Starting with Monkey Barrel, Angel and Backyard

Ten UK comedy clubs are to regularly stream stand-up shows on the NextUp platform.

Monkey Barrel in Edinburgh is the first venue to be signed up to the project, with the first show airing next week.

It will be closely followed by regular shows from Angel Comedy and Backyard Comedy in London.

Shows will feature interactive features and live captioning and have been made possible after NextUp won a £250,000 grant from the government’s Innovate UK scheme towards this and other projects in the next two years.

Iain Campbell at Monkey Barrel said: ‘Online streaming brings performances out of comedy clubs and into the homes of those who might not be able to attend otherwise. Accessibility is at the heart of the Monkey Barrel ethos and online streaming is a fundamental part of that.’

His venue will host to a monthly Impatient At Monkey Barrel night, staged by Mark Watson’s production company and hosted by the comic, who has long been an advocate for online comedy and the access it provides. The first show, on Monday will also feature Jin Hao Li, William Stone and Lauren Pattison.

Meanwhile, Angel Comedy will be streaming their fortnightly Angel Comedy Thursdays mixed-bill nights on NextUp.

Barry Ferns, one of the comedians who set up the club, said: ‘Angel Comedy is just a perfectly small room, in a perfectly small venue, and while only about 100 people can fit into every show, we love the idea of working with NextUp to find a way to to let everyone enjoy the shows that only performances in small intimate venues can create.’

Backyard will be streaming their monthly Comedy Knockout competition show on the platform, which club manager Daniel Dearlove says will ‘showcase a dozen of the best newer acts to a much wider audience ‘.

Tom Brandt, NextUp’s head of content, said: ‘We want our members to be able to watch the amazing shows the UK circuit has to offer and enjoy the live experience regardless of ticket availability, location, price and venue accessibility. 

‘We  also want acts and venues to be able to share their work with a global audience of comedy fans, helping them grow their fanbase and increase their income.

‘We’re proud of what we’ve achieved so far, streaming the Edinburgh Fringe etc, but there’s a way to go - particularly with the development of interactivity tech and live captioning.

‘We’re delighted to be announcing these first three venues and can’t wait to hear what the fans have to say as we move through the project.’

Published: 23 Feb 2023