Darby St is where it's at for laughs as the Newcastle Comedy Club opens
Newcastle’s has long been known for its vibrant live music scene, from pubs and clubs, to festivals we’ve been spoilt for choice, and now there’s a new reason to head out into the city in the evening.
On January 8 Newcastle Comedy Club officially launches at 1 Darby St (enter through the red doors and head upstairs) with the inspiration behind the comedy idea coming from co-owners James Conners, Elliott Stewart, and former comedian Allan Brady. On our visit, we caught up with Allan who explained the venue as being a little dark and dingy but with loads of laughs.
“We’re modelling the feel from the New York style comedy clubs, the ones with the old chipped little tables and lights, so quite dark but we have installed a brand new bar which is going to pop.”
Seating up to 100 people standing and around 50 seated the club will be running a variety of comedy acts from Open Mic Mondays, and on Friday and Saturday nights, there will be showcases with local regulars and headliners from Sydney and interstate.
Sundays is when you can catch solo shows from pro comedians with the opening weekend featuring Sarah Gaul, who has a film on Netflix "Hot Mess".
“We’ve got a roster of comics that are really active and quality, and some locals who will be starting off as regulars which we hope fosters the local pool of talent.”
“When I was doing comedy what I noticed was when you're learning you just need to get up in front of people to get that instant feedback, which is brutal but it’s the only way to learn. It’s one of the reasons why I started the Club, to help encourage the local comedy scene and provide that environment for comedians to learn their craft.”
In addition to the comedy, Allan also co-owns Newcastle Film School and therefore has all the necessary equipment and skills to be able to live stream the shows so you can watch all your favourite local comedy acts from the comfort of your own home.