The Comedy Store

The Comedy Store is a comedy club in Soho, London, occupying the upper floors of a building in Dean Street. It opened in 1979 after Peter Rosengard returned from Los Angeles inspired by the American Comedy Store. The venue began as a weekly Saturday-night event in a space above a strip club called the Nell Gwynne. Don Ward, a local businessman, provided the premises for the new comedy night. Early shows used a Gong Show format where audiences could gong acts off stage. The dressing room had no toilet, and performers shared a sink. The club became the launch pad for many of Britain’s best-known alternative comedians. Acts like Alexei Sayle, Rik Mayall and French & Saunders built their reputations there in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Paul Merton made his debut in 1984 and remains closely associated with the venue. The Comedy Store Players, an improvisational group, formed in 1985 and included Mike Myers and Neil Mullarkey. Political satire team The Cutting Edge also started at the club in 1990. Today the Comedy Store occupies a purpose-built stand-up venue in Oxendon Street. Visitors find a compact room with a stage and tiered seating facing the performers. Shows run in two parts, usually an early and a late set. The atmosphere is informal, with audiences encouraged to react freely. The walls carry photographs and posters of past performers. A portrait of Jo Brand painted in front of the original Soho building hangs nearby, marking the club’s place in London’s comedy history.