Aside from venues catering to the suburban mainstream crowd looking to get drunk and laugh on a Friday or Saturday night, stand up rooms are normally a mid week activity. Most bar owners see comedy as events that fill the quiet nights of their week when bands aren’t playing and there isn’t an private functions booked. One venue that has decided to buck that trend by giving stand up a prominent position in its weekly schedule is The Town Hall Hotel in South Melbourne. Under the guidance of Dan Brader, comedy is held every Saturday night in the form of The 41st Best Comedy Club Ever! (a name destined to cause endless headaches for many an MC).
The action is held in the rear bar of the venue, located behind the main bar. As the venue doesn’t usually hold much in the way of live entertainment, there isn’t a purpose built stage. Dan has had to be creative in setting up the room by crating a performance space in a well lit area adjacent to the entrance of the room. The show unfortunately suffers from the distraction of punters walking in and out, as the only serving bar is located at the other end of the venue. Before the “stage” is a long comfortable couch for those who want to be up close to the action. It also doubles as an extension of the stage where performers can perch themselves to address the punters when there is a lack of brave souls. The remainder of the room consists of chairs arranged around tables which are in semi darkness so as to draw attention to the lit performers.
The night is structured in the standard two sets of entertainment. The first sees short sets by three or four performers while the final bracket is comprised of one more act followed by the Headliner. The show had a very casual and relaxed atmosphere about it on the night I attended. Our MC chatted with punters and fellow comics contributed to proceedings when there weren’t on stage themselves. This resulted in plenty on off the cuff humour that created plenty of special moments.
The 41st Best Comedy Club Ever is a wonderful addition to Melbourne’s stand up circuit. With an impressive menu on offer to tempt you to have a pre show dinner, an evening at The Town Hall Hotel is an enjoyable way to spend a Saturday night.
The show happens every Saturday at 8:30pm and entry is $10. Keep an eye on our gig guide or join thier Facebook group for line up details.