Nottingham club finds a new home

Just the Tonic is to open a new purpose-built comedy club in Nottingham after a three-year hunt.

The club, which had been operating in the city for more than a decade when it lost its last permanent home four years ago, will open its new 400-seat venue in the city’s Cornerhouse leisure complex in September.

Johnny Vegas is among the acts signed up to appear in the launch season, promoter Darrell Martin said.

He added: ‘I aim to give Nottingham the best comedy club outside of London. It would be the best in the country, just that loads of the acts live in London .

‘I'll be exhausting my phone book, stretching friendships, badgering comedians and booking the best possible line-ups I can.’

The new club will put Just The Tonic in direct competition with a new Jongleurs club, which has just opened a new site in the city following the collapse of former owner Regent Inns.

‘We aren't really worried that they have opened up again,’ Martin said. ‘It’s a different market.’

Some of the money for his new site came from two fundraising nights held in London four years ago, which featured the likes of Ricky Gervais, Jimmy Carr and Russell Brand. ‘I'm glad to finally be able to spend the money on the purpose for which it was raised,’ said Martin.

Published: 21 May 2010