FRIVOLITY, fights and phoney hecklers graced the Weymouth Pavilion on Sunday night for the penultimate comedy line-up of the season.

Whilst the audience expected Doc Brown, what they got was a far more dramatic evening after his cancellation led to an unforgettable headliner - for multiple reasons.

The night began with apologies brought by Dorset’s own Tom Glover, who got into his stride by picking on none other than audience member ‘Tom Cobley’ – also known as Deputy Mayor of Weymouth and Portland Richard Kosier, using a less than convincing false name to heckle the comedians.

Award-winning northern comedian Iain Smith came on to take over. You may have seen some of Smith’s work on show’s such as BBC Three’s Sweat the Small Stuff and BBC Two’s Popatron. From reciting tales of creepy neighbours wearing triple bumbags to carbonating yoghurts, gravy and urine, the audience were well on their way to hysterical laughter and a full round of applause.

Following Smith’s side-splitting act came well-known Joey Page, who has travelled the comedy scene alongside the likes of Josie Long and Noel Fielding. Page’s quick-talking but wandering gags had the audience captivated but confused with most of the act, often leading to long pauses of nervous laughter and uncomfortable silence within the auditorium. However, he managed to bring back the energy with a simple coat hanger sketch just in time for the final act of the night.

It was the moment people had anticipated but probably not expected as Terry Alderton, more commonly known as Terry from EastEnders and from big stages such as The Royal Variety Performance and Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Road Show, came on only to be shortly interrupted by an aggressive heckler.

Despite Alderton’s best attempts to make light of the heckler’s disappointment in his act, fun soon turned to fisticuffs as the young lad threw a cup of beer over the comedian.

Both men stood their ground ready for a fight before finally, someone broke the tension with an encouraging, “Come on Terry, you’re more professional than that”. The audience soon came to his rescue and booed the man out of the theatre, leaving Alderton to try and salvage the rest of his act.

Whilst Alderton did well to recover with theatrical and musically enhanced jokes which came with some pretty big laughs, the night was uncomfortably ruined, and had evidently left Alderton seething to the point of forgetting his punchlines and constantly referring back to the incident.

By the end of the set, it was clear for both the audience and Alderton that the laughs had run dry and to a sturdy applause, Alderton left the stage.

It was with that, that Tom Glover reminded and reassured us that Doc Brown would be coming to Weymouth later in the year.

Here’s hoping there are no more fights if he doesn’t make it again!

RACHEL LILY