After establishing itself as a premiere venue in Nottingham, Just The Tonic opens a new location for great comedy at the Leicester Square theatre in 2009, featuring a whole array of established and up and coming new comedians. Its acclaimed shows have been seen around the country for well over a decade and now London audiences can experience its popular showcases in a permanent location.
It will mean that London has a new home for comedy, featuring a great auditorium with state of the art seating, as well as bars and of course, big name acts.
In 2009 the venue has already seen The Mighty Boosh star Noel Fielding, who brought his surreal comic style to the venue and kept the audience in stitches. There’s also been 15 Storeys High star Sean Lock, who is regularly seen on television’s 8 out of 10 Cats and Live at the Apollo. But that’s not all, there has also been the current star of TV’s Genius, Dave Gorman as well as Tim Vine, Phil Kay, Josie Long, Lee Mack and the legendary Richard Herring.
But that is not to say that all of the big names have been and gone. Still to appear at Just The Tonic is If.comedy winner 2007 Brendon Burns, as well as BBC 6 Music’s Jon Richardson, Ideal’s Seymour Mace, Have I Got New For You’s Reginald D Hunter, the legendary Stewart Lee and Hyperdrive’s Dan Antopolski.
Some of the credits to the comedians’ names are impressive, with Stewart Lee arriving just after fronting the BBC television series Stewart Lee’s Comedy Vehicle and the likes of Lee Mack appearing following the sitcom Not Going Out. But there are also other acts that include Ivan Brackenbury, Rob Deering, Mat Reed, Markus Birdman, James Dowdeswell, Lucy Porter, Sarah Millican, Robin Ince, Nina Conti, Wil Hodgson, Russell Kane and Stewart Francis.
The line up (as it stands) is as follows:
16th May 2009 features Lee Mack, Brendon Burns, Paul Tonkinson and Sally Ann Haywood.
23rd May 2009 features Ivan Brackenbury, Rob Deering, Owen O'Neil and Mat Reed.
30th May 2009 features Pappy's Fun Club, Markus Birdman, Kerry Godliman and Charlie Baker
6th June 2009 features Jon Richardson, Simon Evans, John Gordillo and Tiernan Douieb.
13th June 2009 features Milton Jones, Seymour Mace, James Dowdeswell and Al Pitcher.
20th June 2009 features Lucy Porter, Sarah Millican, Robin Ince and Charlie Baker.
27th June 2009 features Reginald D Hunter, Pippa Evans and Charlie Baker.
4th July 2009 features Kevin Bridges, Nina Conti, Joey Page and Charlie Baker.
11th July 2009 features Stewart Lee, Wil Hodgson, Dan Antopolski and Jarred Christmas.
18th July 2009 features Earl Okin, Stan Stanley and Mat Reed.
25th July features Russell Kane, Nick Revell, Pierre Hollins and Pat Monahan.
1st August features a special guest, plus Matt Kirshen, Nick Wilty and Carl Donnelly.
Finally, 15th August 2009 features Terry Alderton, Stewart Francis, Dan Evans and Mat Reed
There is also a show on 8th August 2009 that is yet to be announced.