New comedy club in Mansfield hoping guests will 'Laugh It Up!'

If you thought this article was starting off with a joke, you are slightly off the mark - but we do have some big news in store for fans of stand-up comedy in Mansfield.

This is because the town is set to get its own comedy store, Laugh It Up Comedy, opening later this month and with shows booked right up until December. That's right - live comedy in our town.

The new venue will be opening its doors in two weeks time at the site of the former Legacy, Rewind and Liquid nightclubs on Clumber Street, following an unsuccessful venture at the site with Legacy in the summer.

Its first event will take place on November 15, with Britain's Got Talent semi-finalist Micky P Kerr taking to the stage, in an agreement the club's coordinators have reached with the people who run Nottingham's Just The Tonic events and part of the London and Manchester Comedy Stores.

Danny Oakes, a former stand-up comic who has coordinated the new comedy store, said Mansfield is "crying out" for a venue such as this.

He said: "I was a stand-up comedian many, many moons ago, and stand-up comedy is a really good night out. It's different to what people usually do by going to restaurants, bars and nightclubs.

"There's not many places where you can go and laugh for two hours straight, and we're really excited about this.

"The reason we picked Mansfield is because, even though it's a town, it's got a small city vibe with bars, nightclubs and restaurants in the centre - but it hasn't got a comedy club.

"If you're anyone in Mansfield who wants to go to a comedy show, you've got to go either down to Nottingham, up to Sheffield or even to Manchester or Liverpool - and we thought it was crying out for a comedy club.

"I've managed to secure a deal with the person who books all of the Just For Tonic nights in Nottingham, Leicester and Camden, and he also books comedy festivals across the country.

"We're having the same calibre of acts that you would find at Nottingham, at Sheffield in the Last Laugh, and even some of the guys who are regulars at the Comedy Stores in Manchester and London.

"The great thing is that it doesn't matter how old you are, whether you're 18 or you're 80, there's something on offer here and it's something different to your traditional night out in the town."

The organisers are planning to run discounts for the opening weeks, and will have special offers through until Christmas.

To find out more about the comedy club, or to book tickets for the opening weekend, visit www.laughitup.co.uk.