered Feast nights now. Tom has since become my friend and even did a whole ten minutes of stand up at the January show in my Geordie accent. For non-native English speakers, Geordies are based in the North East of England and have a very distinctive accent that is very difficult to copy, and to Tom’s credit he did it very very well!

As well as hired performers, the audience is actively encouraged to come up and take part in the 2 minute ‘open mic’ section, where literally anything goes. As well as getting £2 back from the entry fee (listen up, poor students), it has given people their very first taste of stand up comedy, some of whom who have been absolute naturals, like UEA’s very own Amie Marie & Eliott Simpson. The two are members of UEATV, who film some of the acts and put them up on their youtube channel, link here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwMgpPHt6WE / https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEEtUPffmEQ)

The Birdcage is a wonderful little venue, opposite one of Norwich’s highest rated eateries, the Grosvenor fish bar. It is quiet and intimate but also very friendly and open. Its comfortable seating, cheap drinks and groovy artwork on the walls bring people back every month for this excellent event.

I asked Tom what his favourite thing about creating Altered Feast is, and he had this to say, “There have been too many highlights for me to pick just one, but personally I really enjoy the fact that I have chance to experiment myself, and audiences have supported me throughout.  Whether it be playing a live musical accompaniment to a storytelling piece, reading a bizarre letter from my past, or rapping about horror films, the audience have gone with me on it, and for that I am very grateful.”

Altered Feast has become my favourite night of the month and is something I look forward to as soon as the previous one ends. It’s really nice to have something different to do, that isn’t going to the LCR and getting drunk or staying in and watching a film. I know this article is titled as Norwich’s best kept comedy secret, I really hope that in the future it isn’t a secret anymore. It truly is very funny and super enjoyable and I love it.

To find out when the next one is, you can find them on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/alteredfeast/ or twitter at https://twitter.com/alteredfeast.