Sad end as popular Jesters Comedy Club is boarded up
THE historic old home of Jesters Comedy Club in Cheltenham Road is now boarded up.
Metropolis – a converted cinema, which once housed the popular comedy brand and saw performances by live bands and regular burlesque cabaret nights – now stands empty and abandoned.
Jesters, which first opened in 1995, played host to many of Britain's best-known stand-up comedians including Bristol's own Justin Lee Collins and Keynsham-born Bill Bailey, as well as Peter Kay, Catherine Tate, Little Britain's Matt Lucas, Alistair McGowan, Jimmy Carr and Russell Brand. Owner David Trew, pictured, told the Evening Post he had to move Jesters out of the building, which he leased, after costs spiralled.
The building is now back in the hands of its landlord, who lives in Harrow, and there are no signs outside indicating it is for sale.
Mr Trew has rebranded Jesters to be called Riproar Comedy and has moved to The Cresswell Centre in College Square.
Riproar launched at the centre, owned by Bristol Cathedral Choir School, in October and operates every Saturday.
Mr Trew said: "Rent for the Metropolis was very high and the building was costing as much as £120,000 a year to operate and maintain.
"I wasn't making any money by hosting music there and I really wanted to get back to my roots, at the end of the day I'm a comedy promoter.
"I'd also had enough of Stokes Croft – with the rioting and the politics that go on there, I wanted a fresh start.
"The Cresswell Centre is a much better venue and I just hire it for the specific events I put on which means it costs a lot less.
"We still have the same quality of comedians as it's still me booking them.
"Now we also have an award-winning food service, plus a bar, climate control, full theatrical lighting, projection facilities, and an in-house, surround-sound PA."
Jesters was originally housed in the building across the road from Metropolis that became a controversial Tesco store and the focus of riots last year.
Jesters moved to the grade II-listed Metropolis in 2008.
19 Comments
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by ragreader
Thursday, February 02 2012, 8:02PM
“The Manager best described here. http://tinyurl.com/kut3e7”
by Stokeygee
Wednesday, January 11 2012, 9:51PM
“THE PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF STOKES CROFT !!
Now thats pure comedy folks!”
by writalot
Tuesday, January 10 2012, 4:21PM
“A quality venue like the Metropolis ought to be able to get quality acts. i don't belioeve there is such a thing as a closed shop.
I think the Jester's management were just too dependent on the comedy stuff, and didn't promote the place properly.
Hopefully somebody else can”
by JimmyMcnulty
Tuesday, January 10 2012, 3:44PM
“Blaming the demise of this venue on the PROSC (who I have many issues with ) is ridiculous- it was a bad idea for a business that couldn't get the right sort of music acts due to semi-closed shop of music promotion in Bristol.
If they had been able to put decent stuff on, people would have come, they weren't so they didn't.”
by katachua
Tuesday, January 10 2012, 3:17PM
“It can't have helped having bunch of violent druggies next door in "Telepathic Heights". I used to drink there when it was the Magic Box, and you could get a good pint and a decent meal there for very little indeed. I've never seen the point of stand-up comedy - as Crusty Krustowski pointed out, "IT'S NOT FUNNY!".”
by _yourmum
Tuesday, January 10 2012, 3:06PM
“Stokes Croft is thriving at the moment, if Jesters feel its time to move on that thats their decision based on where they feel would suit their clientele best, not because of the (superb) efforts of the PRSC to instill pride into the community, nor about the political ideologies of a small minority.
I only hope someone takes on this venue and creates a new entertainment space for the local community (political, financial and social bias aside)”
by writalot
Monday, January 09 2012, 8:33PM
“Somebody spent a fortune , anda great deal of love and care, restoring the Metropolis building to its former glory.
What a shame that it has failed, and is now sadly boarded up.
I don't know well it was doing. Maybe people were deterred by the locality, riots, politics. It never seemed to advertise itself very much. I was never a fan of stand-up comedians, but maybe it has potential as a theatre/entertainment venue ?”
by sumsungs
Sunday, January 08 2012, 9:46PM
“it be sainsbury next .......”
by DockLobster
Saturday, January 07 2012, 8:22PM
“Dave Trew had already gone bankrupt, hence the Tescos site being available, before that woman started jumping on the Stokes Croft band-wagon...”
by anitt
Saturday, January 07 2012, 4:35PM
“NOT FUNNY”