Review: A.J. CHRIS COMEDY at Clint's Comedy Club
An American Comic Works hard in the UK
It’s not often that a theater reviewer gets the chance to visit a comedy club and still accept the invitation for fear that the angry victims of some of his reviews might turn him into a walking punch line and not in a good way.
In this case however, a comic’s Mom reached out to me and suggested I might enjoy seeing her daughter show off her United Kingdom learned skill at standup comedy in Clint’s Comedy Club in the Rosanna Square Shopping Center in Overland Park and I’m glad I did.
Ayrn Christian is a graduate of Blue Valley High School who jetted off to the UK with the notion of learning the trade of theatrical make-up at college in the UK.
Somehow, along the way, Ayrn migrated over to another theatrical skill and that was standup comedy along with a love for living in the UK. She completed her Bachelor of Arts in the midlands of the UK and determined to stay awhile. It’s been seven years and except for twice a year trips home to see her friends and family, Ayrn has decided the UK is pretty fun.
Clint’s Comedy Club is operated by the inestimable Clint Warren who is an occasional standup comic himself. Learning that comedy may soothe the soul, but not necessarily the pocketbook, Clint also operates a Pool Company in the KC area.
Clint’s is located in the Rosanna Square Shopping Center right next to the spot last occupied by the late Glazer brothers, Craig and Jeff, for the last and final iteration of their family’s long term KC comedy club, Stanford and Sons. Sadly, Craig and Jeff passed within months of each other in 2018. Their colorful Dad, Standford (Stan) Glazer passed in 2022. Clint is keeping up the tradition in almost the same space.
The show I saw last week on Wednesday, July 8, featured three warm-up acts and Ayrn performing under the stage name A.J. Chris. Opening up were Tio Pepe who did a very funny ten minutes and also served as emcee. Sierra Mcree came on next with a self-deprecating set that made fun of her being a mixed-race person who looks rather ambiguous and leaves many people she meets confused. Third was Ace who did a good routine that talked about himself and his beating down an unexpected and scary Cancer diagnosis.
A.J. Chris was the feature comic of the evening. A.J., who has already had significant success in the UK, had warned me that she had come home to try out a new routine in development to see how a U.S. audience would respond to her acquired U.K. sensitivity might play to a Kansas audience. A.J.
I was impressed with A.J.’s fearlessness, her body control, and her facial expressiveness. She is a funny young lady with the looks that could easily help her catch on.
Among other subjects, A.J. talked about being questioned about her “American” accent in the home of the “mother tongue,” her Dad’s dismay about political correctness in the choice of a new mascot at his old high school, and the terrors of being a substitute teacher with some very young and precocious students.
Some of the jokes may need a little polishing at this point in their development cycle, but a theatrical critic can see A.J. has already put in the work, writing her routine, and testing out the jokes. There is a real wit there and the skills of a polished performer.
From what A.J. told me to expect, I could expect no more. A.J. performed before a small, but appreciative audience. Next, A.J. (Ayrn) jets back to the U.K. and some already booked dates across the pond. She can be soon seen at the prestigious Top Secret Comedy Club in London.
Prediction in any of the performing arts can be dangerous and standup is doubly so. I think, however, that A.J. stands a chance of catching that lightning in a bottle. She could be an up and comer.
Clint’s Comedy Club is open Fridays and Saturdays. Clint books the best of touring headlines. Check the Clintscomedyclub.com website to check what is going on this week.
Thanks again to Ayrn, Clint, and Ayrn’s Mom for reaching out and inviting me. I had fun.
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