They say the secret to good comedy is timing.
And, as timing goes, opening your Soho comedy venue five days before a nationwide lockdown in March 2020 hilarious bad. But 21 Soho survived, so it’s completely acceptable to laugh. And if you actually go, that’s precisely what you’ll do.
You’ll find it in the beautiful Manor House building, which is covered in beautiful green-glazed bricks and tucked around the back of a remarkably quiet side street just off Soho Square. it’s the sister venue to 21Northdown up in King’s Cross, and in order to adapt to the bizarre timeline that we all now live in, the venues both had to take on a Swiss Army knife approach, wearing such hats as bar, coffee shop, gig & comedy venue, co-working space, and more.
Thus, if you head in on any given morning, you’ll find Climpson & Sons coffees being belted out of the espresso machines, plus bagels from the iconic bakery on Brick Lane (including their classic salt beef), and all manner of pastries and such-and-such.
But hang around until the evening, and the chairs are lined up to surround Soho’s largest comedy stage as the crowds begin to filter in. There’s pretty much always a good show on whichever evening you choose to pop down, and it’s always quite reasonably priced too. They’ve had some huge names soaking up the spotlight on their regular ’21 Soho Presents’ nights (Romesh Ranganathan, Sara Pascoe, Rob Beckett, etc.), but you’ll also find the likes of Drunk Women Solving Crimes (a podcast that’s exaclty as funny as it sounds), and Suspiciously Cheap Comedy (new material for a fiver).
And at the end of the night? The place transforms again to become a bar…
…which is pretty good timing.
NOTE: 21 Soho is open Monday to Saturday. You can find out more, and get tickets at their website right here.
21 Soho | 3-5 Sutton Row, London W1D 4NR
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