Stand Comedy Club

I booked a Sunday Laugh-​In date night in Edinburgh while on holiday for my husband and myself and it was definitely worth it! The acts were hilarious and covered many different humor types to make sure to cater to the whole audience. Hopefully you see Damian Crow, because he is the best. I also loved the host!
We booked tickets online, which was so easy and then checked in at the door with our IDs. Easy as can be! Make sure you get there when the doors open so you can pick your seat. If you want to interact with the comedians, sit up front! Nothing better than being made fun of by a professional. The seats aren’t comfortable at all and the place is kind of divey, but it somehow made the experience better!
Did I mention how inexpensive this was? I wanted to go for the Free Comedy show on Sunday, which would have required me to miss out on other things in the city during the day and some waiting around to make sure I got in, but when I saw the price of 6 pounds per ticket it was a no-​brainer!
Go here! You won’t regret it.

Good comedy venue in the centre of Edinburgh. The Stand has comedy every night, as far as I know, with a mixture of experienced and fresh talent. There is an extensive bar, and sufficient intervals between acts to keep your drink topped up.
Seating is lacking, but the venue is small, so this is no surprise. I advise turning up quite early to secure a seat.

Love this place. For those who haven’t been if you want a seat get here a good 10 – 15 mins before doors open or a bit sharper if it’s a comedy legend as it’s first come — there’s no reserving tables. Also phone/​book online to guarantee entry as it sells out most weekends. And even if you have pre-​booked your ticket it’s still the same queue for everyone — no priority lane. If this sounds like a pain in the bahookie well that’s just how they roll, they’ve been doing it this way for years so go with it and you’ll have a great night, otherwise this ain’t the place for you. Nights are always varied, staff are excellent, food is hearty and there are plenty of bar breaks. Hecklers be warned, this ain’t no Jongleurs. Audience banter is permitted, but you go too far, too loud, too crazy you will be shutdown. This is the team behind The Stand events/​venues during the Fringe so they know how to run their place and the calibre is always high. Not all the acts are gonna float your boat, but that’s comedy. Compères have differing styles, so if in doubt (or you’re just a big feartie) stay away from the front row.

It’s always exciting gong to the stand! Always good for a belly laugh and a good night out. Come early to get a seat!
Staff are A+ and the food is HUGE portions, so perfect for sharing.
No stag or hen do’s are allowed and is is a comedy club not a night club so attracts a more friendly bunch of people.
Worth going to all year round!

My biggest problem with The Stand is their «first come, first serve» seating policy. I’ve been there once or twice for the cheap Monday night comedy which allows first time stand ups to try out material on an understanding and sympathetic audience. The seating on these occasions didn’t bother me as the entrance fee was £2 and it wasn’t so busy that we couldn’t get seats together. Basically I know when a deal is that good, don’t complain.
But when they charge big venue prices and STILL don’t guarantee you a seat? Poor show (quite literally). If I paid £15 a ticket to see an act at any other venue my ticket would come with a seat number, standard. It’s just expected. So why when I pay £15 to see a big act like Rob Delaney at The Stand should it be any different?
My boyfriend and I arrived an hour before the show was due to start and were told there was standing room only. I’d had the tickets for months and we were still there an hour before anyone was due to come on stage. A member of floor staff kindly approached us as we jostled for position, and offered us two stools at the back, although he warned that they weren’t exactly «seated together». He wasn’t lying. The backless stools were crammed into the middle of an already packed row of people, and were one in front of the other. Not exactly the social, birthday night out I had planned. Add to this the fact that the room heats up throughout the night to a stifling humidity, and the whole thing is just too uncomfortable to be funny.
Either lower your price or guarantee me a seat with the purchase of my ticket. As a consumer, I don’t think that’s much to ask.

Great little venue showcasing all levels of comedy!!! They have an event on Mondays called ‘Red Raw’ which is only £2!!!

Guaranteed to have fun here. Its a great spot but not perfect. The place is kind of grubby and the toilets could really do with some investment. The main downside is that if you want a seat, which I think you need for a two and a half hour show, you have to arrive about 90 minutes before it starts at the weekend, which is a bit of a pain.
There is a good rotation of comics and you do see some really cracking acts. The food is actually fantastic and really pretty cheap for the quality you get. The service is pretty friendly from all the staff, its vey friendly and informal atmosphere all round. Don’t try rearranging the furniture or the staff can get pretty grumpy however. I strongly recommend this place if you want to do something a bit different and want to be guaranteed a good night out.

