A new permanent Queer comedy club is set to open in London in May.
The Queer Comedy Club, which boasts that it is the UK’s first permanent dedicated LGBTQIA+ comedy club, will launch on May 11 at a venue in Archway in North London.
The club has been launched by three queer comedians – David Ian, Jeremy Topp, and Kate Dale – who started off by running their own comedy night.
After its success, and drawing from their experiences performing on the comedy circuit, Ian, Topp and Dale moved to set up a permanent venue, to, as their statement explained, “signal to the queer community and their allies that stand-up was for them too”.
“We were uncomfortable inviting our queer friends to come and watch us perform because we were taking them into what was essentially a very straight and macho environment, with no guarantee about the type of material they’d hear,” said Ian. “It made us realise there was a gap in the market – and our community – for a stand-up comedy club that would feel like their space.”
The opening is set to be a starry affair, with comedians Dee Allum, Ben Pollard, Kathy Maniura and Josh Jones all scheduled to perform at the official launch.
Allum was nominated for the BBC’s New Comedian of the year in 2021, Pollard was a finalist in So You think You’re Funny last year, Maniura was a finalist in So You think you’re Funny 2021, and Jones was nominated as a Best Newcomer in Dave’s Edinburgh Comedy Awards 2022 and was a BBC New Comedy Award finalist. He has also appeared on Jonathan Ross’ Comedy Club and on 8 Out of 10 Cats.
“So much of gay culture revolves around bars, clubs and drag – and we love all that – but it’s important to be able to offer something in addition,” said Ian.
"I love all comedians, however queer performers have a brutal honesty, and life stories I can resonate with,” said Topp. “Helping newer acts feel welcomed into the scene has been a passion of mine for years. After meeting Kate and David at a gig, we clicked immediately and discussed the gap we had all felt in the comedy circuit. I immediately knew their goal of establishing a permanent queer comedy space was something I had to be involved with.”
At the moment, tickets are set to be completely free for gigs on Monday and Tuesday, when newer acts will try out their material, and then will cost £10 for ‘The Big Thursday Show’.
The Big Thursday Show will present a combination of established comedians and emerging talent. Comedians such as Jessica Fostekew (who has written for Mock The Week, 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown and The News Quiz), Stephen Bailey (Big Brother’s Bit on the Side), Jen Ives and James Barr (co-host of the UK’s #1 LGBTQ+ podcast, A Gay and a NonGay) are currently scheduled to perform at the forthcoming Thursday night events.
