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From the
https://www.kentonline.co.uk By William Janes, 30 April 2019.
The comedy legends who have performed at Walnut Tree in Maidstone.
Heard the one about Jimmy Carr, Bill Bailey, Catherine Tate, and Graham
Norton passing through an unassuming pub’s comedy club on their way to
stardom?
Hidden around a corner off Tonbridge Road in Maidstone sits the "Walnut
Tree:" one of Kent’s lesser-known cultural landmarks.
The tavern is behind the county’s longest-running comedy club, hosting
stand-up nights every Thursday since 1990.
Rosaline Janko, who has been landlady of The Walnut Tree in Maidstone
for the past seven years, stands by pictures of the famous comedians who
have performed at her pub.
Over the last three decades acts have come from far and wide for the
often small, intimate gigs in surroundings which feel much like
someone’s living room, complete with a dozing black dog Louis.
While many comedians have seen careers meet their end inside the "Walnut
Tree," others have blazed through leaving a trail of stardust behind
them.
Impressionist Alistair McGowan remembers his visit well.
“It is an unforgettable room,” he said.
“It must be 25 years ago that I performed there. I can still see it in
my mind’s eye. It was so small; the audience were right on top of you.
"I don’t think there was a microphone. There was certainly no stage; you
were just in the corner of the very small bar.
“I was horrified when I first saw the room. There was no space for
failure: nowhere to hide, nowhere to change, nowhere to wait and pace.
"But the gig went well and was thrilling, memorable and unique. I’m not
sure I’d fancy doing it now.”
Mounted on the wall in one corner are pictures of famous entertainers
who, although now are household names, were just fledgling performers
when they visited.
Indelibly marked on the make-shift stage backdrop are also the
signatures of comics who have tried to tickle the audience’s funny
bones.
Former landlords Carol and Peter Henn started the club at the very
beginning of a recession, a move they said was to cheer people up.
“I was a truck driver before we took the pub in 1985 when I retired,”
said Peter. “In our early years we used to go to a comedy club in Old
Kent Road.
“It was when the first recession hit in 1990 I said to Carol ‘let’s put
on a comedy night to cheer people up.’ But I didn’t just want to have
stand-up comics, I wanted to have alternative comedy.”
One of the first acts to grace the stage was Bill Bailey, who performed
in a duo called The Rubber Bishops.
Bill remembers his gigs there fondly.
“I played there a couple of times. Lovely crowd and excellent beer as I
recall,” he said.
Over the years, audiences at the "Walnut Tree" have seen the likes of Jo
Brand, Alistair McGowan, Dylan Moran, and Rhod Gilbert.
“I can’t remember them all,” said the 72-year-old former landlord. “We
just got a kick out of it when they started hitting the big time.”
Laughing, Peter remembered how former Never Mind the Buzzcocks host Mark
Lamarr “died” at the club twice - failing to make the audience chuckle
once.
Acts who can now charge thousands of pounds per show performed at the
pub for a flat rate of £100 and had to make their set last 40 minutes.
Running a comedy club often made for farcical situations including one
comedian revealing the contents of the couple’s bedroom to the audience
and another having to do his set remotely.
“We used to thoroughly enjoy it. I have so many stories I could write a
book,” said Peter.
“We had a comedian, Brendon Burns, who missed the train but we had an
answer machine so we hooked it up and he did 20 minutes over the phone.
Peter and Carol Henn of the Walnut Tree Pub. Picture: John Wardley.
“I said he’s missed the train but thanks to the "Walnut Tree" satellite
link-up he’s going to do something with us. We could hear him but he
couldn’t hear us though.”
Rubbing shoulders with the comedy greats in the infancy of their careers
has meant some little favours from famous friends.
Peter recalled: “Our favourite was Mickey Flanagan. He sells out the O2
but he came down twice and we paid him £100.
“We tried to get tickets to see him in Tunbridge Wells but they were
sold out so I contacted his old agent and he came back to say ‘Mickey
has two tickets on the door for you’, that was around 2014.
Starting in 1992, the pub was visited multiple times by comedy legend
Ian Cognito (real name Paul Barbieri) who tragically passed away on
stage earlier this month.
“He was known as a loose cannon and had been banned from most of the
comedy clubs because they couldn’t control him but he was hilarious,”
said Peter. “Once he turned up in a dress, other times with different
colour hair, and a puppy in a bag once.
“Speak to anyone in the comedy circuit about Ian Cognito, they were all
in awe of him.”
The couple retired in 2012 but, fortunately for comedy fans, the pub was
taken on by current landlady Rosaline Jankó who keeps the club alive and
well.
The only change she’s made is having two acts instead of one and
introducing an open mic slot in the middle.
“It was popular and well liked,” said the 57-year-old.
“It’s a tradition and when you start in a new pub you don’t want to
change everything. It’s been quite successful.”
Next year the "Walnut Tree" will be celebrating 30 years of laughter and
shows no signs of slowing down.
And who knows what future stars might be walking through the door this
Thursday.
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