Laugh a minute: a comprehensive comedy guide

Standup is thriving in Bristol, and after the Covid-enforced break, comedy clubs all over the city are open again. Aside from the touring shows that regularly come to the Tobacco Factory, the Bristol Old Vic, and the Hen & Chicken Studio, it is possible to see an eclectic variety of standups performing on mixed bills every night of the weekend – and all for a very reasonable ticket price.

From circuit favourites doing what they do best, to headliners working on new material, and the most exciting up and coming acts in the south west, the scene offers something for everyone. Bristol 24/7 caught up with a raft of comedy night creators and promoters – many of them standups themselves – to get a flavour of what audiences can expect from going along on any given day.

Mondays

• A Bunch of Japes – 8pm (weekly), Smoke and Mirrors, 8 Denmark St, BS1 5DQ

Hosted by local comics Jessie Nixon and Dani Johns, A Bunch of Japes is a weekly chance to join the very best rising and established comedy talent testing out new material – as well as previews of full standup shows – in the UK’s only boutique magic theatre pub. Each week features a touring headliner with support from other comedians. Previous performers include Russell Howard, Mark Steel, Tom Lucy, Kiri Pritchard Mclean, Angela Barnes, and Sean Walsh. Standalone tickets can be purchased in advance from www.smokeandmirrorsbar.com for £6.50, or £8 on the door, and tickets including a 9″ pizza are £13.50.

Tuesdays

• Chops Comedy – 7.30pm (weekly), Friendly Records, 59 North St, Bedminster, BS3 1ES

Chops is the brainchild of Stuart Goldsmith, Tony Chioti and David Hoare. It aims to give amazing headliners and the best new acts in the south west a space to test new jokes. You can hope to see comedians off the TV in an intimate space that also happens to be amongst the coolest bars in Bristol. Chops keeps their headliners secret til close to the show but previous headliners include Ed Gamble, Mike Wozniak and Ahir Shah. It’s for anyone who wants a super night out for £6 (or a mere £3 for early bird tickets) in south Bristol. It usually sells out, but advance tickets for upcoming nights are available from www.headfirstbristol.co.uk.

Stuart Goldsmith at Chops Comedy – photo: Tony Chiotti

• Comedy Below – 7.30pm (biweekly), The Ill Repute, 16 West St, Old Market, BS2 0DF

Promoted by Millie Haswell and Charlie Bowers, who also MC the night, Comedy Below is a small, intimate night featuring the best of Bristol’s comedy talent. Set in the basement of the Ill Repute, it’s a quirky gig known for its alternative and unique acts, and as an MCing duo, Haswell and Bowers make it a fun and surprising night every time. It’s a fairly new night so it’s an exciting thing to support, and the carefully curated lineup makes it a really entertaining gig. Upcoming guests include Liam Pickford, Chelsea Birkby, and Morgan Rees. Audiences are forewarned: “you’ll laugh, you’ll laugh some more and then the night will need to end because the pub has to close”. Tickets are £3 and available at www.headfirstbristol.co.uk.

Millie Haswell at Comedy Below – photo: Greg Winfield

• Comedy Loft Bristol – 7.30pm (biweekly – second and last Tuesday of the month), The Famous Royal Navy Volunteer, 17-18 King St, BS1 4EF

Martin Talbot, Lyle Kay, and Chris Green began Comedy Loft because they wanted to put on a fun night for audiences that showcased the best of Bristol comedy, as well as giving new standups in the area an opportunity. Every show features a top circuit headliner, supported by a curated local lineup that promotes a mix of comic styles, viewpoints and experiences, and there is also a game in the middle section that the crowd loves. “We’re a fun night that doesn’t take itself too seriously,” they say. Upcoming guests include Jack Barry, and Bristol favourite, Sally-Anne Hayward. Comedy Loft is free to get in, but tickets for upcoming shows can be reserved at www.headfirstbristol.co.uk. At the end of each night, audiences pay what they feel the night was worth.

Upcoming guest at Comedy Loft, Jack Barry – photo: James Deacon

Wednesdays

• Bristol Comedy Den – 8pm (weekly), Sidney & Eden, 198 Gloucester Rd, Bishopston, BS7 8NU

With Bristol Comedy Den, local comics Greg Winfield and Burt Williamson are bringing weekly laughs to Gloucester Road every Wednesday (as well as late night shows on Fridays, from Dec 3rd – see below). Set in a classy, New York-style cellar room that is purpose-built for comedy, the team are pitching Bristol Comedy Den as the newest and most exciting comedy club in the city. And featuring big name TV comics and stars of the UK and international comedy circuit is paying off; it’s no surprise that every show has sold out since its launch. Craft beer and cocktail bar Sidney & Eden holds a late night licence until 12:30am weekdays and 1:00am weekends. Upcoming guests include Helen Bauer (BBC – Live at the Apollo), Joe Sutherland (Comedy Central – Roast Battle), and Brennan Reece (BBC – Live at the Apollo). Tickets are £7 in advance from www.headfirstbristol.co.uk, or £10 on the door.

