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There’s no shortage of great entertainment venues in London, but one of the best things about this city is that new ones are still popping up all the time. The latest arrival? A brand-new comedy club in Southwark.
The Old Union Yard Arches club, which will open its doors for the first time on Thursday October 16, will become the permanent home of improv group the Free Association. The Free Association has been training up comedians and putting on shows for over a decade now, so it’s about time it had a place to call its own.
There’s a big launch event/celebration on Thursday, which consists of an inaugural performance, complete with champagne and ribbon cutting.
Then, on Friday (October 17) you can catch This Doesn’t Leave The Room, the troupe’s ‘flagship show’ where the improvisers take confessions and gossip from the audience and turn them into something wonderful. In the past, people like Amelia Dimoldenberg have joined for this particular bill.
Over the opening weekend there’s a full lineup of shows ranging from St Doctor’s Hospital, an ‘improvised medical drama’, to Fabled, a ‘fantasy adventure tale’ with a live band playing a soundtrack.
As well as being a 104-seater performance space, the venue aims to be ‘a creative hub for performers, audiences, and the wider community’. It will also house purpose-built classrooms to train up the next generation of comedians (alumni include Ambika Mod, Phil Wang and more), and a café/bar area open to the public.
The Free Association says that this is a ‘major milestone’ for the entire improv community: ‘No longer confined to upstairs rooms and pub basements, improvisers will now take centre stage in a space that reflects the ambition, energy, and brilliance of the art form itself.’
And that community clearly backs the vision, because the venue was made possible fans and supporters donating a total of £18,000.
You can buy your tickets to the FA’s opening weekend on its website here.
The Free Association, Arch 26, Old Union Yard Arches, Southark, SE1 0LR.
Plus, have a look at Time Out’s top comedy clubs in London here.
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