The London Alcohol-Free Comedy Club
Written by Martyn Davies
Hello! Martyn here from Phoenix Futures.
By day you will catch me as the Senior Alcohol HIU Specialist, working person centred and holistically with a small cohort of clients. My work is to try and break the cycle in their hospital presentations and vitally get them re-engaging with services. Using my own lived experience with this cohort type has proved invaluable.
When I found recovery myself back in 2018, I set out on a mission to prove that being sober is actually fun, and started a small project called Sober IS Fun! At the time of creating this I was still working in the professional stand-up comedy sector as a booker and promotor. I could see a gap in the comedy market for sober professional stand-up shows. I was aware that these types of shows had been produced before, but only ad-hock for a charitable purpose.
I took the idea to my former boss, who laughed at the idea. “No one laughs without a drink inside them Martyn. You know that the second half of shows are much better because the audience have had more booze” – absolutely unbelievable! My boss could not see what I could see…. maybe due to his own lifestyle.
The professional stand-up circuit also mocked the idea, apart from a select few… who were living a sober lifestyle. I handed in my notice soon after. After becoming sober I’d come through a lot, I was a new person with a new mindset and way of thinking. Around this time, I also started working for Phoenix in a different support role, as I wanted to use my lived experience to now help others.
I launched Sober IS Fun back in the winter of 2018 to a small audience of 30 in Chelmsford, Essex. The show was hailed a great success… not only by the sober audience BUT also the comedians! The feedback from them was unreal. They loved the fact that the audience was there for the comedy, and not alcohol and so attentive they hung on every word. Believe it or not a high number of people attending a comedy club put having the chance to drink alcohol higher than the main reason they have ventured out!
Before long, 2019 saw a move to a larger venue in Essex. I was now seeing an audience of 100+. I also ventured into London and started The London Sober Comedy Club at a small bar in Bethnal Green, along with the Essex shows.
It was around this time I noticed the only people attending these sober events were people in recovery. Don’t get me wrong, this was initially the market I started out to work with and wanted actually to give back to. I wanted to open the shows up to a wider audience though.
Then the pandemic struck, knocking out all the shows I had worked so hard on. During this time, I was adamant I could see a bigger picture for Sober IS Fun, and to use it as an umbrella event to pull together ALL people that just choose not to drink alcohol for
whatever reason.
From this moment I changed the name of the event to The London Alcohol-Free Comedy Club and decided to now host the shows in the afternoon. This opened the shows up to a wider audience who could travel into London and get home at a reasonable time.
I approached the Backyard Comedy Club in Bethnal Green, and they loved the concept I had created. The first show launched back in 2021 to an audience of 50, and again a great success.
Today we are now seeing audiences up to 150, as the Dry January Special typically pulls a bigger audience. The demographic of audience is incredible. People are attending who do still drink alcohol, but are fed up with what alcohol can sometimes bring, and see our event as a hassle free afternoon out. Of course we see people in recovery, and now the sober curious attending and those who abstain from alcohol due to faith.
The only stigma I can sometimes hear is from those that do still drink alcohol sometimes, but like attending our shows. I have heard the fact they are sometimes called out by friends who find out they have attended an Alcohol-Free event and now think they have a problem with alcohol, or they are a Larry lightweight!
I’m really pleased to say since 2018 I have seen a massive shift in the demographic of sober and alcohol-free events. I’ve also noticed that there are lot more sober events and raves now happening, but proud to say I have held on to my Alcohol-Free Stand-Up comedy niche!
Come and experience Sober Laughing Out Loud for yourself as we return with our next show on Sunday 26th January at 3pm. More details can be found at: www.soberisfun.co.uk.
It really is a powerful atmosphere to witness. A packed showroom with laughter not enhanced by alcohol or drugs.
Thanks for reading.
Martyn.