Peter Kay’s Phoenix Night’s Live: Manchester Phones4U Arena, Manchester, 2015
Always Be Comedy: The Tommyfield pub, Kennington, London, 2018
Always Be Comedy: The Tommyfield pub, Kennington, London, 2019
Epic Comedy: Chichester City Football Club, Chichester, 2022
Happy Mondays Comedy: The Amersham Arms, New Cross, London, 2023
Always Be Comedy: The Tommyfield pub, Kennington, London, 2023
Comic actor Alex Lowe’s classic character Clinton Baptiste is a physic from Bolton who made regular appearances at the Phoenix Club. Indeed, I saw Baptiste perform at the live stage show of Phoenix Nights at the Manchester Arena in 2015 where Peter Kay and all the original cast from the classic TV series came together to perform the show to raise money for Comic Relief.
The spirit world came to Always Be Comedy in February and October 2018 and then again in September 2019 when I saw the headline act of Clinton Baptiste. The Bolton psychic Baptiste was an instant hit with the audience.
At the February show, sitting in the front row crying with laughter, I was an obvious target and was asked by the medium if my name was John. I said no and was then asked if I had a brother called John. Again, I said no and finally I was asked if I know anyone called John. I replied yes and got a big laugh. The audience participation was brilliantly executed by Baptiste with some great throw away lines and the crowd loved him. At the end of his set, I gave him a standing ovation and he hugged me!
On his triumphant return in October, what was inspiring to see was the impressively high level of witty comebacks and put-downs that he had as ammunition for the unsuspecting audience member entranced under his spell which were all extremely funny.
Baptiste returned to Always Be Comedy with a brand-new work-in-progress show for his new tour. The audience were once again witness to his psychic powers as well as some new props including a table with a mind of its own and a voodoo doll.
In July 2022, I watched Epic Comedy in Chichester, again at Happy Mondays Comedy in June 2023 and Always Be Comedy in September 2023 where Baptiste was deservedly top of the bill with new material for a new tour. With amazing and hilarious putdowns including one thrown at me claiming he had seen me on TV in Naked Attraction, the audience laughed out loud, cheered and loved the clairvoyant act so much that he got a standing ovations on all three occasions.
Along with Barry from Watford, Lowe has created two great stand-alone comedy characters and to see Baptiste play a small room perfect for comedy was an absolute joy. The act was extremely funny on both occasions and out of this world.