Top night of comedy in Crawley

Organiser Mark Coxon said: “Normally we do a show on the first Friday of every month at The Grasshopper in Tilgate, but due to circumstances beyond our control, things are going to be a little different for the next couple of months. Just for our April gig we are moving to The Greyhound, in Tinsley Green. We've still got a fantastic line-up but the change in venue means a smaller capacity than normal which in turn means at this time there are only about 20 tickets still available.

“To make matters a bit more confusing our May show will be back at The Grasshopper but on Thursday, May 3. Then from June onwards we will be back to the first Friday of each month and things will return to normal. We always do our very best to get a scheduled show on. Even last month, when we did the gig on the worst snow day of the year, we had approaching 100 people watching the show. All afternoon I was in the office, receiving calls asking if it was going ahead. I was telling them yes while also talking to acts who were struggling to get to our gig from Bristol, Essex and Kent.”

Mark added: “This month we've got another stunning line-up of four of the very best comedians currently working in the UK. All of them perform regularly at London's prestigious Comedy Store. To see a show there on a Friday night will cost you a minimum of £20. Add to this the price of travel to and from London and the cost of drinks in the West End and our tickets priced at £10 in advance really do look like a bargain for any comedy lovers in the Crawley area.

“Talking of the Crawley area, our opening act for this show is the excellent Ian Moore who spent several years living in the town. These days he is based in France and commutes over to perform his stand-up most weekends. He is unique on the comedy circuit as he is the only Mod. When he is not doing shows he spends his time working as an author. To date he has had two books published, A La Mod, and C'est Modifique, both of which chronicle his and his family's move from Maidenbower to the Loire Valley. Although he has been a linchpin of the circuit for more than twenty years this will be his first show for Comedy Beats and I am really pleased it will be in Crawley.

“The middle act is the multi-talented Charlie Baker. Apart from being a highly-acclaimed jazz singer and actor, he is also a fantastic comedian. Some of the readers will remember him as the mainstay of Let's Dance For Comic Relief in 2011 which he won.

“The closing act is the Comedy Beats favourite Ben Norris. This will be his tenth show for us since we started the company back in 2015 but his first appearance at The Grasshopper. In his set he talks a lot about family life, which he has a great perspective on, being a father of triplets.

“Hosting the show is the multi award-winning Mandy Knight. I have been working as a comedian myself for more than the last twenty years and she is in my opinion the best compere in the country. I've lost count of the amount of times I have tried to book her but rarely succeed as she is in such demand. She was the first female comic to regularly MC shows at The Comedy Store and when you watch her you can see why. I've been looking forward to this show since I booked it, about six months ago, and a big part of that is because Mandy is compering. She is a joy to watch and if you have never seen her before you really shouldn't miss this opportunity.

“It all takes place at The Greyhound in Tinsley Green, Crawley on Friday, April 6. Doors open at 7 and the show starts at 8 Tickets are priced at £10 in advance or £15 on the door subject to availability and may be purchased either directly from The Greyhound, The Grasshopper or online from www.comedybeats.com.”