I’ve been recognised in the chippy

By Gaynor Clarke

Meet the man who wants to make Buckshaw Village laugh.

Bryan Malcolm, of Sunningdale Davie, Buckshaw Village, started the Ha Ha Club at Buckshaw Village Community Centre four years ago as a hobby alonside his job as a civil servant.

But when he was made redundant in 2011, he decided to concentrate on comedy full-time.

He said: “I had been doing comedy for only four or five months but I had built up a reputation for putting on good nights with good acts.

“It became a full-time job very quickly.

“It was never my intention.”

After taking his shows around the country, Bryan is finally bringing the Ha Ha Club back to Buckshaw Village.

Improvements have been made to the community centre which will mean the acoustics for shows are much better.

Bryan, 38, said: “If the acoustics were improved, I was always going to go back.”

The popular monthly event will be relaunched at 7.30pm on Saturday with comedians Justin Moorhouse, Gary Delaney and Lewis “Big Lou” Jones.

“I always said I would bring the best I could if we came back,” Bryan said.

“For £10, it’s a Comedy Store-quality and more line-up. It’s the kind of line-up you would see on the television, not in your community centre.”

And there is one more act on the bill – Bryan himself.

He said: “I started purely as a promoter and by seeing 30 or 40 comedians at work, I thought, ‘I could do that’.

“It’s not as easy as it looks, but sometimes it was forced on me, like if someone was running late.

“You can’t go up there and be Mr Boring, you have to say things to make people laugh.

“It will be the first time I’ve performed in front of people I know.

“My friends and my neighbours will be there.

“I’m excited about bringing the show back and about being part of the show myself. I’ve been recognised in the chippy because my face was on a poster.”

Bryan has been able to use his contacts on the comedy circuit to secure big-name acts for Saturday’s show.

He said: “A couple of people have contacted me asking if I really have Justin Moorhouse for a tenner.

“Through being part of the comedy circuit for four or five years, you pick up contacts and know people you can ask for someone special. It’s a bit of a coup.”

Bryan, a father of three, said: “We have John Thomson coming, we have Brendan Burns, and Nick Helm, star of recent BBC sitcom Uncle.

“I make a point of never doing city centre gigs. The city centres are flooded.

“If I set up a gig in Manchester, I would be taking on the Frog And Bucket and Comedy Store and it’s pointless.

“There’s a joke in Buckshaw Village that there’s nothing to do, but it’s probably true. There’s very little in local entertainment.”

He said: “I love it. I didn’t want it to be a hobby that I loved that turned into a job I didn’t, and so far, it’s a job I love.

“It’s very rare that you do a job that you love. My job is to watch comedy four or five nights a week. When I’m not watching comedy, I get to write it or perform it. What’s not to like?”

Limited tickets are still available for Saturday’s show, priced at £10.

Buckshaw Village– Saturday, March 29 – Justin Moorhouse, Gary Delaney, Big Lou & Bryan Malcolm *

Burscough Wharf – Friday April 25 – Christian Steel, Adam Rower & Red Redmond.

To book, call Bryan on 07931 155887.