Saturday 22 May 2010

Comedy no more

Have just read on the Comedy on the Common site that due to falling numbers there won't be a regular comedy night anymore.
OK, OK I am the first to stand up and admit I didn't go. Sunday nights are not a great night to find a baby sitter and go somewhere drinking (god I am so, so old).
What would persuade me to go?
  • Have it on a Saturday
  • Have it on a week night and get some female comics in - I'd get all the local mums I know to attend. We all live so near the Common but normally go to Greenwich for our meet up.
  • Have a weekend lunchtime comedy gig but that doesn't seem right does it? The comedians would have to make sure the humour was family friendly without becoming too BBC like! Also I guess the rugby boys may get annoyed with all the comedy lovers taking over their drinking hole
Does anyone know what the deal is with the Rugby Pavillion? Who runs it? I know it's owned by the council but anymore info? I often pass it and wish it were open though that may cause issues for the Old Mill pub?????

2 comments:

PlumBun said...

That is a real shame and it has always been packed when I have been. Perhaps the fact they started doing it monthly was just too often. Maybe they should go back to once a quarter and that way it becomes more of a novelty and an event and people would make the effort to go. As I say, it was busy everytime I went (5 times in total).
They don't have it on a Fri/Sat for the simple reason that the comedians charge so much more on these nights and they wouldnt break even. They only barely used to on a Sunday night with a packed house because they had 3-4 comedians and an MC.
I do hope they carry it on.
I think it is the Council who run the hut and the rugby club lease it. The RC is run by a chap called Nick who always seems very friendly. The Council though have had issues about it being used for other venues. I seem to think the One Day Cafe wanted to do some stuff there, the rugby club were OK with it and the Council shot it down.
Come on Comedy nights...

Plummy Mummy said...

Thanks PB.

Nick got back to me. It seems I'm terribly misinformed because he kindly corrected me on the following:

1. They did do Saturdays and friday nights but audience figures fell in sept last year.
2. They had excellent calibre comedians (inc a fave of mine Reginal D. Hunter), were loved by local bloggers, and recommended by Time Out and the London Is Funny blog
3. They had a mix of well known comedians: white, black and women
4. Comedy is NOT cheap and as Plum Bun says, a minimum audience is needed to break even.
5. The rugby boys loved the comedy too and the public has reservations about them but rugby boys were mostly "gentle giants"

So here is a club that people liked but it still didn't make the money. Lets hope we can convince them to continue at least once a quarter.