Founded in 2023 and successfully established into their own dedicated venue from December 2024, London has welcomed its first-ever permanent LGBTQ+ Comedy Club. Opened in a glass-fronted bar named Betty & Joan’s (after the late gay icons Betty White and Joan Rivers) in Elephant & Castle, South London is now home to a double-venue.
I consider the Queer Comedy Club (QCC) our city’s future stalwart space for queer comedy audiences (plus fans and friends), and Betty & Joan’s (BJ’s) the supreme venue for drag performances, dancing, dates, and drinks.
While London has an endless list of LGBT+ cultural institutions—from bookshops to nightclubs—to support, bolster, and champion LGBTQ+ culture, there was no dedicated, permanent comedy club for a time.
I’m chuffed to say that’s a thing of the past.
After humble beginnings in the North London basement, the trio’s vision of a dedicated venue is now a thriving reality. Eschewing discreet entrances and blacked-out windows, BJ’s and the QCC is airy, modern, all one floor, and is deservingly visible; the glass-fronted venue sits in the new Elephant Park neighbourhood — street signage is vibrant and affirming, assuring visitors that the venue (plus its patrons and punters) are welcome, and here to stay.
How did The Queer Comedy Club come about?
The UK’s first permanent LGBTQ+ Comedy Club comes from the efforts of David Ian, Jeremy Topp, and Kate Dale, three queer comedians who recognised the need for the venue. Through their own experience in stand-up comedy, the trio decided that a dedicated space for the LGBTQ+ community and allies was a necessary addition to the London comedy scene.
The Queer Comedy Club initially opened up on May 11 2023 in Archway. It offered up a “safe and supportive environment where queer comics can cut their comedy teeth” in the basement of the former Siorai Bar, and comedians were regularly arm-in-arm with punters alike. Launched December 2024, the new 90-seater venue is fully accessible, completely independent, and queer as f*ck — all in the best possible way.
The Queer Comedy Club has a throbbing roster of comedy events all week. Every Tuesday and Wednesday, RAW nights feature brand new acts giving it a go, alongside slightly more established comedians sharpening up their jokes. All of these shows are free.
All Star Thursdays feature hand-chosen semi-pro upcoming LGBT+ acts + allies and supporters. Friday’s are all about Gag Race: comedians are voted-for by the audience, winning the grand prize of a crown and a spot at a pro show. Finally, QCC Saturdays are the comedy’s crowning glory. Pro shows, where the biggest names from queer comedy perform. Betty and Joan’s has free live music and drag performances every Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.
Queer Comedy Club on TV
In the wake of their opening, Queer Comedy Club secured an exclusive deal with OUTTV (North America) and OUTflix (UK and EU) – the world’s largest LGBTQ+ broadcaster. Thanks to their partnership, comedy fans can watch a brand new documentary, titled Building Betty & Joan’s, which follows the QCC owners journey from an old basement to launching London’s newest LGBT venue. It shows the new home of Queer comedy.