Comedy club's crowdfunding bid as it finds a new home

London’s Angel Comedy Club is poised to open a new purpose-built venue – and has turned to crowdfunding to make it happen.

The club has been operating for six years in a small room above the Camden Head in Islington. Now running seven nights a week, it sells out frequently with its free entry policy.

But now it is seeking £20,000 to move into a bigger space it can call is own – and it has already raised almost £4,000 in a few hours.

Promoters say: ‘We’re running out of space, plus, if the landlords want their room back, we’re out of a venue. We also have dreams, big dreams, that need more space than a borrowed pub function room.’

They have secured the lease on an old Victorian pub nearby formerly known as The Mucky Pup and need the extra money to do it up: fixing a leaking roof, sorting out the plumbing and building a proper stage with lights and sound, installing air-conditioning, and buying the 150 seats the new room will accommodate.

In a video on Kickstarter, promoter and regular compere Barry Ferns, pictured, said that he had effectively paid for the lease on its new venue in change – thanks to audiences paying what they want at the end of each show.

He added: ‘‘With a permanent home Angel comedy can have a future and can dare to dream…’

Aims for the venue also include a podcast studio, a training room for stand-up courses, and community schemes to work with local children and older people.

The hope is to open by September, and those who Help fund the renovation can have anything from the stage (£5,000) to a urinal (£350) to the fire exit (£500) named after them.

The Angel Comedy team, which also includes comic Dec Munro, club manager Sarah Pearce and pub manager Rachel Warnes, said: ‘If you've ever been to Angel Comedy, if you've ever had a great night for free, or almost free, or discovered a new great comedian, or like the spirit that we run it in, or just enjoyed it for what it is - please support us. We literally can't do this without your support.'

They added that they won't be leaving the Camden Head, but the small room isn't enough for all their ambitions.

Last year, The We Are Funny Project launched a crowdfunding page to built a new venue, with a more ambitious target of £90,000. It fell well short, but the £18,400 that was pledged is close to what Angel Comedy requires.

Here’s their fundraising video:

Published: 23 May 2016