Manchester

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Manchester's best comedy clubs

From the oddball to the mainstream, Manchester is the perfect place to catch some stand-up

Could there be a better way to celebrate April Fool’s Day in Manchester than with a spot of comedy at one of the region’s many venues? Fortunately, for those in search of laughter the North West has a proud history of producing some world-class fools ranging from Stan Laurel to Les Dawson, to more contemporary heroes such as Peter Kay and Caroline Aherne. As you would expect given its heritage, Manchester has a thriving comedy scene with a great choice of clubs representing all ends of the comedic spectrum from established names to new acts. Although the following clubs represent the best of the bunch it’s more than likely that your local pub has its own session where beginners can cut their comedic teeth. As ever, quality varies but as both entry and beer is often cheap or free you can usually find something to laugh about.

Comedy Store
Located on Deansgate Locks and stuffed between achingly fashionable bars is the Comedy Store, one of the bigger comedy clubs in town. Initially the Comedy Store was regarded warily by Mancunian comedians and promoters who feared it might ruin trade for the smaller operations but instead it’s done a lot to encourage local talent, rather than just hosting out-of-town comedians. Another factor in the Comedy Store’s success is the theatre-style banked seating which lets you watch a show with a minimum of interruptions. The first Sunday of the month is the ‘King Gong’ show where new comedians compete to see if they can beat the gong and claim £50 plus an open mic spot. Another good option is the ‘New Stuff’ night where on the second and last Sunday of every month established comedians can try out new material and the free entry should help keep spirits high.
Comedy Store Manchester 3 & 4 Deansgate Locks, Whitworth ST, Manchester, M1 5LH (0844 826 0001/www.comedystore.co.uk).

The Frog and Bucket
At the far end of Oldham Street lies this staunchly independent house of comedy. They have a strong tradition of encouraging local new acts through their Monday night ‘Beat The Frog’ events (which follow the traditional 'be funny or be removed' format). When you hear that previous participants have included Dave Gorman, Peter Kay, Caroline Aherne and Johnny Vegas you realise that this is a place with serious pedigree. Other Frog and Bucket nights include Big Value Thursday which has four comics and a compere plus a disco until the early hours. The last Sunday of every month hosts ‘Laughing Cows’ which offers an all female line-up. Finally, for something altogether odder but just as funny try ‘The Asylum’, a night of character comedy, sketches and general weirdness such as people trying to tell jokes while attached to a TENS machine.
The Frog and Bucket Comedy Club 102 Oldham St, M4 1LJ (236 9805/www.frogandbucket.com).

XS Malarkey
There’s a reason why XS Malarkey has been voted as the best comedy club in the Chortle Awards three times now and our money’s on the wit and wisdom of their MC Toby Hadoke. As well as being a fine stand-up in his own right (check out his ‘Moths Ate My Doctor Who Scarf’ show which transfers to the West End in April) over ten years he has managed to turn Malarkey into the friendliest comedy club around with an army of regulars culled from the local student population and further afield. They are tempted to join perhaps by the unbeatable offer of lifetime membership for £7 which means seeing some top class comedians every Tuesday for the risible fee of just £2. Perhaps the other reason for its longevity is the strong tradition of promoting new acts and pulling off some pretty incredible bookings (Stewart Lee and Jimmy Carr to name but two) for a relatively humble pub in Fallowfield. Highly recommended.
XS Malarkey Bar XS, Wilmslow Road, Fallowfield, (257 2403/www.xsmalarkey.com).

Comedy Balloon Night
It’s worth investigating the ‘Comedy Balloon’ night, held every Wednesday at the Ape and Apple pub in town. As Manchester’s oldest free comedy venue the quality of acts on offer tends to vary wildly from established acts trying out something new, to raw comedians making their first tentative steps or simply people who should probably be on some kind of register getting on stage and doing odd things. Fortunately, the audiences tend to realise that free entertainment comes with the understanding that you need to be patient sometimes and for the most part there’s an air of co-operative experimentation that you’d be hard pressed to find elsewhere.
Comedy Balloon The Ape and Apple, 28 John Dalton St, M2 6HQ (839 9624/www.comedyballoon.co.uk).

Mirth on Monday
If you can’t be bothered heading into town, or you just fancy a different sort of comedy night then ‘Mirth on Monday’ at the Iguana Bar in Chorlton could be for you. Compered by Des Sharples, a long-standing member of the North West comedy scene who has been gigging around the North West since 1997 and once orchestrated the successful world record attempt for getting the most comedians on the same bill in one night (they managed 127). For just £3 punters get four or five comics with the occasional special guest. Having recently celebrated its sixth birthday in February ‘Mirth on Monday’ shows that even Manchester’s smaller clubs can get enough of a loyal following to keep things ticking over if they’re good enough, and if there’s any justice there should be six more years of the relaxed atmosphere that the Iguana Bar supplies.
Mirth On Monday Iguana Bar, Manchester Road, Chorlton, M21 9PG (881 9338/iguanabar.co.uk).

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