So Long and Goodbye

The end is never easy, but it's better to say goodbye than to have never said hello.

Over three years ago, in February 2021 whilst society was still trapped in the 111th Covid lockdown, we decided to run an online comedy night. It was on Zoom, and everyone was asked to keep their mics turned on - so we could hear their laughs - and it went well, with over fifty in the virtual crowd.

So, we ran it again, and again, and again, and had comedians from all across the country perform for our silly little Zoom show. In many ways, these were the absolute highlights of this comedy club - laughter in tough times.

Then lockdown eased and the real world beckoned, so it was time to try to make these gigs work in person.

We ran a gig in a pub, in the main bar area, with people there just to drink and NOT watch comedy. We never did that again.

We put on some musical comedy nights - these were great and we did do a few of them.

We did virtual gigs for the Edinburgh Fringe, live-streaming 20 acts to a room of 12 masked-up people, and online to about the same number, every night for a week. Honestly, these were great. Props to Chronic Insanity for making this happen.

Above: Me during our first online gig!

Looking back after three years, we did a lot with Late Stage Comedy and there is so much we have to be proud of.

Building up each Nottingham Comedy Festival to host more and more shows, even going so far as to almost selling out a theatre last year. And then bringing over 100 shows to Leicester Comedy Festival this year, across two venues.

We had amazing shows in Hucknall, in Nottingham, in Loughborough, at a Beer Festival, in a gorgeous LGBTQ+ cafe in Netherfield, in a gym, in a bowling alley, in an Indian restaurant, and in so many more great places.

We also had many a dire show where the acts had to entertain seven audience members who didn't really want to be there. Not every night can be great.

Not every night can be great, and not all projects go on for decades. Whilst I am massively proud of what Late Stage Comedy achieved, the amazing acts we hosted, and the spectacular audiences we had, it's clear that the roll of the dice to take this seriously last year hasn't quite worked.

I knew this had the odds stacked against it. I knew that failure was more likely than success. But I am proud that I tried, and I am so thankful for the last three years.

To every single person who supported us, came to a gig, helped run a venue, made people laugh, or kept me sane during festivals. Thank you. Thank you so, so much.

Comedy has been a wonderful thing for me. It's helped me fight depression, battle through a toxic job, and relearn how capable I am. It's going to set me up massively for my future.

There is so much good to be had with comedy - and I hope people remember this.

Life is an ever-changing tapestry and who knows what's going to happen next? Who knows if this is the final thing I do in comedy, or if I'll return one day - whether that be sooner or later.

But, I didn't want to go without saying goodbye and saying a final thank you to everyone who made all this wonderful stuff possible. I have collated a mix of images from all our shows across the years in the gallery below. Please feel free to have a look.

Take care, and make sure you make time for a little bit of laughter,

John

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PS - I have some leftover merch from Leicester Comedy Festival. If you want some tote bags filled with goodies, email latestagecomics@gmail.com --- yours for a donation.