The Return of The Big Laugh-In: Labatts Apollo, Manchester, 1991
Arnold Brown presents Happiness: The Search Continues: The Stand Comedy Club, Edinburgh, 2008
Arnold Brown’s 80th Birthday Bash: The Comedy Store, London, 2016
Arnold Brown was one of the main figures of the alternative comedy scene in the early 1980’s. However it wasn’t until 1991 that I first properly came across him as a guest act for The Return of The Big Laugh-In charity night in Manchester. I was immediately taken with the Scottish Jewish comedian’s style of presenting observational comedy in a slow, meandering yet entertaining style.
In 2008 at the Edinburgh Festival, Brown made a rare appearance and starred in his own show Happiness: The Search Continues at The Stand Comedy Club. Brown had lost none of his biting wit and indeed made the audience happy and me laugh out loud where he even completed me on making such a loud noise.
I was lucky enough to attend Arnold Brown’s 80th Birthday Bash at The Comedy Store in London in 2016. As I walked down the famous stairs to the club, there was Brown at the door so I held out my hand for him to shake and wishes him a very happy birthday which he was delighted. The celebratory night featured lots of tributes from fellow comedians on stage and screen and famous faces in the audience included Alexei Sayle and Nigel Planer. The evening culminated with Brown performing a twenty-minute inspired and very funny set which finished with a well -deserved standing ovation. It was a fitting honour to a great comedian.