The Spiegeltent played host to a memorably fine night of comedy on May 23 in a special fundraising event. The Brighton Open Air Theatre (B.O.A.T.) was the ambitious dream of local theatre-maker Adrian Bunting, whose sad death last year left behind a strong legacy.

With the BOAT project initiated by his life savings and plans, Adrian’s closest friends are turning his dream into a reality.

It was standing room only in the Spiegeltent, where a fabulously rowdy crowd added to the Old Time Music Hall atmosphere.

As founder of the Zincbar in the '90s - Brighton’s legendary performance platform – Adrian’s theme of ‘anything goes’ comedy and cabaret nights was revisited.

Expertly compèred by Dave Mounfield, 20 acts ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous had the audience falling off their chairs all night. Most acts were hilarious, a few not quite so - but the stand-out stand-ups of the night were Alan Apathy, George Egg, and Glen Richardson as the genius Reverend Two-Tone.

Every single performance was greeted with cheers and applauded with gusto. As our compère put it “They were a rum bunch – but by god they were hypnotically watchable.”

Adrian would have been proud.