Komedia in Brighton celebrates 30th anniversary

Komedia started as a small operation back in May 1994 in Manchester Street, Brighton, hosting the likes of Sean Lock, Graham Norton, Mel and Sue and The League of Gentlemen.

It has been in its current home in Gardner Street for the last 26 years.

For its 30th anniversary, Komedia is hosting a week of special events from today to May 12.

Komedia when it was in Manchester Street, Kemp Town, back in 1994 (Image: Komedia)

Komedia founders Marina Kobler and Colin Granger said: “It has been an incredible journey these past 30 years. The venue we created in Brighton in May 1994 was inspired by European cafe theatre venues and was something entirely new for Brighton and the rest of the UK.

“It is thanks to all the brilliant staff and performers who have worked and still work for us that we remain an independent, self-supporting venue which offers a wide choice of live entertainment, good service and welcomes people of all ages and from all walks of life. We look forward to seeing Komedia develop and thrive in the future.”

Komedia soon outgrew the Manchester Street venue and was on the hunt for new premises which at one point even included a site in Churchill Square.

In 1998, Komedia moved to Jubilee Shopping Hall, a former Tesco supermarket. 

The opening show was Disco Pigs featuring Cillian Murphy and in June 1999 Krater Comedy Club was born after the "crater like" basement area was transformed into a performance space. 

Komedia's current site was a Tesco supermarket in the 1970s (Image: Komedia)

Komedia has hosted several renowned comedy acts including Catherine Tate, Stewart Lee, Ross Noble, Alan Carr, Harry Hill, The Mighty Boosh, Sarah Millican, Bridget Christie, Dave Gorman, John Bishop, Lee Mack, Jimmy Carr, Michael Mcintyre and Micky Flanagan.

Music acts have included Lewis Capaldi, Kate Nash, Arctic Monkeys, James Blake and Mumford and Sons. 

It has not been all plain sailing for the venue. It struggled due to arts funding cuts in 2008 and was closed for more than a year during the Covid pandemic.

Following arts funding cuts in 2008, the large upstairs performance space became difficult to sustain.

Komedia pictured in 2006 (Image: Komedia)

In 2012, Duke of York’s Picturehouse converted the space into a cinema, creating two screens and a cafe bar, naming the venue Dukes at Komedia. The cinema in Gardner Street operates  independently from the Komedia venue.

The venue closed in March 2020 during the pandemic and didn’t re-open until late May 2021.

Despite being closed for over a year, shows having to move online, three floods, two new floors and a rollercoaster ride of emergency funding bids, Komedia managed to come out the other side with a “renewed sense of determination, rebuilding its programme from the ground up”.

It has won the Chortle Award for Best Comedy Club in the South on 17 occasions.