9 Affordable London Venues to Host Your Own Improv Night
Running your own night can feel prohibitively expensive, but it doesn’t have to break the bank, especially if you can split the costs across your team. Here are nine great venues in London that will host improv nights for a very reasonable cost.
1. The Rosemary Branch Theatre
De Beauvoir Town | 60 seats | £100
The Rosemary Branch Theatre is a well-established fringe venue in Islington (round the corner from The FA), nestled above the pub of the same name. It’s a gorgeous little venue full of charm and a favourite among improv shows. With a green room, a stage entrance, and lovely staff and rehearsal time included, it’s not difficult to see why!
Key Features for Hire:
Hire Costs: £100 or a 45/55 ticket split in the performers favour
Capacity: 60
Tech Setup: Theatre lighting rig and sound system
Technician: Not included
Green Room: Yes
Accessibility: No step-free access (venue is upstairs)
Bar/Pub Connection: Busy Pub at the weekend
Ticketing & FOH: Managed by the venue
Address: The Etcetera Theatre, 265 Camden High St, London NW1 7BU
Booking contact: laura@rosemarybranchtheatre.co.uk
Website: www.rosemarybranchtheatre.co.uk
2. The (New) Glitch
Waterloo | 60 Seats | £125
Run by Vault Comedy (formerly of Vault Festival), the new Glitch has been expanded into a 60-seat alternative comedy venue full of character and an unbeatable location. IT’s is a fantastic space for improv, in a venue that is super supportive of new talent and keen for new shows. Add to that a very affordable fee and no cut of the tickets make it a great choice!
Key Features for Hire:
Hire Costs: Flat £125 (all ticket sales go to performers)
Capacity: 60
Stage: Large
Tech Setup: Basic lighting and sound system
Technician: Not included
Green Room: No
Accessibility: No step-free access (venue is downstairs)
Bar/Pub Connection: Comedy pub upstairs
Ticketing & FOH: Managed by the venue
Address: 134 Lower Marsh, Waterloo, SE1 7AE
Booking contact: programming@vaultcreativearts.org
Website: www.theglitch.london
3. The Libra Theatre
Camden | 40 seats | £25/hr
This cafe-come-theatre opened in 2024 and is an intimate 40-seat basement venue close to Camden Market that offers the on of the most affordable hires in this list. It’s a great option if you are looking for a no-frills, yet stylish and intimate space at incredible value. The location is central, the staff are lovely, and the cafe does delicious toasties to boot!
Key Features for Hire:
Hire Costs: £25/hr
Capacity: 40
Stage: Medium
Tech Setup: Basic (2 spots & speaker/mic)
Technician: Not included
Green Room: No
Accessibility: No step-free access (venue is downstairs)
Bar/Pub Connection: Cafe/bar upstairs
Ticketing & FOH: Managed by the performers (try something like Ticket Tailor)
Address: 37 Chalk Farm, NW1 8AJ
Booking contact: thelibracontact@gmail.com
Website: www.thelibratc.com
4. Etcetera Theatre
Camden | 42 seats | £90 - £150 (plus £2.25 / ticket sold)
Right in the heart of Camden’s hustle, above the Oxford Arms, is the Etcetera Theatre. A long-running fringe venue, it's intimate 42-seat black box space feels like “proper” small theatre with a big stage and raked seating. It’s a little rough around the edges, but it’s affordable and the staff are really receptive to new talent. They even have a small built-in audience, especially on a Friday. Just make sure to hire a flexible tech, as the booth is a squeeze!
Key Features for Hire:
Capacity: 42
Hire Costs: £150 (or £90 for afternoon) plus £2.25 from each ticket sold
Tech Setup: Theatre lighting and sound system
Technician: Not included
Stage: Large
Green Room: Yes, connected to stage
Accessibility: No step-free access (venue is upstairs)
Bar/Pub Connection: Busy pub at the weekend
Ticketing & FOH: Managed by the venue
Address: 2 Shepperton Rd, London N1 3DT
For more info contact: admin@etceteratheatre.com
Website: www.etceteratheatrecamden.com
5. Hen & Chickens
Highbury & Islington | 52 seats | £150
Standing proudly on Highbury Corner, The Hen and Chicken's is a charming 52-seat black box theatre in a fantastic location, and the theatre itself has a lovely vibe. It’s a little pricier, the guy on FOH can be a bit grouchy, and they are unlikely to give you the premium weekend slots, but it’s still a great place to run a night.
