Between surge pricing on in-demand events and the rising cost of tickets across the board, entertainment in London can sometimes feel like an increasingly bankrupting pursuit. But for lovers of a belly laugh, Always Be Comedy founder James Gill has spent the past 14 years fighting the good fight, growing it from a rookie event into the capital’s best – and best-value – comedy night.
Five evenings a week in the small upstairs room of The Tommyfield pub in Kennington, you’ll find top-tier line-ups that regularly feature world class comedians testing out new work or running through tour previews. In the last few months alone, the space has hosted Bill Bailey, Ed Gamble, Nish Kumar, Lou Sanders and more, while regulars and long-time friends of the night include the likes of Romesh Ranganathan, Sara Pascoe and Rob Beckett. Incredibly, tickets rarely cost more than £12.
Always Be Comedy is a true London gem, and now it’s expanded to a second location, with a new weekly Thursday night bill at Chelsea’s just-opened Trafalgar pub. “After 14-plus years, I don’t think I could accuse myself of trying to move too quickly,” Gill tells Broadsheet. “For now, we're going for mixed bills for the new night because they’re always such fun vibes. We've had a lot of Always Be Comedy favourites perform already – Sophie Duker, Joel Dommett, Iain Stirling, Rhys James and Joe Thomas.”
A comedian himself, Always Be Comedy began as a way for Gill to spotlight his peers trapped between the open mic circuit and the lower rungs of the professional industry. Early on, he spotted future stars including Rob Beckett, Katherine Ryan and Aisling Bea; crucial to the night’s continued success has been the loyalty of these performers in returning long after their careers have ascended. “A lot of the guys from the start are still with us now. That’s where we’ve been very lucky,” Gill says. “I think that they know it’s a true room and that we have a comedy-savvy crowd, so I think part of the reason people love to come back is the vibes and the energy.
“Kevin Bridges once told the audience: ‘You're a fair crowd, you lot. When you laugh, you laugh, but when you don’t, you put that fucking handbrake on.’ I think that's really helpful for acts. It’s sort of a myth that comedians turn up and all they have to do is scratch their nose to get a round of applause. You’ve still got to deliver.”
Over the years, Gill has seen a bucket list’s worth of comedy legends deliver on Always Be Comedy’s stage. He pinpoints Harry Hill and Jack Dee as personal heroes who’ve played the night; recently, Michael McIntyre popped in to try something out. Coupled with the keen ear for new talent that’s steered him right from the early days, it makes for truly exciting programming: rising stars and bona fide icons sharing bills.
Tours have been built from the ground up at the night – Ranganathan’s breakout show Rom Wasn’t Built In A Day, which earned him an Edinburgh Fringe Festival nomination for Best Newcomer back in 2014, was tested over multiple nights and weeks there. Though Gill now attracts the cream of the comedy crop to his nights, the attitude remains the same as it always has: to create a place for proper comedy fans, both on and off the stage. “I hope that childlike enthusiasm never leaves me.”
Always Be Comedy’s night runs every Thursday at 8pm at The Trafalgar pub in Chelsea.
