A new musical comedy club night, the Fandora Club, which bills itself as ‘a show, inside a competition, inside a show’ takes place on the first Thursday of every month at The Grand Social just off the Ha’penny Bridge.
The show, the brainchild of Sharyn Hayden (aka Shazwanda) promises both musical and comedic genius and if the launch night in September which featured Joe Rooney (Fr. Damo from Fr. Ted) and comic duo Accident & Emergency (fresh from the Edinburgh Fringe Festival) is anything to go by, then it will certainly deliver what it promises.
“We looked at the comedy club scene, and realised there was a lot of talk out there, but no nights which would cater for the musical comedians,” Sharyn says.
Sharyn has managed to cultivate a cult-like following with a whole YouTube channel dedicated to her alter ego Shazwanda (and her rather camp antics), 500 odd Twitter followers, and throngs of support on her Facebook page.
Most of the performers who take part on the night refer to themselves as musical comedians. “They are guys whose comedy material really heavily relies upon their ability to play songs and sing their material. They do some stand-up but also have really funny songs to go with their material,” says Sharyn.
The act means that what people get is not just a comedian who is dishing out jokes, but one who is also able to provide some musical entertainment for the remainder of the show.
“For the last few years I think the surge in comedy nights in Dublin has been amazing. Musical comedy is my love and I like to be able to go and see a mix of comedy and music,” says Sharyn. The Fandora Club provides just that and costs just €6. For tickets visit www.entertainment.ie.
By Liam Cahill