Thursdays

• DAFT Club –  Thursday, December 9; then regular monthly Thursday nights from February 2022, Rough Trade Bristol, 3 New Bridewell, Nelson St, BS1 2QD

DAFT Club is a pop-up show in Rough Trade record shop which will be running regularly on the third Thursday of the month, from February 2022. Run and hosted by established local comics Greg Winfield and Liam Pickford, the night was founded to bring the best comedians in the country to the centre of Bristol, and so far Fern Brady (BBC – Live at the Apollo), Tony Law (Comedy Central) and Glenn Wool (BBC – Never Mind the Buzzcocks) have all graced the stage. Phil Ellis (Comedy Central – Roast Battle; Sky – The Russell Howard Hour; Radio 4 – Phil Ellis is Trying) will be performing on December 9. Made by comedians for comedy fans, this night boasts diverse lineups and the ability to see the highest quality acts right in the heart of Bristol. Tickets are £10, and are available from www.headfirstbristol.co.uk.

Upcoming guest Phil Ellis – poster: Daft Club

• Oppo – 8pm (weekly), Barrelhouse, 33 Gordon Rd, Clifton, BS8 1AW

Oppo has a very good claim to being Bristol Comedy’s most legendary gig, and its worst kept secret. An amalgam of two different Clifton nights run by Russell Howard and Mark Olver in the 90’s it has since been run by a who’s who of Bristol comedy, including Jon Richardson, John Robins, Fin Taylor and Mat Ewins, and is now in the capable hands of Morgan Rees, Louise Leigh, Jessie Nixon, Abi Clarke and Alex Kitson. Previous names who’ve played the gig in its illustrious history include Flight of the Conchords, Daniel Kitson, James Acaster and Josh Widdecombe (on the same bill in 2018) and many more. If they’re famous now – they have probably played Oppo. It’s a new material gig like no other – with a secret headliner every week (probably someone off, or about to be on, the TV) every week, supported by the very best from the Bristol scene. Oppo is a regular sellout show – tickets are £3 from www.headfirstbristol.co.uk, and early purchase is advised.

Abi Clarke at Oppo – photo: Isabel Kilborn

• Bristol Comedy Chest – 7.30pm (biweekly – second and last Thursday of the month), Horts, 49 Broad St, BS1 2EP

“Our number one focus at Comedy Chest is to make sure the audience has a great time and really wants to go to stand-up comedy again,” says Jason Williams, who co-runs the gig along with Sam Hardy (also MC), Ellis Lowe, and Lea Fuis (photographer). The night always comprises a professional headliner supported by newer comedians, and the audience votes for their favourite new comedian on the night. Comedy Chest has a no heckling policy to make sure it’s a friendly and enjoyable atmosphere for everyone, and there is also some free pizza in the break. Upcoming guests include Joe Wells and Arielle Souma. Tickets are £4 from www.headfirstbristol.co.uk, and advanced purchase is recommended.

Audience members at Comedy Chest – photo: Lea Fuis

 Fridays

• Bristol Comedy Den (also on Wednesdays; see above for details and ticket links) – early show 7.30pm; late show 10pm (weekly), Sidney & Eden, 198 Gloucester Rd, Bishopston, BS7 8NU

Saturdays

• Capers Comedy Club – 8pm (November 20, and then last Saturday of the month), Bristol Folk House, 40a Park St, BS1 5JG

Capers Comedy Club was created by Nick O’Neill and Burt Williamson, who also run a number of smaller gigs around Bristol for newer acts. “We were really looking for somewhere to start a top-level comedy night where you might come across acts you won’t see at the other bigger clubs around Bristol,” they say. “And what started out as us just booking acts we wanted to see has turned into an absolute belter of a night.” The Folk House is a unique space hidden just off Park Street, and Capers audiences tend to be a comedy-savvy bunch who have sought out a night from some of the most innovative acts on the circuit. Tickets generally sell out, and are priced at £10-£11.50 – available from www.headfirst.co.uk.

Upcoming guest Garrett Millerick – poster: Capers Comedy Club

• Standup for the Weekend – 8.15pm (weekly), The Hen & Chicken Studio, 210 North St, Southville, BS3 1JF

Presented by The Comedy Box, mixed bill nights at the Hen & Chicken Studio have been synonymous with great standup in Bristol for more than two decades. Weekly Saturday night show Standup for the Weekend has a deserved reputation for show-stopping headliners and brilliant circuit acts from around the UK, and is recognised nationally as one of the best standup rooms in the country. The venue also plays host to multiple touring shows, often on Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays, and comedy fans would be well-advised to keep a permanent eye on their event listings. Upcoming comics for Standup for the Weekend include Olga Koch, Pierre Novellie, Jimmy McGhie and Sara Barron. Tickets are available from www.thecomedybox.co.uk.

