It’s not often you turn up for a business breakfast and find yourself boogying along to Chic’s “Good Times” at 7.45 in the morning with a bacon cob in your hand.
But then this was a De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) Business Breakfast which officially launched the start of Dave’s Leicester Comedy Festival - and it was anything but ordinary.
DMU is proud to “challenge convention” and it certainly did that when comedian Patrick Monahan took to the stage, convincing Barbara Matthews, the university’s PVC Dean for the Faculty of Art, Design and Humanities, and comedy festival director Geoff Rowe, to gamely join him in a 70s disco dance.
Leicestershire business leaders and students clapped along before the act finished with Patrick doing the splits – and neither of his volunteers attempting to join him!
Patrick said: “I can definitely say, hand on heart, I have never done a gig this early and it takes a lot to get people laughing at this time. But it was great fun.
“The comedy festival just gets better every year and I can safely say that seeing Geoff and Barbara disco dancing is the best start to the festival I have ever seen. I am hoping to come back next year and get them to pay tribute to the 80s.”
Barbara opened the business breakfast, which DMU hosts each year, stressing the importance of the partnership between the comedy festival and the university. As most people now know, Dave’s Leicester Comedy Festival’s origins hark back to Geoff Rowe being a student at DMU and starting the festival as part of his Arts and Festivals Management course.
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Barbara said: “The origins are well known so I want to celebrate the relationship we have today. It is a year round relationship which is significant for us.
“Promoting and improving our city is very important to DMU, not just because of the public good aspect - of being good citizens - but the opportunities the Comedy Festival gives our students throughout the year.”
But DMU’s feelings for the festival were best summed up in a poem Barbara had penned for the event called “An Ode To Dave's Leicester Comedy Festival".
“At England’s heart there lies a city.
Those who live there know it pretty.
But how to prove to those who doubt
That it has character and clout?
Just turn to Geoff and best mate Dave.
For with a prod and with a poke,
With some wit and with a joke
They’ve taught us to love a jester.
They’ve created a cooler Leicester.
Thanks to them we laugh and misbehave.
So hip hooray, a whoop, a cheer
To both of them again this year.
And to you, for all you do,
And the comics and the crew.
This year DMU’s Arts and Festivals Management students are booking acts, selling tickets and running shows at Peter’s Pizzeria offering them amazing opportunities to gain real world experiences of running events.
Patrick said: “I think the most important thing for any industry – never mind comedy – is the next generation. There would be no next generation without students getting these great experiences. And don’t forget students were the pioneers of comedy in the 80’s and 90s, particularly the alternative comedy movement.
“To have a partnership between a great comedy festival and a top university really makes sense.”
Martin Noble, a commercial lawyer and partner at Shakespeare Martineau, which along with DMU is one of the festival sponsors, said: “It’s not the normal way businesses interact with each other at this time of the morning but it’s been fantastic fun.
“I think it is fantastic businesses support the festival. It increases that sense of community and that we are here to give something back.”
Posted on Wednesday 3 February 2016