Judd Apatow makes his UK stand-up debut

...at a South London pub gig!

Hollywood comedy royalty Judd Apatow has performed his first ever UK stand-up show – in a South London pub.

The producer-director behind such hit films as The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up and Anchorman took to the stage of the long-running Always Be Comedy gig at The Tommyfield in Kennington last night.

Club founder James Gill called it one of the best shows in the night’s 13-year history.

He said: 'We at Always Be Comedy of course love all comedy - but we are unashamedly US comedy nerds. And so to get Judd Apatow is a unique thrill.

‘It's great that the reputation of the night has brought more and more US stars. And long may that continue!"

‘Our crowds have seen some of the all-time greats down the years - and the roar for Judd tonight was right up there. What's more, the dude absolutely crushed it. Also, what a thoroughly lovely guy And I think we kept our fanboy levels in check - just.’

Nor was Apatow the only big star at the show last night, with Stephen Merchant also on the bill. This picture shows them both with Gill and Always Be Comedy’s Tim Lewis on the right.

For two comedy nerds, this photo may as well have been taken at the top of Mount Olympus. The great Stephen Merchant - a huge favourite at Always Be Comedy. And the godfather of comedy - the maestro Judd Apatow (first UK show!). Very grateful. Many more shows at our site. ???????? pic.twitter.com/pfYh6CIRbj
— Always Be Comedy (@alwaysbecomedy) July 22, 2024

Other US stars who have previously played the club include Kumail Nanjiani, Whitney Cummings and James Austin Johnson as well as UK names such as Kevin Bridges, Sara Pascoe and Romesh Ranganathan.

Apatow began performing stand-up at 17 while still at school and cut his teeth on the Los Angeles circuit while enrolled in the screenwriting program at University of Southern California. He dropped out of college during his second year to focus on comedy and later moved into an apartment with Adam Sandler. He then moved into TV and film, notably as a writer on The Larry Sanders Show and breaking into cinema as producer of 2004’s Anchorman.

He went back to his stand-up roots in 2016, releasing his first special, The Return, the following year, recorded during the Just for Laughs comedy festival in Montreal.

Apatow’s next advertised gig is hosting a ‘With Friends…’ show in the 2,800-seat Beacon Theatre as part of the New York Comedy Festival in November.

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Published: 23 Jul 2024