Back in the mid nineties there were plenty of comedy clubs scattered around London......
from little rooms above pubs running open mic nights for newer acts, to cutting edge independent outfits right up to the bigger established venues such as the prestigious Comedy Store.
There was a distinct buzz that was like no other night out, the bills were diverse and exciting, often wild and anarchic but there was a distinct lack of these in the London's East end.
Phil Nichol is a prolific, multi-award winning, global stand up comedian, with a record six nominations for the Chortle Best Headliner award. With a surreal edge to his mischievous rantings, his raw energy continually brings something new to the stage, utilising his skills as an improviser and a musician to push the boundaries.
Born in Scotland, but raised in Canada, Phil first found fame as part of comedy trio Corky and the Juice Pigs, receiving a Perrier Award nomination in 1993. Since focusing on his solo stand up career, he received a second Perrier nomination in 2002 and he won the Edinburgh Comedy Award in 2006.
"Unfailingly impressive" - The Guardian
Jay Handley used to make beautiful sculpted oak furniture before binning it all off to become a comedian instead!
He performs all over the country at some of its very best clubs on the stand up citcuit.
He has been a regular at the Edinburgh Fringe since 2011 and performs a new solo-show back to back with his legendary late show every year at the Banshee Labyrinth.
"A top class comic with a great mix of material...his gags are imaginative, polished and proper proper funny" - 4GoodComedians
Deane Dixon-Foster is a London-based stand-up comedian, writer, and drama facilitator known for his work in the East London cabaret circuit working with young people in the local community. He blends sharp storytelling with dry, self-deprecating wit to explore themes of masculinity, relationships, and cultural chaos.
Often dark and surreal, sometimes edgy, Deane possesses natural stage presence which quickly warms the audience into his world.
MC Stephanie Laing started performing in April 2007 on the Scottish comedy circuit. She quickly established herself as one of the most promising acts of her generation on the circuit, and in 2015 appeared as a finalist in the prestigious Leicester Mercury Comedian Of The Year competition.
Stephanie is best described as goofy and peculiar, and her comedy is partway between the needy oddness of Maria Bamford and the upbeat affability of Josie Long. Her material is a mix of silliness, filth and unusual observations, underpinned by a disarming honesty which makes her seem charmingly vulnerable.
“Gloriously silly … wonderfully unpretentious” - Broadway Baby
“Definitely one to watch” - Three Weeks
The idea was to bring the best of all of these ingredients to a comedy starved location but with an edge that would both give a unique experience to the audience and push the boundaries of normal comedy club rules and etiquette - we would allow & encourage heckling! (within reason of course). We strongly believe that any act worth their salt would deal with and thrive from playful audience participation should they be worthy enough to set foot on that stage in the first place.
Hecklers Comedy Club ran it's debut show in September 1995 to a packed house in Leytonstone, where history was made. All performers from the inaugural show are now very established household names.
The club ethos has never changed, and by allowing the audience a certain amount of ownership of the evening some truly memorable shows have emerged through the magic of chaos.
Over the years there have been various Hecklers venues in East London, Hertfordshire & Hampshire, but it's spiritual home is without doubt the West End Centre in Aldershot, where it ran it's debut show in February 1997, and has been running monthly ever since (apart from a few months off during the Covid pandemic lockdowns of course).
Hecklers has always strived to put on good quality professional bills for a reasonable admission price. We pride ourselves on nurturing the up and coming talent of tomorrow by placing promising newcomers amongst a line up of experienced pros, and never forgetting that our audiences ultimately drive our shows. We have a strong reputation not just on the UK circuit, but internationally as one of the "must play" clubs in any comedian's career.
In the past two and a half decades we have proudly played host to the likes of:
Jimmy Carr, Micky Flanagan, Bill Bailey, Harry Hill, Ross Noble, Michael McIntyre, Katherine Ryan, Gary Delaney, Ed Byrne,
Andy Parsons, Milton Jones, Al Murray, Lee Mack, Shappi Khorsandi, Graham Norton, Catherine Tate, Matt Lucas, Reg Hunter, Omid Djalili, Hal Cruttenden, Russell Kane, Phil Wang, Andrew Maxwell, Henning Wehn, Sarah Millican, Tim Vine, Rob Rouse, Justin Lee Collins, Paul Sinha, Dominic Holland, Phil Nichol, Ricky Grover, Simon Brodkin, Bob Mills, Mark Thomas, Rob Newman, Doc Brown, Paul Foot, Kerry Godliman, Gina Yashere, Daniel Kitson, Nina Conti, Pete Firman, Lucy Porter, Marcus Brigstocke, Stephen Merchant, Lee Hurst, Stephen K Amos, Jo Caulfield, Mackenzie Crook, Josie Long, Paul Chowdhry, Rufus Hound,
Terry Alderton, Charlie Chuck, Norman Lovett, Bobby Davro, and the late great Sean Lock.................to name but a few
Event: Thursday 9 April, 8pm
Bar Opens: 7pm
Tickets: £15.50 Adv, £17.50 OTD