• White Bear Comedy Club – 8pm (monthly), The Room Above at The White Bear, 133 St Michael’s Hill, BS2 8BS

White Bear Comedy Club is a new night, launched post-pandemic and co-run by Alex Kitson and The Room Above (former home of The Wardrobe Theatre, before its relocation in 2015). Bristol has a lot of new material gigs,” says Kitson, “and I thought there was a gap in the market for a night that was professional, ie amazing comics only doing their best material, on a Saturday night, with faces you don’t see at every other gig in the city. So I set one up!” The venue is arguably amongst the best spaces for live comedy in the city, and it is deservedly popular not only with audiences, but also with the standups who perform there. For Kitson, it has an added distinction, since it is also the place where he first performed comedy. Upcoming guests include Joe Wells, Abbie Edwards, and Runi Talwar. Advance tickets are £10 (or £9 early bird) from www.headfirstbristol.co.uk or £12 on the door.

White Bear Comedy Club at The Room Above – photo: Jacob Burley

Sundays

• This Next Act – 8pm (weekly), The Kingsdown Vaults, 29-31 Kingsdown Parade, BS6 5UE and The Golden Lion, 244 Gloucester Rd, BS7 8NZ

Now running simultaneously at sister pubs The Kingsdown Vaults and The Golden Lion, This Next Act is another Bristol comedy night under the auspices of local comic Alex Kitson, who first set it up as a student in 2018. “Three and a half years later,” he reflects, “we’ve expanded to a second venue, outlasted three landlords, had TV names ask to come and be on the night and, amazingly, I market the night as Bristol’s best free comedy night and not one person has ever told me off for it.” Known for its friendly audiences and relaxed Sunday night feel, This Next Act is billed as a fun and experimental new material night for local comics on the Bristol scene. Previous guests have included Robin Morgan, Sally-Anne Hayward, Josh Jones, Mark Olver, Stuart Goldsmith, Andy Askins and Mo Omar. This Next Act is unticketed, and free to attend.

Isaac Kean at This Next Act – photo: Aadil Kurji

• Jokewalk at the Ropewalk – 8pm (biweekly – second and last Sunday of the month), The Ropewalk, 5 Nelson Parade, Bedminster, BS3 4JA

Co-run by local comics Dan Hershbein, Richard James (both MCing) and Alex Reading, Jokewalk at the Ropewalk is back on November 28, after a long hiatus following the first lockdown. Since its inception in 2018, the gig became known as a friendly new material night with a supportive audience of regulars, and Hershbein is keen for that ethos to continue: “We pride ourselves on a warm and friendly night of free standup comedy, where we encourage those who haven’t done standup before to give it a go. We have a good following and are a popular place to perform for all levels. It makes for a unique night; you never know what you’re going to get, but one thing’s for sure – it will be fun!” Upcoming guests include Bristol-based rising stars (and fellow local gig promotors) David Hoare, Greg Winfield and Burt Williamson. Jokewalk at the Ropewalk is unticketed, and free to attend.

Multiple nights

• Chuckle Busters – 8pm (all shows); tour shows and some regular/semi-regular nights, on multiple dates, with venues including The Wardrobe Theatre, The Old Market Assembly, 1532 Performing Arts Centre, The Bristol Improv Theatre, Tobacco Factory Theatres and The Alma Theatre

First started by Mark Olver at The Wardrobe Theatre (in its original location above The White Bear) in 2011, Ed Strong has been managing Chuckle Busters since 2012, and it continues to go from strength to strength. Chuckle Busters is known for curating excellent comedy club lineups, as well hosting nationwide touring shows and work-in-progress nights from well-known TV names such as Kiri Pritchard-McLean and Ed Gamble, who have both performed recently. Union JACK Radio Comedy Club is hosted monthly at The Wardrobe Theatre (though dates vary), and there are semi-regular comedy, pizza and a pint shows at The Old Market Assembly. Upcoming guests include Sara Barron at the Bristol Improv Theatre, Daliso Chaponda at The Wardrobe Theatre, and the Union JACK Radio Comedy Club ft Eshaan Akbar, Stephanie Laing and Jessie Nixon. For comprehensive listings and ticket links, visit www.chucklebusters.com.

Athena Kugblenu at 1532 Performing Arts Centre – photo: Tony Chiotti

Main photo: Tony Chiotti

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