he Wolfson Howler sprawls across a full evening of fresh, vibrant, raucous stand-up that encompasses both amateur and professional comedy. On Monday night, Ed Gamble hosted what is often referred to as the alternative to the Footlights’ Smokers, but what is quickly and confidently raising the standard by which Cambridge comedy nights should be judged. Set in the sizable bar of Wolfson College, the atmosphere is innately convivial; the stage an informal platform at a proximity that tests the performers’ abilities to respond to the various interruptions that can puncture a stand-up set. Gamble himself was a brilliant asset to the Howler, proving to be a jovial and booming charisma striding about the stage and mercilessly teasing those regretting their decision to sit in the front row. He is a natural comic, immediately tuning in to the mood of the crowd and limbering up our smiles for a night of unrivalled merriment. His exuberant and reactive wit represented the holes in the Footlights’ repertoire of rehearsed, labored sketches that dominate the fortnightly Smokers.

Phil Wang – the Footlights stalwart and Smoker regular – returns triumphantly to the Cambridge stage in a blaze of recycled glory, as he delivered the exact set that he perfected in Cambridge last year, and which secured him the recent Chortle Student Award. The material is undoubtedly very funny, but hearing practiced intonation and delivery for the third, fourth and fifth time destroys the illusion, and Wang is now so relaxed with these jokes he appears to deliver them in an almost bored state.

Leo Davidson presented a similar conundrum, being both hugely entertaining but somehow stale. A kind of nervous energy is a vital aspect of successful stand-up, keeping it on its toes; responsive and engaged, and after a luxurious three-month summer, it’s disappointing that they both chose a safe guarantee over new material.

Stefan Arridge is a welcome newcomer to the Cambridge comedy scene; his rambling observations were perhaps a little timid, and contrasted the sharp, clipped style of Phil Wang, but he certainly benefited from the encouragement of an amused and amiable crowd. It was Liam Williams who absolutely stole the show from the rest of the supporting acts. His set carried a self-possessed air of professionalism, his humour being magnetic and universal, and his jokes were just much funnier than everyone else’s. The headliner of the night, Jason Cook, absolutely surpassed all anticipation roused prior to the Howler. Eyes sparkling, he delivered an excitable yet focused set that was a thorough delight to watch. Revelling in the natural charm of his own Geordie accent, Cook dispensed consistent solid Northern humour rarely translatable to Southern tastes, and concluded the night on a euphoric high.

Faces aching, a satiated crowd trickled out of the bar. The first of the three Howlers this term was a hysterical encounter with a class of comedy seldom recognised in Cambridge, a varied and inclusive experience that I vigorously urge you to sample