Poems about humans with banana skin, comedic retellings of classic fairy tales and even an invention of a new religion were just some of the performances the audience were treated to in this literary comedy event. The show brought together comedians who are pushing the boundaries of stand-up comedy by bringing poetic flair and literature to their punchlines.

London Literature Festival is a chance to journey into the unexpected over the cold autumn months, as this year’s theme embraces the spirit of adventure. You are invited to explore the world through words. As joked by host Mark Watson, literary events such as these where “you have come to watch people read from books” are normally held in a small room at the back of a pub, and there is no venue more inappropriate for an intimate evening of literature than the grand Royal Festival Hall. Despite this, it worked incredibly well in this venue as it was presented more as an evening of comedy than literature, but with all six comedians sticking to the theme and reading poems or extracts from books.

The evening was hosted by comedian Watson who delivered his performance with his wonderful awkwardness which distinguishes him from the impressive line up. He read a short story about the struggles of not being picked to be a best man. Watson is no stranger to literature having written five novels, and this was evident in his readings and delivery.

The evening kicked off with northern comic Rob Auton who’s awkward and shy outlook made the delivery of his poems humorous and entertaining. He engaged with the audience to take part in his poems which included the addictive ‘My Room’s Maroon’ which was annoyingly repeated in my head constantly throughout the evening.

This was followed by New Zealand based comedian Heidi O’Loughlin who presented her set with a cheerful and infectious smile that couldn’t help but make me smile along. She reminisced of the time she was booked to be the entertainment for the New Zealand commonwealth team in Glasgow, where she would have to write and recite inspirational stories. These included tales of the snake from the original Nokia game and its origin. O’Loughlin also performed a re-telling of Beauty and the Beast, focusing on the many flaws of the story such as the sentient cutlery, focusing on Mrs Pots and Chip when she invites Belle to “sip some boiling hot tea… from the skull of my child”.

Tiff Stevenson discussed different literary styles which are used in advertising, such as the characterisation of alcohol brands. Uncomfortable quiet laughs commenced as she began to discuss the hidden racism of of Jack Daniels adverts and her written advert for pet psychics. Her set was largely unforgettable and a lot of jokes fell flat which was understandable when you are put in a line up of some of the biggest characters in comedy.

Sara Pascoe’s playful innocence was delightful and incredibly funny. She manages to come across as incredibly intelligent whilst having the stage persona of a young schoolgirl. Although her set focused less on literature and more on comedy, she was definitely one of the most memorable performances from the evening. She is currently working on a forthcoming book Animal: How a Woman is Made, which combines autobiography and evolutionary history to entertain and inform.

The evening concluded with superstar stand-up poet Tim Key with his offbeat verses which have been delighting and unsettling readers since he appeared on Charlie Brooker’s Screenwipe. Drenched in beer from a can which exploded onto him, Key read some of his seminal works from his book The Incomplete Tim Key, which included the short, bleak but audience’s favourite ‘Tanya Googled herself – still nothing’.

This show was a wonderful evening to raise awareness for the great festival the Southbank Centre is hosting, and I will definitely be returning to the festival for other readings and seminars.

London Literature Festival is at the Southbank Centre until 12 October. For more information and tickets, see the Southbank Centre website.