Fun Palace Comedy, Cluny 2
Sam Wonfor, The Journal
WHEN bosses at one of Newcastle’s coolest music venues took the reins at a theatre less than a stone’s throw away, they said they had lots planned.
The venue was The Cluny, which spread its brand to take over the running of the former Round Theatre in the Ouseburn early last month.
We were told to look out for announcements involving plays, music and comedy coming soon to the newly-named Cluny 2.
There have already been a raft of music bookings revealed and tomorrow night sees the start of a regular comedy night. Fun Palace Comedy will be a fortnightly affair aimed at giving a stage both to established and upcoming comedians from the North East.
Tomorrow’s inaugural gig has both boxes well and truly ticked in the line-up department.
While popular long-serving stand-up and actor Dave Johns takes the headline slot, he’ll be joined on the bill by Sunderland’s Matt Read as well as relative up-and-comers Christian Steel, Carl Hutchinson, and Kaibosh, the latter being described as "one of the most original acts to the comedy world".
It’s nice to hear a regular bout of laughter will be brought to the venue, which hasn’t had the best time thus far. The Round closed just eight months after it opened and management company The Round Theatre Ltd went into liquidation last June. The theatre building is still owned by Mike Mould, of community theatre company Bruvvers, who is now renting it to the Cluny.
But back to the comedy. Fans of comedy will need no introduction to Dave Johns – but here’s a quick introduction if you need it.
A regular panellist on shows such as Never Mind the Buzzcocks and 8 out of 10 Cats, Dave has been performing since 1989 and was responsible for setting up a comedy club in Newcastle around that time. Jack Dee, Jo Brand and Eddie Izzard are among the many now household names who took to the stage where the audience had paid a little over £2 to get in.
Having played venues all over the world (successful runs at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal being a couple of examples), Dave has also enjoyed great success as an actor.
He starred alongside Christian Slater in One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest in the West End and Bill Bailey in Twelve Angry Men.
Oh, and he’s also a scriptwriter whose credits include the stage adaptation of the Stephen King novel The Shawshank Redemption.
Meanwhile Matt Read is eight years into his comedy career.
He started as half of double act Matt and Faron, and as a solo performer has made the finals of The Daily Telegraph Open Mic Award and the Leicester Comedian of the Year.
You may have seen Christian Steel when he appeared in Channel 4’s Shackleton with Kenneth Branagh, no less, while Carl Hutchinson won the Frog & Bucket’s Young Comedian of the Year Award in 2007.
Safe to say the audience will be in good hands tomorrow night and should prepare to laugh. Lots.
There’ll be music on the menu too.
It’s coming courtesy of North East musician Gary Phelan, who you may remember from Fame Academy, and who has gone on to work with Robbie Williams’s former songwriting other half Guy Chambers among others.
Tickets, £6, are available from the box office on (0191) 230-4474.
