Focus On: Just the Tonic
Back in February, Just the Tonic celebrated the launch of their latest comedy night venue. Art-deco in its style and boasting a large, open main room, the Assembly in Leamington Spa is steeped in history. And while the Grade II listed building originally served as a dance hall and later a music venue, it will soon see the likes of Paul Foot, Hal Cruttenden and Daliso Chaponda gracing its stage.
Leamington’s first Just the Tonic comedy night was held on February 8 2020 and featured stand up from Andrew O’Neill, Matt Richardson, Guz Khan and headliner Reginald D. Hunter. JTT owner Darrell Martin oversaw the launch: ‘Our first night in Leamington was amazing,’ Darrell tells MoodyComedy, ‘We had a bit of trouble as the doorman turned up late, so we had a rather annoyed queue outside for a while. But, once everyone got in, the night was so good that, I think, all was forgiven. The comedians loved the room (and who wouldn’t?), and the audience left very happy. We are really looking forward to the upcoming shows. There’s going to be some great comedy nights in The Assembly with Just the Tonic.’
Not only is Just the Tonic one of the Edinburgh Fringe’s biggest institutions, but the company also has clubs in Birmingham, Camden, Leicester, Nottingham, Reading and Watford, with all venues hosting regular Saturday comedy club nights.
And the excitement of new comedic possibility isn’t just limited to us Midlanders. It was announced last month that Johnny Vegas would be making a return to stand up comedy. Having not performed stand up in over a decade, Vegas has chosen Just the Tonic’s venues to facilitate his comeback.
In February, Vegas compered Just the Tonic’s Leicester and Reading venues, and in March he will be doing the same in Birmingham (March 6) and Nottingham (March 21). There are still a few tickets available for both of these comedy nights, and we can expect further dates to be added for JTT’s other venues soon.
The second Just the Tonic Leamington Spa comedy night is this Saturday (March 7) and tickets are available here.