Super crowded, took a refund and left. Management needs to add capacity. The alternative to standing is to get there super early and wait for the show to start. Not coming again.

Well one of the staff was so rude, I found a seat and I sat down then he came over and took it away and told me I couldn’t sit there, I paid £15 so I thought I could at least sit down. Got a refund and left.

The Stand seemed to become an institution the day it opened its doors. They’ve matched small scale year round comedy with some of the biggest names on the circuit, then gradually expanded their festival operation so that it now takes in the Assembly Rooms on George Street. The original Stand space, with its seating/​standing jockeying for position and an atmosphere that encourages the performers to relax into their show is an experience in itself. Go early, go often, go for food and go home (or elsewhere) happy and smiling. Coming soon: go there by tram!

When they tell you to get there at 7pm even though the show starts at 9pm, you go.
The place gets packed… like super duper packed… I sat there almost at the front looking for the fire exits and wondering how many people I would have to shove to get to one. Our friend ran across the street from our hotel to get tickets, but instead had to call a number and buy them over the phone… even though she could hear the lady inside talking to her. They also have a Heckling Deposit: ten pounds a person in your party and you also get thrown out. I think it’s more of a Good Behaviour Deposit.
Since we were having dinner there, we had to eat in shifts. There were four of us to a table and they’re really small. Ordering is at the bar, you tell them your table and then they bring you your food pretty fast. Our friends ordered the nachos and then some mains, so they had to have an extra tray on their laps for all the food. I thought the food was good. I heard dismal things about the nachos and the mac and cheese, but our friends were happy with the lamb burger (words like best lamb burger ever were used) and said the burrito was okay. I had the bangers and mash. Nothing wrong with gravy, sausage and potatoes.
Joanne (is that her name?) was a great host. She asked everyone in what equates to gyno row their names and where they’re from. She’s really funny and quick witted. I would pay to listen to her. I don’t remember that much of the other comics… we saw four that night. All entertaining, but I remember the last one for sure… not his name, but he sounded like a minister from Southern USA. Pretty irreverent and that’s what made him funny.
We didn’t hang around after the comics were finished. We left pretty quick after that. Didn’t want to lose our Good Behaviour Deposit.

hmm not sure what to say about this place. if i was reviewing on just the shows i’ve seen here, this would probably be more like a four star or even five review but as to the venue itself i’m less impressed.
i’ve seen stephen k amos twice and lucy porter as well during the fringe festival both at different stand venues. lucy porter was in the main venue which is also open year round. the place was, well, A-​OK but nothing more. it was dark and there aren’t really seats, just stools which if you’re (apparently) old and cranky like me you get a sore back sitting there for a long period of time. it’s also small, the people in the front are practicualy sat on top of the person performing and i also found the floor a bit sticky… so ew.
stephen k amos performed in one of the extended stand venues across the street. this was in the basement of a hotel and i have to say i found this room much more decent than the actual stand club. yes it’s still dark, but you get proper chairs and no sticky floors. you’re still close to the comedian performing but not on top of them. my only compliant is that it’s so hot!!! i know this is a problem throughout fringe venues in edinburgh though, so unfortunately it doesn’t seem there can be much done.
overall though, the stand club attracts so really excellent shows! i laughed til i cried during stephen k amos (both times!) and found lucy porter both funny and endearing. there are loads of other shows during the year and i know a number of big comedians made their start here (including kevin bridges!). so for the talent and quaity of the shows this place is great, but for the less than desirable atmosphere and sticky floor it’s going to have to get an A-​OK rating.

Aside from the fact that we came late and all the seats were taken so we had to stand in the back the entire time — some of the act were actually pretty funny. I think we came on amateur night, so I wasn’t expecting Robin Williams golf joke caliber or anything, but I found myself laughing a lot.

