We arrived a tad too early for the comedy barge, so we decided to grab our warm-up drinks just a few steps away at the Nine Elms Tavern. It’s a comfy but brightly lit spot with a solid selection of spirits and a cracking triple-cooked chip! Soon, the rest of our troupe joined us, and conversation quickly turned to what the night might hold. Our experiences with mixed bills have been, well, very mixed since we caught Samira Banks at 2Northdown earlier this year. But you miss every shot you don’t take so let’s crack on.

When it was time to board the ship, we made our way along the gangplank and headed downstairs to the hull. There, we claimed a perfect run of seats to be our base camp for the night. Drinks in hand (Rum, of course; we are at sea!), the lights dimmed, and the show began. The bill featured four acts and a compere, but I’d like to zero in on just one.

Why focus on just one? It’s not that the other acts didn’t have their moments; some people were definitely laughing. But let’s be honest: lazy material, cheap sex jokes, and that soft-touch blend of stereotypical racism with a sprinkling of homophobia are hard to get excited about. The vibe was all a bit “end of pier”… even for a boat!

Enter Sam Coade, the third act of the evening and easily our clown of the night. In a short but sharp set, he delivered original, insightful material that alone justified the cost of the ticket. One delightfully silly skit had him reminiscing about his time in a double act, culminating in the offer to perform one of their classic routines… but only his half. It sounds absurd, it was absurd, but it was also very, very funny.

There was a hint of Alex Kealy about his delivery (no bad thing), but our clown was definitely offering up something different on this night. Moments after leaving the show, we unanimously agreed we’d be up for seeing a longer set or even a full show from him in the future.

And that, I suppose, is all you can ask of these mixed bills. Not every act will be your cup of Sailor Jerry, but you might just discover someone you’d have otherwise missed. A novel venue that I’m glad we visited and can successfully tick off the list. Drink up, me hearties! Yo ho!

Clown Stars: (-unrated-)

@The Rum Monkey Comedy Club, London