A man walks into a bar... (Comedy Store)

Member Name: TJ-Mackey

Product:	Comedy Store
Date:	11/03/01 (377 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Hilarious comedy, convenient location, great entertainment

Disadvantages: I can’t think of many – maybe the beer is slightly expensive at £3 per pint

Hidden just a few metres away from the buzz of London’s busy Leicester Square is the highly acclaimed Comedy Store. Featuring some of the best names in British stand-up comedy, as well as a few performers you might not have heard of, the Comedy Store comes highly recommended.

Obviously its location means you’ll have no trouble getting there, and there’s also no shortage of other places to go before or after the night’s performance. In fact, there are actually two restaurants located almost right next door to the Comedy Store on Coventry Street, but if they’re not your sort of thing, there’s a multitude of others just a short walk away. Also just down the road from the club is the Comedy pub, where you can enjoy a pint or two before the performance starts (although there is a bar inside the Comedy Store as well). The nearest tube stations are Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square, with the closest mainline train station being Charing Cross.

The club itself is situated under ground level and this, combined with the decor and layout of the interior, makes for an intimate atmosphere that really adds to the experience. Seating is arranged in a semi-circle around the small stage, which means there’s a good view no matter where you sit, although sitting fairly close to the front is usually preferable.

I’m going to discuss a bit of the history behind the club now, so skip this paragraph if you’re not interested in that side of things. The Comedy Store was initially formed by Don Ward back in May 1979, in an attempt to emulate the success of similar clubs over in the United States. Originally located in Soho (above a strip club!), it soon moved to Leicester Square, where it has remained to this day. Providing a permanent comedy venue for stand-up performers, the club has, over the years, featured the likes of Rik Mayall, Adrian Edmonson, Ben Elton, Clive Anderson and more recently, Jack Dee and
Steve Coogan. The Comedy Store now offers a wide variety of different comedy styles over the course of the week, ranging from classic stand-up to topical satire to improvisation.

On the night I visited the club, the comedians that were performing were Josie Lawrence, Richard Vranch, Neil Mullarkey, Jim Sweeney, Andy Smart and Suki Webster - collectively known as the Comedy Store Players. Their style of comedy was improvisational, so if you go to this show expect there to be quite a lot of input from the audience. If you’ve ever seen the television programme, 'Whose Line is it Anyway?' then you’ll know what to expect, although in my opinion, this is much better.

Think up some funny suggestions beforehand and you’ll probably have your ideas included in one of the sketches. Don’t bother shouting out 'Dildo!' or 'Erotica!' though, as it’s been done to death and you’ll more likely end up being the brunt of the joke yourself!

For those who haven’t seen 'Whose Line is it Anyway', the basic idea behind the Comedy Store Players’ show is that the comedians perform entirely from suggestions given to them by the audience. For instance, one of them may ask for an unusual object, profession or situation and the group then have to come up with a sketch that uses them in a funny way. To make things even harder for themselves (and funnier for us), one of the comedians will sometimes ask for a style of film or theatre in which they must perform their act. This is especially amusing if one of them has never heard of a particular style before...

I’d definitely recommend visiting the Comedy Store to see this show. And you really do need to see it for yourself – I’m sure my opinion does it no justice at all. The comedians are extremely funny and are especially good when you consider that most of their act is improvised. There’s even a bit of music
involved as well, so they truly are a multi-talented bunch!

The Comedy Store Players currently perform on Wednesday and Sunday nights, with performances at 8pm. Tickets are priced at a reasonable £12, and can be purchased from Ticketmaster or, if you’re in the area, from certain branches of HMV or Tower Records. The capacity of the club is 400, and although most of the tickets are pre-sold, they do hold back 100 to sell on the door. Be warned though that you’ll need to start queuing early if you intend to buy your tickets in this way.

Further information on the Comedy Store and the Comedy Store Players can be found on the following websites:

http://www.thecomedystore.co.uk
http://www.comedystoreplayers.com

Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster (with an added booking fee):

http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk or by phone on: 020 7316 4709

And finally, the address of the club is:

The Comedy Store
1a Oxendon Street,
London
SW1Y 4EE


Have a great time!

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