The Best of The Comedy Store: The Comedy Store, London, 1990
Hattie Hayridge: E4 Udderbelly Cowgate, Edinburgh, 2007
Arthur Smith’s Pissed Up Chatshow: Pleasance Dome, Edinburgh, 2011
Hattie Hayridge: Pop-Up Stand-Up: Frankenstein pub, Edinburgh, 2015
I have probably seen Hattie Hayridge perform more times than I that I can remember. I do recall a memorable bill and she was very prevalent when I first started regularly going to The Comedy Store in London in the late eighties and early nineties performing with the likes of Linda Smith, Phill Jupitus, John Maloney and Arthur Smith amongst others.
I saw Hayridge perform her one woman show in 2007 and as a guest of Arthur Smith’s Pissed-Up Chatshow in 2011 at the Edinburgh Fringe. Her act revolves around slow burn one liners said with such sweetness that when the putdowns come, they are very sharp and witty.
In 2015, I had been to see a Loving Linda Smith Cancer Charity Gala at the Edinburgh Fringe celebrating the great talent of the comedian who died in 2006 from the terrible disease and featuring a host of comedians. After the highly enjoyable show, I went next door to the pub. Sitting at the bar on her own was Heyridge. I went over to say hello and she was extremely warm and charming. We got chatting about the show and the comic legacy of her friend, Smith whom she had known for over 20 years. She told me about the days that they perform at the Comedy Store and how they both clicked when they performed sketches together. She invited me to her solo show Pop-Up Stand-Up the following day. I had a free time when the show was on so decided to go to the Frankenstein pub with my friends to see it. As soon as she appeared, she recognised me and I was very happily the butt of a lot of her jokes that night.
Talking about comedy with the established comedian was one of my unforgettable encounters and it is always a pleasure to see Hayridge perform live.