It’s been running in Huddersfield for 30 years and featured comedians who have gone on to be huge stars.
Peter Kay, John Bishop, Sarah Millican, Joe Lycett and Chris Ramsey have all cut their comic teeth at the Comedy Cellar at the Lawrence Batley Theatre which celebrates its 30th anniversary at the end of September.
The cellar, the longest running comedy club in West Yorkshire, is now run by Anthony J Brown who also played the venue.
He recalls: “The first Comedy Cellar show took place on September 15, 1994, featuring the late great Jeremy Hardy, way before I took over the running of it, although I actually appeared at the club myself in June 1997 which was my third ever stand-up performance. I was greener than an avocado salad back then but it went surprisingly well.
“I saw what a fantastic room it is for comedy so when the Lawrence Batley Theatre folk approached me years later about programming the nights I gleefully grasped the opportunity.”
Anthony has been running the club since May 2008, booking the line ups and hosting the show whenever he can.
The headliner on Anthony’s first night in charge was Steve Royle who years later was runner up in Britain’s Got Talent.
Anthony said: “Hopefully that endorses my impeccable taste when it comes to sourcing fantastic performers. I generally book acts I’ve encountered when gigging around the country as I trust my judgement in terms of what will work for the Huddersfield audience.
“You can’t always rely on recommendations from other acts and promoters as some people are rather more generous in their praise than others and there are few more dispiriting feelings than watching an act guilelessly flailing around the stage like a haddock in the Sahara to the numbing tones of abject silence when you had been effusively informed that they were the second coming of Billy Connolly.”
Anthony added: “My ultimate hope for Comedy Cellar is simple. I want to give punters an excellent evening of entertainment, one that justifies both the financial and organisational commitment they are making.
“It’s important to never lose sight of that. I always strive to run comedy nights I would be happy to appear at as an act myself and it certainly meets that remit. The staff are all utterly lovely, the audiences are polite and friendly comedy-savvy people and the low ceilinged venue is absolutely perfect for stand up.”
The birthday show on Thursday, September 26 features Danny McLoughlin from Dave’s One Night Stand and The John Bishop Show, tour support for Micky Flanagan and Sarah Millican.
Anthony said: “He has long proclaimed that the Comedy Cellar is one of his three favourite comedy nights in the UK to perform at so it seemed appropriate to give him the honour of being the 30th anniversary headliner.”
The support is magnificent character comedian Frankie Monroe who is the current BBC New Comedy Award and Leicester Comedy Festival Best Show winner.
The show starts at 8pm, tickets are £14 and to book – click here.
Written by ANDY HIRST who runs his own Yorkshire freelance journalism agency AH! PR (https://ah-pr.com/) specialising in press releases, blogging, website content and copywriting.
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