A Bit of Appreciation for The Giggle Shack

I wanted to shine a bit of light on The Giggle Shack and the work Colin Havey has put into it over the years. If you are from Runcorn, Widnes, Helsby or anywhere around Cheshire, you will know how much the local comedy scene has grown, and a lot of that comes down to the graft he has put in.

Colin started The Giggle Shack in a straightforward way. He was gigging himself and noticed how few opportunities there were for acts to perform locally. Instead of waiting for someone else to fix it, he booked a room in Helsby and put on one test night to see if people would actually turn up. It sold out immediately. That first night set everything in motion and he has been building on it ever since.

From that single gig, it has grown into a run of regular nights across multiple Cheshire venues. The Runcorn venue, previously known as Society Ltd, is now Small Batch Comedy Club and remains one of the main homes of Giggle Shack. Helsby Sports Club, The Goshawk and Widnes Rugby Stadium have all become part of the circuit. The nights are consistent, the rooms are full and the line ups are strong. Colin has brought in a mix of established club comics and acts with TV credits, while keeping the nights friendly, affordable and rooted in the community.

Giggle Shack has also been recognised at the North West Comedy Awards, including winning Best Independent Comedy Club. Those awards are voted for by comedians, which says a lot about how well the nights are run and how much respect there is for the work behind the scenes.

Cheshire has more comedy history than people often realise. Runcorn was the filming location for Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps. Parts of the area have appeared in other comedy related productions over the years, so it is good seeing that thread carried on in a live setting through nights like these.

Colin is still gigging, compering, promoting and keeping everything moving. It is easy to underestimate how much work goes into running nights like these, but without people putting the effort in at a local level, towns like ours would not have much of a scene at all.

Anyone been to a Giggle Shack night recently?

Any favourite acts or venues you would recommend to people who have not been yet?

https://thegiggleshack.co.uk/

10 Year Anniversary Chat

With NextUp hitting the 10 year mark soon, it got me thinking about what could be fun or meaningful ways to celebrate it. Not in a “here’s what they should do” way, more just throwing ideas out there to see what other people think and what the community would like to see.

One idea is a 10 year tour. A night in each city with one or two well known circuit favourites, then the rest of the line up made up of rising comics from that area. Every stop would feel different because each city has its own style and scene. You could even have a wildcard spot chosen by the community or local promoters, just to give someone newer a chance to be part of a bigger night.

Another thought is club takeovers. Instead of separate events, NextUp could team up with existing comedy clubs and run special anniversary nights with them. Something like “NextUp at 10: [Club Name] Takeover”, where the club’s regulars, local favourites and a couple of comics connected to NextUp all share the bill. It feels like a nice way to celebrate the venues that keep comedy going and put the anniversary right in the middle of each city’s scene.

And if anything like a tour or a run of events happens, it could all feed into a 10 year documentary. Something along the lines of “NextUp at 10: A Decade of UK Comedy”. Behind the scenes bits, interviews with comics at different stages of their careers, stories from club owners and promoters, clips from the shows, and a look at how things have changed over the last decade. It would also be a good way to highlight the future of the scene.

These are just a few ideas to get things started. I’d love to hear what other people would want from a 10 year celebration. Events, specials, collaborations, livestreams, merch, something online, something in person, something completely different.

What would make the 10 year milestone feel special to you?

Anyone started planning the Fringe?

Have done a first sweep of the comedians, this is my first list…. There will be additions and people I don’t get to see. Waiting till next release of tickets before I start to purchase?