In this video shot at Shtick Comedy Club in Kentish Town this week, I try out some more comedic material, this time with more of an anti-comedy/kooky/disaffected kinda style.
Yes, it’s all about the best thing (the Pret A Manger coffee subscription) and the worst thing (not buying a tape I wanted) that have ever happened to me.
Enjoy, or don’t!
(please note the comments are exaggerated jokes – the actual best thing to ever happen to me was when I (this blog!) was quoted in the New Yorker and the worst thing to ever happen to me was being born!)
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scott manley hadley aka SOLID BALD live
Here’s a video of me recently performing at the prestigious (it has a Wikipedia page) comedy night, Quantum Leopard. Listen to how much fun the crowd is having. You could have that much fun, too!
Forthcoming gigs include the following – there may/will be others:
6th May 2026, 8.15pm: Prop Roulette at the Caroline of Brunswick for the Brighton Fringe
7th June 2026, 1.30pm: Competition at Hastings Comedy Festival
27th June 2026: Twinkles Cabaret, London
14th July 2026: Poole, Dorset
22nd & 23rd August, 6.30pm: BALD PERSONALITY DISORDER at Aces & Eights, part of the Camden Fringe
5th November: Isle of Wight
14th November: Welwyn
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Pret’s subscription has ruined quality of coffee, food and service. Staff were worked into the ground. And Pret ripped customers off.
http://www.expret.org
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thank you for this link! Very different tonally to my stand-up routine, but certainly appreciate knowing more about the reality of the brand.
I usually work in hospitality myself and have seen some shocking practices during my career, too, though (generally!) things do seem to be a lot better now than they were when I first started washing pots on Friday nights about twenty years ago!
Best of luck with the campaign and though I’m currently taking a career break (and thus takeout coffee break) to focus on childcare, I will certainly think twice about returning to Pret once I have disposable income again!
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Thanks. Yes, I worked in hospitality for many years, since I was 16 y/o in 3 different countries. Pret has been hands down THE worst employer I’ve work in. Their “secret” is that they have successfully fooled the public for decades with this friendy fake facade. Most people still fall for it.
Google Timothy Noah’s “The Enforced Happiness of Pret A Manger”. Pret penaise staff when they don’t smile. I was reprimanded for not smiling, days after I buried my brother. Pret knew about my bereavement but played games until the end. So much so, they offered me money if I sign NDA, but I declined and write publicly. The BBC mentioned my blog and other journalists reported on what I passed on to them.
I always sya, support small independent businesses. And never forget how Pret ignored customer deaths and injuries until it got public, not even telling us staff that people DIED!!!
Fake company exploiting workers and customers as well as tax payers.
Links to Pret A Manger issues incl. ongoing mislabelling, mouldy food, customer deaths & injuries, lawsuits, systemic workplace bullying, £800,000 fine after staff in freezer, wage theft, hiked prices for lower quality, bad press, £700 million debt, board room shake-up etc. etc.
https://linktr.ee/expret.org
I used to go to many shows incl. comedy. Will check out your work in more detail.
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P.S.and here is how Pret make profit through the subscription and how they rip customers off in many little ways, but it all adds up for Pret:
https://expret.org/2022/03/13/how-pret-make-profit-from-subscription
.
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