Stand-up superwoman Jordan Gray grew up in what she calls dark Essex – ‘deep, dark Thurrock, Grays, Stanford and Tilbury’ – and moved to Southend six years ago, a classic seaside city with a renowned pleasure pier and seven-mile-long coastline. ‘It’s 45 minutes on a train from London, but with the ocean at your door’, she says. ‘So, it’s impossible to feel claustrophobic.’ Jordan performed at the opening gala of at this year’s first-ever Roundhouse Comedy Festival, which according to her, ‘has a solid lineup of top-tier comedy,’ with appearances from the likes of Sophie Duker, James Acaster and Katherine Ryan.
Here, Jordan tells us about her favourite plays to eat, see, and have fun in Southend – just in time for the last weeks of summer.
Eat
‘I had my wedding party above the Ask Italian in Southend. We weren’t going to do anything and then a friend of ours also had their reception upstairs. My partner’s picky about food, so it was either we don’t have a reception or we have it at an Italian chain restaurant. But the staff were so wonderful and it was really sweet. And it was such good food: just consistently good food.’
Do
‘Little Smash Comedy is an open mic comedy night at The Alex pub in Southend (it’s also at the Temple Café and the Shoeburyness Hotel). I tried out my show there that I’m touring this year, which I took to the Edinburgh Fringe. The night is run by a guy called Ross McGrane and some of the best people in the country right now will perform, as well as people that will become some of the best in the country. They’re taking the night to Edinburgh [Fringe] this year.’
Drink
‘Utopia is a self-run, self-contained coffee shop. I’ve never been to a Hard Rock Café, but I would imagine that Utopia looks like a sort of a budget one, in the best way. There’s half a canoe sticking out of the ceiling and half of the door looks like it has been chewed off by a monster. Oh, and there’s work by local artists all over the walls. It’s just the wackiest place.’
See
‘Fireworks are set up on the boardwalk every Saturday [during October to November] and it’s free. Because of the topography of Southend, there’s giant hills everywhere, so everyone can pick a spot and watch, then go to the pub or whatever. It’s a big unifying thing.’
Roundhouse Comedy Festival is on August 5-23.
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