The Comedy Store Wins Best Northern Venue

The Comedy Store

The Comedy Store in Manchester was named Best Venue in the North in the Chortle Awards 2011 at a ceremony in London. The venue was named ahead of a strong shortlist during the event on Monday night, hosted by Al Murray.

Don Ward, founder of The Comedy Store, said: “It is great to be appreciated by the Great British public and we – the London & Manchester Stores – thank everyone that voted for us. Thank you to the judges and the biggest thank you of all to Steve Bennett for creating the Chortle Awards, which over the past 10 years have become the Oscars of the comedy world.”

The Chortle Awards are the highest profile event of its kind and reward those individuals, and organizations, operating on the live circuit. Other winners included Victoria Wood, Stewart Lee, Tim Minchin and Michael McIntyre, whilst Frank Sidebottom creator Chris Sievey was also honoured after his death last June with a special judges’ award.

The Comedy Store brand was founded in London in 1979 by Don Ward after a visit to Los Angeles where he first witnessed the ‘alternative’ comedy scene, and the venue has played host to some of the biggest names in comedy history including Robin Williams, Chris Rock and Mike Myers – who founded The Comedy Store Players that still runs today.

A host of household names started their careers at The Comedy Store, including the likes of French & Saunders, Eddie Izzard, Ben Elton, Paul Merton, Lee Evans and Jack Dee, and it remains the most famous venue in the country which gives a platform to the best acts on these shores.

Following the success of the London venue, Ward opened The Comedy Store in Manchester in 2000, and a year later started the Manchester Comedy Festival which is one of the biggest events of its kind in the UK. In 2010 the event attracted over 200 shows across 34 venues in the city, with more tickets sold than ever before.