LEADING stand-up he might be – but laughter-maker Justin Moorhouse is taking his responsibilities this weekend very seriously.

The comedian and presenter will be returning to Darwen Library Theatre on Saturday night to compere the new monthly comedy club at the venue.

“There is quite a lot of responsibility on the compere,” said Justin.

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“Of course there is the normal pressure on you to be funny but the art of being a good compere is to give all the comedians on the night the same level of introduction.

“You have to get into the rhythm of the evening and take the audience along with you. If the previous comedian has just had a storming set you have to try and bring the room back down a little to give the next one up a chance.

“I do enjoy compering as you can establish a relationship with the audience over the course of the evening, but it is quite hard work.

“You’re there all night for a start and have to be on stage several times so the featured acts may do a 20 minute slot but as compere you’ll need around 40 minutes of material.”

On Saturday night, Justin will be introducing Jim Tavare, John Gordillo and Nicky Wilkinson. The comedy club only launched earlier this year but it has already become a favourite for stand-ups.

“Rob Riley, the promoter understands what makes a good night and the management at Darwen and King George’s Hall also get what makes a comedy club work,” said Justin. “Then there is the audience who really make the night.”

For newcomers to comedy clubs, or those whose only experience of one has been surrounded by hen and stag parties causing mayhem, Justin is quick to allay the fears of newcomers.

“Darwen is a great venue for a comedy club because it is an intimate theatre,” he said.

“All the seats are in rows and all face the stage. Immediately it makes people who go along sit and listen.

“When you have cabaret-style seating around tables people are automatically more unruly.

“You do still get the stag and hen crowd in city clubs at weekends but those party crowds are dying out and people are coming out to see a range of comedians on the night.”

Hecklers have always appeared to be part of the comedy scene but Justin is pleased to report that they too are dying out.

“You go have some people who come along expecting to shout out, some even prepare heckles in advance,” he said.

“But the majority of heckles just aren’t funny, it’s just people misbehaving and the audience hasn’t paid to hear some indecipherable shout from the back.

“You will get the odd comment which is genuinely funny and that’s fine but we really all want to listen to the comedian on stage not the audience.”

Justin is due to undertake a full UK tour in the autumn after a stint at the Edinburgh Festival with a new show Destiny Calling.

He will be performing at Burnley Mechanics, the Thwaites Empire Theatre, Blackburn and Chorley Little Theatre.

“I do use comedy clubs to try out bits of new material,” said Justin.

“I tend to go by the rule that if I’ve written it, it will be funny, this is what I do for a living.

“If I get a differing response from an audience it’s probably because I didn’t tell it right or set it up properly, so I always try out a new gag at least three times before I’d give up on it.”

  • Comedy at Darwen Library Theatre, Saturday, May 2. Details from 01254 706006.