Crawley comedy night with Carl Donnelly

Organiser Mark Coxon said: “This show is normally on the first Friday of the month but this time we have had to schedule it for the Thursday. We have been doing shows at this venue for over a year now and are confident that we are successfully building Crawley’s only regular monthly comedy club. In that time we have had Bob Mills, Lee Hurst, Zoe Lyons, Simon Evans and Angela Barnes down to name but a few.

“Word is going around on the circuit that Comedy Beats gig at The Grasshopper is an excellent one to perform at. The comedians regularly say not only is it a lovely room to play but that the audience are really good as well. Many of the punters come every month and these regulars give the club a really solid foundation. When comedians of the quality we use hit the stage they know from the off that they are going to have great set.

“We always try and put at least one comic on the bill each month with some TV credits to their name and our May gig is no different with the fantastic Carl Donnelly opening the show. His TV appearances include Mock The Week and Russell Howard’s Good News.

“His career really began to take off in 2007 when he won both the Chortle Best Newcomer Award and The Leicester Mercury Comedian Of The Year Award. He is essentially a story-teller but it is his 30-something south-east London persona that really gives him his edge. A regular at all the top comedy clubs in the country this will be Carl’s first show at The Grasshopper.

“After the first interval it is the turn of Peter Brush. He is a relatively-new addition to the British comedy scene. Since winning The Harrogate Comedian Of The Year Award in 2012 and becoming a finalist in The BBC’s New Comedian Award in 2013 he has gone on to be tour support for Stephen K Amos, Justin Moorhouse and Arthur Smith.

“He has this really geeky stage persona, bespectacled and with scruffy hair, but he delivers finely-crafted gags and some of the sharpest one-liners around. All too often an average comic gets away with it by being all personality but with very little comic substance. Peter is pretty much the exact opposite of this and it is always a joy watching him lure an audience in. I am particularly excited about having him down for this show and am confident he has a very bright future in comedy.

“The closing act is the equally-unusual Noise Next Door. For a start there are four of them! Widely regarded as the UK’s premier improv troupe they have sold out shows for ten consecutive years at The Edinburgh Festival. They have also appeared on BBC1, BBC3 and ITV 1. They are pretty much unique. They take audience suggestions and transform them into really funny scenes and songs in the blink of an eye, with a perfect blend of ludicrous characters, great one-liners, epic stories and explosive physicality. They are one of the country’s most sought-after closing acts, and this is a great opportunity for the people of Crawley to see this not-to-be-missed act.

“It all takes place at The Grasshopper on Thursday, May 3 at The Grasshopper in Tilgate, Crawley. Doors open at 7pm and the show starts at 8pm. Tickets are priced at £10 in advance and £15 on the door and can be bought directly from the venue or online by visiting http://www.comedybeats.com.”