THE Sitting Room Comedy Club returns to the Monkbar Hotel, Monk Bar, York tomorrow with an 8pm bill of headliner Gordon Southern, Brad Tassell, George Rigden and Danny Deegan.
Promoter Tom Taylor, the 2015 Great Yorkshire Fringe New Comedian of the Year, is leading his club into a second year in York. "It was our first birthday last month and what a birthday show that was! Superb performances from all the acts and a lovely crowd to boot," he says.
"The word is spreading about what a lovely night it is at the Monkbar, which is great and something I’m really proud of. More and more top-quality acts are getting in touch wanting to play the club like Gordon and Brad this month, plus the likes of John Moloney, Paul Sinha and Adam Hess, who all will be dropping in later this year."
Tom reckons his line-ups "just keep getting stronger and stronger". "I want to match that by packing the room each and every month and, alongside the other independent nights in the city, create a scene in York that rivals that of Newcastle and Manchester and brings us on to the map as a comedy hotspot," he says.
American comic Brad Tassell
"It’s all very achievable and simple. If you like comedy, come to a show! Or tell a friend. Or put a poster up at work. I think successful nights all grow out of communities and that sense of community is something we work really hard on establishing and sustaining at Sitting Room nights.”
Tom’s latest Monkbar Hotel instalment brings together Comedy Store closing act Gordon Southern and American comic Brad Tassell plus support from award-winning newcomer George Rigden and club favourite Danny Deegan.
“With 16 years of comedy experience under his belt, Gordon Southern is one of the most sought-after headline acts on the UK and international circuits," says the promoter.
"His upbeat and energetic delivery, combined with his fantastically funny observational comedy and quick-witted improvisation, has secured his place as an audience favourite at our Harrogate club as well as earning him nominations for Best Comedy Show at both the Perth and New Zealand Comedy Festivals.
“Gordon has also picked up awards from Time Out and the British Comedy Awards for his writing on shows such as Dead Ringers and The One Ronnie. It’s a real treat to have him close the show.”
Compere Danny Deegan
Brad Tassell opens tomorrow's bill. "A professional comedian and author for over 25 years, Brad has unbelievably top-trumped Gordon for experience. Not that it's a competition," says Tom.
"He’s one of the most popular acts on the American circuit and the amount of shows he fits into a year is the stuff of legends. From Vegas to New York, Brad has headlined every comedy club, casino and college in the country and he’s only in England for one week so I'm delighted he's making old York, and Sitting Room, one of his stops.”
George Rigden takes the middle spot. "He's been described as a genetic mash-up between Mitch Benn and Tim Key with a few strands of Ricky Gervais’s DNA thrown in," says Tom. "I've worked with George many times and he's always been a hit. He's a master at working the crowd and his musical comedy ranges from the gloriously silly to the deliciously dark.”
York resident Danny Deegan returns as host and compère after a summer of providing tour support for another Sitting Room favourite, Paul Sinha. Tickets cost £10 from the Monkbar Hotel reception, at sittingroomcomedy.com or on the door.
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