If you only ever see live comedy at the Fringe and want to try a comedy club, look no further than this Edinburgh institution. When you don’t want to pay for a big name comedian’s touring show, but you don’t want the open mic night at your local pub, this is where you want to go. Intimate venue with professional comedians and the occasional name you’ll recognise from the tv.
They do a range of cheaper and less professional stuff during the week, but on Friday and Saturday night for £10 you get four comedians and an MC. Two hours of comedy that is always guaranteed to contain at least some top quality material, with maybe the occasional crappy bit. But the MC always holds it together with lots of piss taking of people in the front row (let this be a warning!).
Doors open at 7pm and you have to be there bang on time to grab a good seat (one with a table and not too close to the stage), and the show runs 9 — 11. In the meantime you can have dinner which is pub grub but well done and reasonably priced (I recommend the nachos). Drinks are also reasonably priced, so all round it’s always a reliable evening out.

Huge fan of The Stand in Glasgow and of live comedy in general, so it’s a curious addition to my Unilocaling to write a review of my first visit to this place.
Even smaller than the one in Glasgow, to my surprise, it is well situated next to the bus station, with the same intimate atmosphere you come to expect from the brand.
Decent bar, for the size, with prompt service and a great buzz in general. It can get a bit cramped of course, where it’s advised to get down early for gigs if you’re not a fan of standing.

The Stand is how I like it, dark, full of posters to stare at when the conversation ebbs, and comic entertainment to the max. On Sunday afternoons there is a free comedy show to go and stuff your face full of nachos (vegetarian and meat hurrah) and have a few giggles on the way. Haven’t visited any of the evening shows yet, but it looks pretty busy so get there early and get ready to enjoy!

I thought I would never laugh so hard in my life as when I heard Billy Connolly’s joke about a prank phone call when I was fifteen. I was wrong. I came here at the end of my first year and some of the acts which came on had me howling. Most of them are students in Edinburgh or locals who want to try some material on a relatively small audience. I’ve been on two Monday nights and both times I’ve got pretty merry and drunk from the cheap drinks and, importantly, laughed my head off. Some of the guys (all of the ones I saw were men) are truly hilarious and, like all good comedians, can transform the mundane into the side-​splittingly funny.
This is a great, cheap venue which deserves credit for giving lesser known and talented individuals the chance to to demonstrate just how funny they are.

After a lifetime of confused faces and awkward silences, you’d think I’d have gotten the message that I’m just not funny. I’ve even stooped so low as to peddle my tired, rehashed sarcastic comments and witless toilet humour on this very site. It wasn’t big or clever the first time, never mind at review number 870, yet still I go on. Regardless of my obvious lack of wit, I’m still funnier than 60% of the acts on the £2 Monday Red Raw at The Stand, but then again so is my Uncle Jimmy, and he’s both utterly humourless and dead.
Even during the worst acts though, and some really are terrible, the tumbleweed atmosphere and air of embarrassment make sure that even at it’s worst, The Stand is still uncomfortably brilliant.
For your two notes though you do get a professional compere (usually brilliant) and a professional comic (hit and miss) at the end. I saw a Scottish guy who does Mock the Week nowadays in here a while back, but then again I also so a horrendous, gimmicky «improv» duo who had faces you’d never tire of slapping.
On other nights, the venue hosts every type of stand-​up imaginable from the political to the pottymouth to the guy in ned costume. You’ll laugh your arse of at least once, guaranteed.

Showcasing the best fresh comedy and more well known comedians too The Stand always delivers and I’ve never had a bad night out here.
If you’re looking to find some fresh talent check out Red Raw on a Monday night where you can see up to 8 acts for £2, that’s right, a mere £2. If you’re a scrounging student it gets even better and you can laugh your socks off for £1. Ridiculous. It’s almost too good to be true. Two hours entertainment for such a measly amount of money, you can’t say fairer than that. Even if the fresh new talent is more of a rotten tomato I’m sure you’ll forget about it as quickly as the £1 dent in your wallet.

If you are looking for something to do thats a bit different, especially on a thursday evening, I suggest coming here.
I say thursday, because thats when the Stand Hosts its own comedy heroes night, and it happens to be the best night of the week.
For around £8, you get a host — always a comedic genius — and 5 (yes, FIVE!) stand up’s willing to showcase thier material.
I have never laughed so hard in my life, and for so long. I had tears streaming down my face, and any more, I would have had something else streaming down my leg.
I know a lot of other reviews have said it can get a little awkward — especially if you are a tourist/​American, but I have never seen an act here that fails to make the whole room laugh. But maybe I’m just lucky.
Other nights tend to show just one act performing a full set, or comedy sketch groups who really are a blast. Great place to come, but if you can only make one night a week — make it a Thursday.