There has been a lot of interest in the history of alternative comedy in the last few years. Stewart Lee has championed various early comics and Alexei Sayle has revisited his Comedy Store glory days. Maybe the death of Rik Mayall made a lot of comedy fans of a certain age think about what excited them about live comedy in the first place.

Charmian Hughes was not quite there at the very beginning but she wasn't far behind. She started off in advertising but then ended up with a real bunch of clowns performing at Malcolm Hardee’s notorious Tunnel Club in the 1980s. Hughes’ Edinburgh show, When Comedy Was Alternative, harks back to that golden anarchic period. Hughes certainly knows where the bodies are burried. We are promised lurid tales of Hughes’ first open spot at the Tunnel Club, the death-threat heckling, Frank Skinner’s first avocado, a doomed love affair with Tinky Winky, and a compulsory drugs hell. There should, of course, also be plenty of laughs. Hughes has an engaging chatty style and a wry, subtle wit. One for fans of comedy history and also fans of comedy in general.

Charmian Hughes is at the Canal in Haggerston tonight, info here and at the Banshee Labyrinth from August 8 - 30, info here.