And that’s a wrap on 2025’s season of Blizzard Live shows! We didn’t do too many this year, but every single one was, in my humble opinion, among the best shows we’ve ever put on.
Being our first non-themed show of the year as well, I was a bit worried we’d have a little less enthusiasm after the belters that were both the Blizzard’s 6th birthday show and my own 30th birthday show. While the room wasn’t quite as full as it was for them, it was still an absolute majesty of a room and reception that more than made up for the marginally diminished audience numbers.
Opening the show, we had the breakthrough comedy talent of the last couple years that is Kathy Rivett. Kathy made her Blizzard debut with us about a year and a half ago and was already a superb comic talent. In that time she’s just gone from strength to strength, going on to redefine what alternative comedy looks like in the 2020s.
Kathy has a very distinctive approach to every aspect of her comedy. She’s odd, she’s self-aware, and she is endlessly creative with her comedy routines. A great joke writer, yes, but more than that, the way she channels ideas into live skits and monologues is the envy of any budding comedian. I would not be surprised if she outgrows our silly lil gig by the time we next have a spot to offer her. One to watch out for, for sure, catch her at a gig now before she’s too successful to be affordable anymore.
For our middle section we had three first timers at Blizzard. With the aforementioned birthday shows this year, I was being quite indulgent and only really picking our favourites for a superstar Blizzard lineup. That being said, one of the pillars of Blizzard’s foundational formation was to identify and platform new and up and coming talent and provide comics with a slightly more accessible line-up to hone their craft in.
So, I was delighted to be able to book a long-time fan of ours and recently new comic, Jonathan Lloyd. A real textbook comedy nerd (affectionate, also same). These can go either way. Being well read and versed in stand-up as a consumer andaudience member doesn’t neccesarily translate into being able to practice it successfully. But Jonathan Lloyd is a comedian who has taken so immediately to it that even less than 20 gigs in they’re absolutely smashing it.
It was, I must say surreal to have such a new comic make so many references to being mistaken for me and incorporate jokes about our similarity on stage as if I’m not also a baby newbie comic who is in well over her head and no one has told to stop yet (nearly at 14 years performing, what the fuck). But it was a marvellous set of in-jokes in possibly the only comedy room in the world where they would be able to do that and have people get it, unless I become unbelievably successful over the next few years. (I’ll try my best so you can keep those jokes, promise.)
But beyond that, Jonathan just has such a firm grasp of comedy writing and performing as an art, each section tightly written and structured with relentless word efficiency, expert delivery, and a strong distinct voice going through their whole routine. They are someone who it feels like should have always been doing comedy, and I am delighted that they are now doing so. Their comedy presence is a net benefit to the scene, and we’ll defo be having them back as soon as possible.
Next up was Jo Owen, another fantastic act and a slight break from the weird, which (I can speak from experience) the club desperately needs.
That being said, we set a high bar for weirdness here, and jokes about trying to damage your boyfriend’s eyes so he’ll have to wear glasses because you think he’d look hotter in them, somehow qualifies as one of our straighter acts of the evening.
Jo has a very accessible delivery and writing style, but not in a way that is at all detrimental to the quality of her routines. Clearly an act with an eye for detail, everything from familial anecdotes to observations of 2000s cinema tropes, no stone is left unturned, crafting memorable comedic observations that are hilarious even if you don’t directly relate to the experience. Very engaging delivery, intricately crafted routines, a fantastic comic all round.
Closing the middle section we had Reese Wetherspoon. You already know you’re going to be in a good time with that name.
Reese is a comedy force to be reckoned with – a superbly confident performer whose improvisation blends with their planned routines so well to the point of being indistinguishable from each other without context clues. Like many other acts we have here, the set was slightly more shambolic (positive) than you might expect, but only because our audience are just so fun to riff and play with. It’s so easy to get lost in the atmosphere and just run with it, and the results are always spectacular.
Reese clearly didn’t get enough time to do all they had planned, but everything they did stuck the landing to be among the most memorable bits of the night. They’ve got a proper quirky and whimsical creative comedy mind, balanced out with a more typical sassy camp delivery you’d expect of drag as an art form, which resulted in a real delightful comedy experience that rivals titans of both genres. A master of riffing callbacks, comedic ideas, and holding a room’s attention firmly in the palm of her hand throughout. An absolutely phenomenal performer who will surely be going places if there is any creative justice in this world.
And finally, we had for his first proper headline spot with us the wonderful Sam See. What is there to say about Sam See, other than just being one of the most perfect comedy packages we’ve ever had the pleasure to work with? A versatile comedian who can clearly play to any audience, but seems to have a particular soft spot playing to gigs like ours where he can get away with a lot more niche gay stuff that might struggle at less cool clubs.
Sam is a very articulate performer, distilling his performance in a very engaging and understandable way that is full of clarity but never condescending. You get the impression he could be doing pretty much any form of public speaking and absolutely nail it, but we are so blessed he has chosen this form. Excellently paced gags that are rapid but never at the sacrifice of context or storytelling where appropriate. He is very present in the room and quick witted whenever there’s anything to react to, a performer who at least gives the impression that he’s having fun with every second he’s on stage. (Hopefully at least some of that was genuine here!)
Sam See is the type of comedian that when I was starting Blizzard I never thought we would have been able to book. He is one of the best currently going for sure, and a huge asset to the UK scene since he’s moved here. Thank you so much for doing our lil show!
…I was also there I guess. (Editor’s note: Jonny was spectacular, as per usual.)
What a fantastic show to end the year on – I’ve already started booking for 2026, and I am v excited for all of the new and returning acts we’ve got lined up for you. For first updates when tickets are available and line-ups announced you can join our mailing list and follow our socials here. We don’t have any more live shows this year, but we do have a lil something planned before 2026, so keep an eye out for more news!
And as always we will be streaming the show recording for those who couldn’t make it live or simply want to re-live it, and you can watch that over on twitch.tv/blizzardcomedy at 7:30pm on Monday 27th October 2025.
