Comedy club bans pre-marriage parties

The venues says they will no longer accept bookings from groups ‘planning pre-nuptial excess’ – and will direct them to the rival Jongleurs clubs instead.

Club director Tommy Sheppard says the rowdy groups prove too disruptive – and fears they are driving away regulars who come to see the comedy.

He said: ‘The Stand is aimed at couples and groups of friends who appreciate comedy. We need audiences who want to listen to performers who have spent years perfecting their script. If people just want to go out and get hammered they should go elsewhere.

‘The problem with hen and stag nights is that they are a party within a party, they rarely fuse together with others to become part of the audience, and as often as not are a big annoyance to other customers.

‘We are in danger of losing regulars who will get fed up at the antics of drunken groups who may often be making their first and only visit to the club.

‘Occasionally we have had a stag or hen party which was extremely well behaved - usually an older group - but this has very much been the exception. Usually they are a nightmare. We’ve tried to accommodate them and manage the situation, with deposits required and signed undertakings about behaviour, but it’s just too much hard work.

‘Opening the doors on a Saturday night to see a squad of guys in dresses resembling a very bad student rag event, or a gaggle of young women clothed in flashing horns and deelyboppers and precious little else, would often make the hearts of staff and performers sink. Now such sights will be a thing of the past.

‘We’re not making any comment about Jongleurs, it’s simply that they are better able to deal with groups of this nature than we are.

‘I accept we may lose some trade in the short term, but as word gets round that you can have a great night out here without having to put up with nonsense from gangs of drunks, I’m confident more and more people will choose to come here.’

Published: 2 Apr 2009