Partner Article

Expansion plan is no joke

COMEDY club chain Jongleurs – which gave the likes of Graham Norton and Ben Elton their big breaks – is to open a venue in Newcastle as part of a national expansion plan.

The company had faced an uncertain future last year when its parent company, Regent Inns went bust.

However the Jongleurs name and rights have reportedy now reverted back to founders Maria Kempinska and John Davy.

The new clubs are part of a £2m joint venture with fellow club operator, Novus Leisure, and will be launched in Nottingham, Cambridge, Liverpool, Manchester, Sheffield and Newcastle.

Jongleurs said it was seeking to capitalise on a “comedy boom” in the UK after sell-out arena tours from standup comedians Michael McIntyre, Ricky Gervais and Chris Rock and booming DVD sales.

Ms Kempinska, who launched Jongleurs in 1983, joined forces with Davy two years later and they built the Jongleurs brand, with its comedy nights playing host to then unknown performers, including the likes of Paul Merton and Mike Myers.

“It seems people want to laugh and be entertained in times of recession,” she said.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .