Last night Komedia Bath won the Chortle Award for Best Comedy Venue in the West & Wales 2010. At a star-studded awards ceremony in London – hosted by comedy genius Mark Watson – Komedia walked away with the coveted award, beating many well-established venues across the West for the title.

“We have had a fantastic first 16 months – acts already love playing the venue and people have told us we have made their lives better by opening in Bath. This is the main and only industry venue award out there, and coupling this with our Brighton venue winning the Chortle Award for Best Comedy Venue in the South for a record seven times… well, we couldn’t be happier!”

– Richard Daws, Director and Komedia co-owner

Although big touring music acts, such as The Levellers and Seth Lakeman, and top comedians such as Russell Howard, John Bishop, Reginald D Hunter have all taken to the stage – the Bath venue is chiefly famed for its weekly stand-up comedy in the Krater Comedy Club. Having been described as bringing about ‘a brand new dawn for entertainment in Bath’ by VENUE, Komedia gives customers the option to wine and dine prior to, and during, the weekend comedy club – Komedia has the perfect food partner for the South West with Hugh Fernley Whittingstall’s River Cottage Canteen in house – as well as hosting Motorcity; a civilised and popular club straight after the show, which is free to Krater Comedy Club ticket holders. All this and more in the impressive and lovingly restored grade one listed venue!

Komedia Bath is the first Komedia-branded venue launched outside of Brighton, Sussex. Presenting a large and diverse arts and entertainment programme, the venue features international and national music, comedy, cabaret and unique film and dining events whilst also playing host every Saturday (and selected Fridays) to the all-conquering sell-out night Krater Comedy Club.

The Chortle Awards were set up in 2002 by the comedy website Chortle to honour the best of established stand-up comics currently working in the UK. As of 2002, the Chortle Awards are the only UK based awards that solely honour the live work of stand-up comedians at a professional level. The judging is done through a panel of judges and the votes of regular visitors at the Chortle website

On Thursday night, the award-winning entertainment company Komedia opened its new venue in Bath with a rousing set from ex-Aztec Camera front man Roddy Frame. Komedia Directors, architects Stubbs Rich and builders Sturland welcomed a sold-out crowd to a gleaming venue, before Roddy treated the crowd to songs spanning his long and illustrious career. The audience responded with a standing ovation that saw Roddy take to the stage for two encores, taking requests from the rapt fans.

“Last night’s opening saw the end of a three year journey to open a Komedia venue outside of Brighton. It was a phenomenal evening in a phenomenal building, and it’s fair to say emotions were running high as we watched Roddy welcome in a new era of live entertainment in Bath. We’re very proud of what we’ve achieved, and look forward to the bright future of Komedia Bath” – Ranjit Singh, Komedia CEO.

In the five months since Bath and North East Somerset Council granted the Brighton-based company permission to begin building works and refurbishment in the former Beau Nash cinema on Bath’s Westgate Street, Komedia has levelled old cinema rake to create a flat seated / standing area, installed state-of-the-art lighting and glass frontage, and lit the first neon sign in Bath for a number of years.

“Since day one, the public support for the project has been incredible, and we pledge to continue bringing the best live acts to the city as way of thanks!” – Colin Granger, Komedia co-founder and Bath Project Manager.

Chortle Awards
Komedia broke records in February 2008 as the venue walked away with the Chortle Award for Best Comedy Venue in the South for an incredible sixth time.

Chortle Awards
Komedia’s Krater Comedy Club co-founder and regular compere beat strong competition to walk away with the Chortle Award for Best Compere – in the whole of the UK!

Latest 7/Latest Homes Brighton Festival Awards
Komedia’s astounding and enviable programme of theatre, music, cabaret and comedy in the Brighton Festival Fringe 2007 is recognised as we walk away with the most sought-after award of the evening.

This morning award-winning entertainment company Komedia signed and exchanged lease papers with Bath and North East Somerset Council, granting the Brighton-based company permission to begin building works and refurbishment in the former Beau Nash cinema on Bath’s Westgate Street. Komedia Directors, along with architects Stubbs Rich and builders Sturland, expect to open the brand new venue in November 2008. Komedia Bath will present an eclectic programme of shows, from the very best comedians on the circuit to live musical acts and cabaret shows, all year round.

Komedia Bath was set to open in late 2007, but delays in planning consents and continued negotiations with the council meant the project was delayed until now. Colin Granger, co-founder of Komedia, is delighted: “We’re over the moon Komedia Bath is now but a few months away from completion. We’ve got a superb design from our Bath architects, Stubbs Rich, to convert the former ABC cinema into a live arts venue and have already started work with Sturland Builders on transforming this wonderful building into a fully working space once again.”

