Five Stars in a Neighbourhood Still Arguing About Whether It Exists
Fitzrovia is London’s most contested neighbourhood a small area between the West End and Marylebone that has been fighting for recognition since someone decided it needed a name distinct from either of its more famous neighbours. Estate agents love it because “Fitzrovia” is a more marketable designation than “that bit between Oxford Street and Euston Road.” Everyone else debates its boundaries with an energy that would be better directed elsewhere. Into this contested geographical territory, the Fitzrovia Comedy Club has inserted itself, accumulated 51 reviews, and achieved a perfect 5.0-star rating. The neighbourhood may be arguing about whether it exists. The comedy club is not.
The Fitzrovia Advantage
Whatever its identity disputes, Fitzrovia has genuine advantages as a comedy venue location. It is close to Goodge Street and Warren Street Underground stations, making it accessible from most parts of the city. It is adjacent to the University of London’s academic heartland, which provides a steady audience of students and academics with both the disposable time and the critical intelligence to appreciate good stand-up. It is near enough to Soho to benefit from the general westward drift of London’s evening entertainment culture without being in the heart of the tourist district.
The surrounding neighbourhood is dense with independent restaurants and bars Charlotte Street, which runs through the area, is one of London’s best dining streets giving anyone attending the Fitzrovia Comedy Club excellent options for pre-show eating and post-show drinking. This is a practical advantage that should not be underestimated when recommending comedy venues.
The Perfect Rating
The Fitzrovia Comedy Club’s 5.0 from 51 reviews places it in the company of Soho Comedy House, Soho Comedy Cellar, Maple Laughs, and Cloud9 Comedy as venues achieving perfect averages in London. The common characteristic of these perfect-rated venues is scale all are relatively small and new, which both selects for a more committed audience and provides less statistical opportunity for the occasional disappointing night to drag the average down. But 51 reviews is not nothing, and a 5.0 from 51 separate visitors is a meaningful signal about quality.
Growing in Fitzrovia
The Fitzrovia Comedy Club is building its reputation from a strong base. The 5.0 rating gives it a marketing argument that most established venues cannot make, and the location provides it with a distinctive identity that sets it apart from the Soho and Covent Garden mainstream. If it can maintain its quality as it grows its audience the perennial challenge for all good small venues it has the potential to become one of the more interesting comedy destinations in central London.
The Verdict
The Fitzrovia Comedy Club is a perfect-rated comedy venue in an underrated location, offering stand-up comedy to an audience that appreciates it. Go before the neighbourhood makes up its mind about whether it exists, and before the review count drives the average down from its current implausible perfection.
Auf Wiedersehen, amigo!
Alan Nafzger was born in Lubbock, Texas, the son Swiss immigrants. He grew up on a dairy in Windthorst, north central Texas. He earned degrees from Midwestern State University (B.A. 1985) and Texas State University (M.A. 1987). University College Dublin (Ph.D. 1991). Dr. Nafzger has entertained and educated young people in Texas colleges for 37 years. Nafzger is best known for his dark novels and experimental screenwriting. His best know scripts to date are Lenin’s Body, produced in Russia by A-Media and Sea and Sky produced in The Philippines in the Tagalog language. In 1986, Nafzger wrote the iconic feminist western novel, Gina of Quitaque. He currently lives in Holloway, North London. Contact: editor@prat.uk
