Just the Tonic

Review: Just the Tonic at Leamington Spa

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Just the Tonic’s comedy night returns for its second instalment at Leamington Spa’s Assembly. The whole affair is a smoother operation this time. There are no winding queues outside in the cold, and the revised seating arrangement provides a far more intimate setting. Despite there being less punters this month, the room feels fuller, with the rows of seats more central and the sides of the room blocked off.

Compere for the evening, London-born comic Tom Toal, is a natural. He works hard to generate an amiable atmosphere, chatting to individual audience members comfortably, without the stuntedness that can often come with crowd work. The snippets of material he scatters through the evening feel appropriate for the type of gig, and his ability to transition between heartwarming family anecdotes and sex gags is surprisingly refined.

Cheerfully self-deprecating, Simon Wozniak is a highlight. Each line of material is perfectly worded, with layers of outrageousness building in gradual increments. This is a comic who is confident with joke structure and can use his skills to present unpredictable punchlines which take the wind out of his audience.

But star of the show, perhaps rather shockingly considering the type of occasion, is absurdist live wire Paul Foot. Tantalisingly obscure, Foot has a kind of weirdness that is timeless. In fact, it’s refreshing to see just how well such a performer can do in front of a weekend club night crowd, as this is certainly not his usual scene.

With consistently unpredictable punchlines, quick gear changes and varied subject matter, it would be hard to find this buzzing housefly liveliness irritating. The opposite, in fact, is true. The predominantly innocent nature of the material makes Foot unexpectedly endearing. The charm comes in his sly looks out to the audience, the way he tosses his spaniel-like hair, the devious grin that follows his dead parakeet joke. Where his energy will take the room is unpredictable, and that’s the joy of this comic.

Just the Tonic returns to Leamington Spa’s Assembly next month, featuring Gary Delaney and Jonny Awsum. Tickets are available here.

Focus On: Just the Tonic

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Image courtesy of Johnny Vegas

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.

Interview: Darrell Martin (Just the Tonic)

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Just the Tonic is launching a new comedy night at the Assembly in Leamington Spa this Saturday (8th February 2020). In anticipation of the launch, MoodyComedy had a chat with Just the Tonic owner Darrell Martin about this exciting new venture.

Hi Darrell, can you give us a brief overview of how Just the Tonic was born and how it has developed over the years?

It started because I loved comedy and there was none of it in Nottingham where I lived at the time. I had worked in a nightclub called Venue and had seen how people put things on. I had also run a few things myself before. So, it seemed like a normal thing to do. The reaction from most people I knew would tell me it wasn’t, but it was a recession, I was unemployable, and had nothing to lose.

Why is Leamington Spa your latest place of choice to launch a Just the Tonic venue?

Andy, who has reopened the venue, knew of Just the Tonic from Nottingham. He approached me and told of this spectacular venue. I looked into it and realised that I could probably put on a pretty strong monthly event that could afford to pay some pretty good comedians to appear there.

What are your plans for the opening of your Leamington Spa venue?

I plan to put on a brilliant line up (which we have managed to do) and I plan to fill it up with laughing people (it is getting to be pretty full already… just got to make them laugh now!).

What is the ethos of Just the Tonic? What values do you hold close?

I try to put on quality comedy nights, with the best of the established acts plus the best of the newer acts. We try to keep the price as reasonable as possible for the audience and we try to put on events that are as much of a joy for the comedians as they are for the audiences.

How has your own experience working in/performing comedy helped with your work as a comedy club owner?

I can walk into a room and pretty much out work out whether it would be suitable and how to best use it. Just like when you meet a hairdresser, they will be looking at your head, or a plumber will be looking at the pipework in your house; when I go into a pub or a potential venue I am thinking ‘good sight-lines, sound desk there, toilets are over there, where’s the fire exits, too many pillars…’ Quite dull really. Also, working in comedy, I know most of the comedians so can ring them up and gently cajole them into a gig every now and then. Hence Leamington Spa, a splendid line-up of comedy for the next 6 months with much more to come.

Does each of the Just the Tonic venues have a different feel, or is the vibe pretty consistent?

We try and keep the vibe consistent. Similar pre-show music, same start-up and intro tracks. We try and treat audiences fairly maturely at each place, and we also filter out the troublemakers (drunken people who seem to forget the whole night is not about them). We really do just try and make it a pleasant and fun night out. Our choice of compere is quite important. We use the ones that really engage with the room.

What are your hopes for this newest Just the Tonic venue?

I hope that it is full every month with people laughing at us. What more could a comedy promoter ask?

Tickets are now on sale for Just the Tonic’s Leamington Spa launch night, featuring performances from Reginald D. Hunter, Guz Khan, Andrew O’Neill and Matt Richardson. For more information, visit Just the Tonic’s website.