Key Features for Hire:
Hire Costs: £175 (or £90 for afternoon) plus £2.25 from each ticket sold
Capacity: 52
Stage: Large
Tech Setup: Theatre lighting and sound system
Technician: Not included
Green Room: Yes, connected to stage
Accessibility: No step-free access (venue is upstairs)
Bar/Pub Connection: Busy pub at the weekend
Ticketing & FOH: Managed by the venue
Address: 109 St Paul’s Rd, London N1 2NA, United Kingdom
Booking contact: henandchickens@aol.com
Website: www.unrestrictedview.co.uk
6. The Cavendish Arms
Stockwell | 50 seats | £175
Famous for its stand-up nights, the Cavendish is a quirky pub in Stockwell with a playful, wheelchair accessible, 50-seater venue tucked into the back. While the Cav mainly puts on stand-up nights, recently they have been open to improv too. It’s not the cheapest on this list, but it does have a boat-load of character and a built-in audience of comedy lovers. You’ll have to do you own ticketing, but you’ll also keep all the takings too.
Key Features for Hire:
Hire Costs: £175
Capacity: 50
Stage: Medium
Tech Setup: Lighting & Sound
Technician: Not included
Green Room: No
Accessibility: Wheelchair Accessible
Bar/Pub Connection: Pub attached
Ticketing & FOH: Managed by the performers (try something like Ticket Tailor)
Address: 128 Hartington Rd, SW8 2HJ
Booking contact: sj@thecav.uk
Website: www.thecav.uk/
7. The Museum of Comedy
Holborn | 72 Seats | £250
A comedy venue and a museum all in one! The museum of comedy is the priciest on this list, but it’s a wonderful self contained 72-seat comedy venue, with it’s own bar, tucked under a church in the heart of central London. It has a great reputation among the industry, hosting many high-profile shows. It’s one to think about once you have a 1 hour show that you want to place in a venue with a bit more cachet. They will even help you get bums on seats by sending unsold tickets to papering companies (who give them away for free last-minute).
Key Features for Hire:
Hire Costs: Flat £250 or 60/40 ticket split in performers favour
Capacity: 72
Stage: Medium
Tech Setup: Professional lighting and sound system
Technician: Not included
Green Room: Yes
Accessibility: No step-free access (venue is downstairs)
Bar/Pub Connection: Bar inside the venue
Ticketing & FOH: Managed by the venue
Address: 134 Lower Marsh, Waterloo, SE1 7AE
Booking contact: enquiries@museumofcomedy.com
Website: www.museumofcomedy.com
8. Aces & Eights
Tufnell Park | 72 Seats | FREE
This 45 seater cabaret room in the basement of Aces & Eights in Tufnell Park, right opposite the station has a great vibe for comedy. The small stage makes larger shows difficult, but if you are just starting out, or have very little budget, then this is a great choice for an informal night.
Key Features for Hire:
Hire Costs: FREE with £20 deposit
Capacity: 45
Stage: Small
Tech Setup: Basic lighting and sound system
Technician: Not included
Green Room: No
Accessibility: No step-free access (venue is up stairs)
Bar/Pub Connection: Bar connected
Ticketing & FOH: Managed by the performer
Address: 156 - 158 Fortess Road, Tufnell Park, NW5 2HP
Booking contact: comedy@acesnw5.co.uk
Website: www.acesandeightssaloonbar.com
9. Actors East
Dalston | 45 Seats | £140
Actors East is an acting school that hires out their 60 seater black-box theatre for shows, in the heart of Dalston. It’s a cosy space with a large stage and you get to keep all your ticket takings.
Key Features for Hire:
Hire Costs: £140
Capacity: 60
Stage: Large
Tech Setup: Basic lighting and sound system
Technician: Not included
Green Room: No
Accessibility: No step-free access (venue is down stairs)
Bar/Pub Connection: None
Ticketing & FOH: Managed by the performer
Address: 75A Kingsland High St London, E8 2PB
Booking contact: comedy@acesnw5.co.uk
Website: www.actorseast.com
Honorable Mentions
The list above are only a few of the great options we have in London. Here are a few more that I wasn’t to include:
Find a yourself a new venue!
Do you have a favourite pub with a room upstairs? Or a fringe theatre that’s round the corner? It’s worth asking if they will put you on. Lots of pubs and theatres are dying for customers, especially during the week, so you might just be what they’ve been looking for. I know loads of improv nights that started this way, including a couple of my own! It never hurts to ask. And then you can read my guide to Putting on Your Own Improv Night.
