The Glee Club is a small chain of live stand-up comedy and live music venues in the UK.
The first Glee Club was opened by Mark Tughan in Birmingham's Chinese Quarter in 1994,[1] the first dedicated comedy club to open in the United Kingdom outside London.[2]
Refurbished in 2001 the Birmingham venue has two event spaces: a 480-seat main auditorium and a 180 seat studio theatre.[1]
A second branch opened in Cardiff in 2001 and is located in the Mermaid Quay development in Cardiff Bay.[3] It has a seated capacity of 450 and a standing capacity of 550.[4] ITV Wales broadcast a series of eight stand up shows from the venue in 2006.[5] The Cardiff venue has won the Chortle Award for best venue (Wales and West) seven times since the awards began in 2002.[6][7]
A third club opened in Oxford in April 2010 and a fourth is due to open in Nottingham in September 2010.
The Glee's regular comedy show, most Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights at both clubs, consists of three acts from the UK and international comedy circuits introduced by a compere. The Friday and Saturday shows are followed by a disco. Both clubs also host tour shows by more established acts. Unlike many other comedy clubs, the seating for all comedy gigs is arranged in a theatre style[8] and the clubs' bars close during the performances.