Komedia Bath is to be the first Komedia-branded venue launched outside of Brighton, Sussex. Presenting a large and diverse arts and entertainment programme, the south coast venue features international and national performers, and also plays host to a unique range of Komedia-grown resident shows such as the Krater Comedy Club, Kroon Kat Lounge and Bent Double. Equally adept at programming top-notch comedy, established and breaking music acts, eye-opening cabaret and brand new theatre throughout the year, Komedia’s devotion to booking the best in live entertainment is evident in recent and upcoming gigs from Duffy, Athlete, British Sea Power, Scouting For Girls, Henry Rollins, Gabriella Cilmi, The Kooks, Arctic Monkeys as well as stand-up from Bill Bailey, Flight of the Conchords, Richard Herring, Russell Howard, Omid Djalili, and Gina Yashere. It has also helped launch the careers of Graham Norton, the League of Gentlemen and The Mighty Boosh. Komedia will present a similar programme in Bath, and the Beau Nash will also feature a large all-day café where customers can find out about what shows are on, purchase tickets, and enjoy a coffee or a bite to eat.

Inspired by the European tradition of cabaret theatre where audiences can enjoy a meal while watching a show, Komedia Brighton has won many awards including Best Cultural Destination in the City and the Chortle Award for ‘Best Comedy Venue in the South’ an incredible six times. Komedia is also active on the Edinburgh Fringe, producing venues and promoting its artists and resident shows, and is a producer of broadcast entertainment.

Last night Komedia, Brighton scored a double win at the 2008 Chortle Awards, walking away with the award for Best Comedy Venue in the South for a record sixth time, whilst resident compere of the venue’s popular Krater Comedy Club Stephen Grant won the title of ‘Best Compere’. The star-studded awards ceremony on Monday 25 February was hosted by Grumpy Old Men star Arthur Smith and held in London’s Bar AKA.

Komedia, famed for it’s popular weekly stand-up comedy the Krater Comedy Club, has been described as ‘THE place in Brighton to catch stand-up comedy’ by The Independent, attracting top comedy acts such as Catherine Tate, Ross Noble, Reginald D Hunter, Mark Watson and Gina Yashere in the past.

Stephen Grant – co-founder, compere and programmer of the Krater Comedy Club for nine years – was gobsmacked to win his award; “I was absolutely over the moon just to be nominated, as this was the first time any performer outside of the capital had been recognised. I was flabbergasted – so much so that I barely made an acceptance speech – for the first time in my life, I couldn’t think what to say! Compering is quite a unique skill and is only really revered within the comedy industry itself, so this is the only award ceremony in the UK that recognises this ability. The fact that I was nominated by the top UK comedy judges and voted for by fellow performers and comedy fans everywhere makes it all the more pleasing. I’m ecstatic!”

He places the secret of the venue’s success at the quality of the acts, “Krater, for example, is such a quality night as we get the best acts on the circuit to perform. In the past we’ve had Jimmy Carr doing spots and Ricky Gervais filling in on a Sunday! It’s also down to the audience: the Brighton crowd are great and really respectful to the acts!”

Komedia thrives on diversity and specialises in nurturing talent and promoting new work, evident in the venue’s dedication to regular stand-up nights such as Bent Double – the South’s best-loved gay-friendly comedy show, and Comic Boom – a show allowing new acts to perform alongside established comedians on the circuit.

The Chortle awards were set up in 2002 by the comedy website Chortle to honour the best of established stand-up comics currently working in the UK. As of 2002, the Chortle Awards are the only UK based awards that solely honour the live work of stand-up comedians at a professional level. The judging is done through a panel of judges and the votes of regular visitors at the Chortle website.

Described as ‘THE place in Brighton to catch stand-up comedy’ by The Independent, and winner of the ‘Best Comedy Venue in the South’ for five years running by chortle.co.uk, the night kicked off back in 1999, scheduled once fortnightly on a Sunday. Compered by Brighton comedy genius Stephen Grant since the very beginning, the first show played to an audience of 40, the second to an audience of 80, which doubled again for the third. The fourth show sold out, as has every show since.

Stephen places the secret of the night’s success at the quality of the acts, “it’s such a quality night as we get the best acts on the circuit to perform. In the past we’ve had Jimmy Carr doing spots and Ricky Gervais filling in on a Sunday! It’s also down to the audience: the Brighton crowd are great and really respectful to the acts!” With over 1000 people attending the club every weekend throughout the year, it’s no surprise that Stephen became the most seen performer in Brighton in 2006 across all disciplines (theatre, music, cabaret), having played to over 40,000 punters at Krater alone.

Speaking of the punters, a lot can happen in eight years, and Krater has seen his fair share of infamous moments – from streakers to punch-ups, Hungarian hecklers to celebrity patronage (Mackenzie Crook stopped by on the first night of his honeymoon before flying out to the Caribbean, and Steve Coogan has been known to drop in from time to time!) – and that’s just the audience. Backstage antics have seen acts paid in vodka, nervous breakdowns, and one comedian’s wife meeting his girlfriend minutes before he was due onstage!

With spots by Brendan Burns, Jeff Innocent, Reginald D Hunter and Mark Watson all coming up in the next few months, it’s clear that the Kronenbourg Krater Comedy Club shows no sign of growing old gracefully, and is all the better for it!