There’s something about listening to jokes among a big group of people that makes it even funnier. You clock on to someone else’s laugh, laughing harder, listening to the different ways a joke can land. Sometimes, dead silence after a punchline is the joke. Sometimes, the “ooft” from the crowd of a tongue-in-cheek story can divide an audience, leaving half stifling a giggle and the others kind of angry.

But that’s what live comedy is all about, from crowds filling out theatres to a comedian practising their routine for the first time in front of three people in a pub. But I think the sweet spot is the intimate comedy club. Big enough that laughs echo around and become contagious, but small enough that audience participation is still authentic and, well, funny.

There are plenty of places for a giggle in our capital. Save your ha-has for the best comedy clubs to go to in London.

Up the Creek

This Greenwich comedy club remains low-key, despite its comical history. Launching in 1991, Up the Creek has played host to some of the comedy greats as they rise up the ranks – from Jimmy Carr and Jo Brand, Michael McIntyre and Dara O'Briain.

It continues to support up-and-coming comedians with its open mic nights, Sunday services, and jam-packed schedule. Guaranteed giggles. And it even has its own brewery, the Up the Creek Brewery, making small-scale, artisanal craft beers, which are exclusively available on-site and nowhere else.

Greenwich, SE10 | up-the-creek.com

The Top Secret Comedy Club

It’s not so much of a secret anymore, but acts on the night can be, which is what keeps Covent Garden’s The Top Secret Comedy Club so buzzing. The line-up, the jokes, the audience, you never know what you might hear. I even once saw the compère make a couple, who were on a first date and sat on the front row, smooch, making the crowd chant, “Kiss, kiss, kiss.” So, this is your warning to pick your seat wisely.

Catch well-established joke tellers here like Nabil Abdulrashid, Micky Flanagan, and Eleanor Conway. But for the weekend stand-up comedy shows, remember to watch out for any TBA on the line-up, the surprise is normally someone “big”.

Covent Garden, WC2B | thetopsecretcomedyclub.co.uk

Headliners Comedy

At the back of the George IV pub in Chiswick, you’ll find Headliners Comedy every Friday and Saturday. Shows start at 8.30 pm, prompt, so secure a good seat and settle in ready for some big laughs.

It also hosts shows for the yearly Ealing Comedy Festival and pre-shows for the Edinburgh Fringe each year, so it’s a regular spot on the circuit for comedians just starting out, and those gaining reaction on new material, too.

Chiswick, W4 | headlinerscomedy.com

City Comedy Club

If you’re looking for a comedy club with great value tickets, then City Comedy Club, sandwiched between Shoreditch and Old Street, should be your pick. It’s £15 for a weekend ticket, and that includes a free drink. But don’t think for even a second that a good deal might mean bang average comedy.

With just 150 seats in this spot, it’s intimate. It’s time to get cosy with the person sitting next to you, as you chortle along, shoulders raising and dropping as you laugh in time.

Shoreditch, EC2A | citycomedyclub.co.uk

Angel Comedy Club

The laughs of this comedy club are so big, they spill into three North London locations. You’ll find Angel Comedy Club at The Bill Murray, Camden Head, and The Internet – all within a stone’s throw of each other. So, if you’re in North London, you’re never too far from a giggle.

The club runs free stand-up comedy gigs seven nights a week, with ticketed events for bigger names. It was founded by comedians to bring comedy to more audiences, you just know the line-up is guaranteed to be a belter.

Angel, N1 | angelcomedy.co.uk

Big Belly Comedy Club

Big laughs are to be expected at Big Belly Comedy Club by the river. Located on Southbank, it’s a perfect central location for mid-week fun or a weekend adventure. Watch as the comedic stars of today – and tomorrow – take to the stage, sharing their best anecdotes, tales, and punchlines for your entertainment.

Including performances from the golden trio of comedic TV shows, Have I Got News For You, Live at the Apollo, and Mock the Week. So, if you’ve got any faves from the screen, you can bring those laughs to reality and book to see them live at Big Belly.

Southbank, SE1 | bigbellycomedy.club

Live at the Chapel

Likely the most interesting venue on this list, comedy in a chapel? Two worlds colliding to create an interesting evening of stand-up. “Comedy’s spiritual home…”, Islington’s Union Chapel is as dramatic as those who take the stage. There is even a live band to add extra spectacle to events.

Boasting past names such as James Acaster, Katherine Ryan, Sara Pascoe, and Joe Lycett, among many more. This is a venue to set up event alerts for, paying homage to the comedy Gods with every visit.

Islington, N1 | liveatthechapel.co.uk

Banana Cabaret

Bananas are an intrinsically funny fruit. So it’s no surprise that Banana Cabaret brings the laughs. The comedy club has spent 43 years in residence at Balham’s The Bedford, setting up home in the Club Room, where cosy tables and chairs sit back to back and shoulder to shoulder, getting up close and personal with the audience and the comics.

Within its history, it boasts Eddie Izzard’s first gig on its stage, but Banana Cabaret also champions the up-and-coming. Come here to experience new artists, as well as big-name stars, and its annual Balham Comedy Festival.

Balham, SW12 | bananacabaret.co.uk

Knock2Bag at MOTH

A last, special mention for MOTH Club’s comedy night, Knock2Bag. There are always killer names – think Phil Wang, Lou Sanders, Michelle de Swarte – amid a mixed bill of emerging and hilarious comics. And also, MOTH is just a great venue. Save it from developers.

Hackney, E9 | mothclub.co.uk

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