Luckily, Manchester (and Salford) has some impressive, home grown comedians in some even more impressive comedy clubs that’ll turn that frown upside down!
Frog & Bucket
Manchester’s longest standing comedy club which has seen a staggering amount of talent step onto its stage; be them not just comedians from Manchester but also from much further afield. It was actually one of the first venues to open in the Northern Quarter in 1994, at the time named the Britannia Pub and later christened the Frog and Bucket – Manchester’s premier comedy club dedicated to the ever-growing art of making people laugh. You can catch ‘Barrel of Laughs’ and the open mic night ‘Beat The Frog’ for a weekly injection of laughter.
Frog and Bucket Comedy Club, 102 Oldham St, Manchester M4 1LJ
0161 236 9805
frogandbucket.com
The Comedy Store
You’d be hard pressed to find a comedy venue in a stranger part of town than Deansgate Locks, but that shouldn’t stop you from making the pilgrimage. Once inside, it’s actually a world away from the vomming land of Deansgate Locks – a neat little auditorium that’s perfect for stand up. Catch the ‘Best in Stand Up’ shows every Friday and Saturday to discover emerging talent or to see one of your favourite big names in comedy.
The Comedy Store, 3 and 4, Arches, Deansgate Locks, Whitworth Street W, Manchester, M1 5LH
0161 839 9595
thecomedystore.co.uk
XS Malarkey @ Bread Shed
XS Malarkey is promoted and compered by actor and comedian Toby Hadoke, is award-winning and is also not for profit… not much to complain about there! The actual XS Malarkey comedy night itself has been dishing out joke after joke since starting down in Fallowfield back in 1997, and you can currently see the likes of Tony Burgess and Laura Lex for as little as £3!
The Bread Shed, 126 Grosvenor St, Manchester M1 7HL
0161 273 1471
www.xsmalarkey.com
Comedy @ Chorlton Irish Club
Once called ‘Laugh Local’, on the first Friday of every month, Chorlton Irish Club becomes exactly that. To name some of the acts that have performed here before, you’ll see why this was dubbed laugh local as the likes of Jason Manford made his name on the circuit here. Other big names that have performed include John Bishop, Chris Ramsey, Justin Moorhouse, John Thomson, Paul Sinha and The Boy With Tape On His Face.
Chorlton Irish Club, Irish Association Social Club, High Ln, Manchester M21 9DJ
0161 881 2898
chorltonirishclub.co.uk
Dead Cat Comedy
Currently making people cackle down at the Seven Bro7hers Brewery in Salford, Dead Cat Comedy was founded in 2012 and has quickly established themselves as experts at alternative and open mic events. They run a wide range of comedy nights across the North West, including the excellent ‘Village Idiots’ – Manchester’s only LGBT+ Comedy Club.
Dead Cat Comedy
deadcatcomedy.co.uk
Didsbury Comedy Club @ Didsbury Cricket Club
Taking place on the first Sunday of every month at Didsbury Cricket Club, this comedy club has seen more laughs than your average stand-up. Names such as Sarah Millican and Romesh Ranganathan have been through its doors, plus it’s fully stocked with real ale AND free parking, so there’s no excuses. It’s always a fantastic night of some tightly-knit comedy, all watched over with pinache and style. It’s pretty hard not to split your sides in here.
Didsbury Cricket Club, 860A Wilmslow Rd, Manchester M20 5QP
0161 445 5347
www.facebook.com/DidsburyComedy
Group Therapy @ Gorilla
Although relatively new on the comedy scene, the last Saturday of every month at Gorilla is ‘Group Therapy’ – complete with some quite big names taking to the stage to make some jokes and the like. Entry is a tad more expensive than some of the other comedy clubs (you’ll need at least a tenner to get in) but you won’t leave without at least having cracked a smile.
Gorilla, 54-56 Whitworth St, Manchester M1 5WW
0161 826 2998
www.thisisgorilla.com
Off The Rails Comedy Club
The first Saturday and the last Sunday of each month sees Saddleworth explode with laughter as Off The Rails Comedy Club comes to The Royal George in Greenfield. They’ve seen the likes of Alan Carr, Jack Whitehall and Jason Manford come through the door (is there anywhere Manford HASN’T been?) so you can expect some quality giggles every time.
The Royal George, 193 Manchester Rd, Greenfield, Oldham OL3 7HX
www.saddleworthcomedy.co.uk
Kings Arms, Salford
A proper boozer, you should expect plenty of lovely ales and frosty beers, and on top of this they have a massive calendar of live music, theatre and comedy to keep you entertained. They have a monthly improv. night – Improv Mullet – on the first Saturday of every month and although improv can be hit and miss every time you go; sometimes it’s brilliant and sometimes it’s breathtakingly bad.
Comedy Sportz: Improv Mullet
First Saturday of every month
Kings Arms, 11 Bloom St, Salford M3 6AN
www.kingsarmssalford.com/theatre-comedy
