A popular comedy club opens its doors in Crawley for the first time next Friday. Danny’s Comedy Club is well-establsihed on the national comedy scene with acts from all over the country regularly perfoming at its venue in Haywards Heath. Now, the club is set to expand with a second venue at Crawley’s prestigious Arora Hotel in Southgate Avenue.
Spokesperson for the club, Leanne McLaughlin, said, “Danny’s Comedy Club has been doing really well and we have been looking to expand into Crawley for some time now. Our shows always go down well, with audiences returning again and again. We wanted to bring that success to a potentially wider audience.”
With no fewer than seven comedians and a singer, each show represents excellent value for money, at an admission price of just £7.00. An intimate and friendly atmosphere with its cabaret style seating and hospitality staff serving food and drinks to tables has proven a big draw to audiences. The Arora Hotel was also chosen for its central location, adjacent to Crawley railway station.
Founded by Sussex-based Daniel Kington in 2013, Danny’s Comedy Club filled a demand for good quality stand-up comedy in the area.
Said Leanne, “There are a lot of people in Crawley who work hard and deserve a chance to enjoy a good night out with their friends and relatives, without having to trek up to London or down to Brighton to achieve it. Danny’s Comedy Club brings well known acts from the Komedia, from the Comedy Store and from all over the country much closer to home.”
Last week, one of their previous acts, West Midlands-based Masai Graham, took second place for the Edinburgh Festivals’ Best Joke of the Fringe. His quip, “I wrote a joke about a fat badger … but I couldn’t fit it into my set,” featured in his last pewrformance at Danny’s Comedy Club.
The opening show at Crawley will again feature a very strong headliner, in the form of Jo Public. Award-winning comic Jo recently made the finals of the national Funny Women awards and runs her own successful Club Jolly Comedy in Worthing. Her likeable, self-deprecating personality instantly comes across with a fun and energetic delivery, lightly seasoned with hints of sarcasm. The Argus recently reported that she “had the audience in stitches.” When she last performed at Danny’s Comedy Club, she left the stage to a standing ovation.
Opening the show will be Croydon-based Sarah Iles, who is a popular MC for Eminent Banter, Raw Comedy and Edge Comedy nights. Performing at many of the UK’s top comedy venues, Sarah was Best New Act finalist at the Brighton Fringe in 2012.
Another act to have received a standing ovation previously, is Stu Turner, a consummate performer who blends comedy and magic with absolute nonsense and is a solid favourite on the UK comedy scene. His offbeat act is intelligent, sometimes surreal… but always baffling and highly entertaining. No cheesy ladies in sparkly leotards, no cute animals, and certainly no shiny bow ties.
Stand-up comedian and writer Nigel Lovell started his comedy career in 2010 under the name The Man in the Bowler Hat and instantly loved it. He’s been gigging ever since, travelling the length and breadth of Britain making audiences laugh. Now a regular MC for comedy nights, he was a finalist in the 2012 Newbury Comedy Festival’s You Must Be Joking Competition, and has won the Ipswich Big Comedy Cheese competition. Confident and relaxed on stage, he has appeared alongside none other than Alan Davies, Steve Day, Peter Tennant, and Dan Wright as well as many others. He is also a regular contributor to NewsRevue (The world’s longest running live comedy show), The Treason Show and BBC Radio’s NewsJack.
Brighton-based Rob Dumbrell appears regularly at the Komedia and is a favourite at clubs around the region. He was semi-finalist at So You Think You’re Funny at the Edinburgh fringe and is currently featuring on YouTube hosting chilli eating competitions around the country.
Outgoing and thoroughly likeable, local boy Mike Cox offers an excellent antidote to the pressures of everyday living. Being based in Sussex, Mike is able to put a local spin on his comedy that is much appreciated by audiences in the area. Weaving familiar personalities and events into his material, he has been likened to a one man ‘Have I Got News For You’ for Sussex. Leanne confirmed that he was very well received when he previously performed at the Club over a year ago. “His unique take on the Haywards Heath/Burgess Hill rivalry had everyone in stitches. He’s such a good act, it was high time that we brought him back again for our audiences to enjoy.”
Guitar-wielding Jason Simmons has cut a swathe of laughter through the UK comedy scene. Performing since 2011 he is already opening shows for a clutch of the country’s leading comedy clubs. He has netted a number of regional comedy awards and has succeeded in beating the Comedy Store’s King Gong. He also promotes and comperes two professional comedy nights in Kent.
Well-known and hugely popular local singer Tania Rodd has performed in the West End and across the UK, including performances at the House of Lords and Royal Jubilee events. She has also appeared at venues in Europe and the United States in various Musicals, shows and concerts. These include the musical Buddy, The Patsy Cline Story, Return to the Forbidden Planet, Sweet Charity and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. A multi-talented musician, Tania plays the saxophone, flute, clarinet and piano and often likes to combine these with singing. Also well-known for her amazing work raising thousands of pounds for the British Heart Foundation, Tania has played at several Danny’s Comedy Club shows.
Danny’s Comedy Club comes to the Arora Hotel, Southgate Aveue, Crawley on Friday, 5th September. Doors open at 7.30 p.m with curtain-up at 8.30. The Club features comfortable, cabaret-style seating, a good bar, excellent food and free parking onsite. Admission is £7.00 on the door with tickets also available in advance by emailing danny.kington@gmail.com or calling 0787 626 0506.