Komedia

Komedia was formed in 1994 by Colin Granger, Marina Kobler and David Lavender, beginning as a theatre and cabaret bar in a converted Grade II-listed former billiard hall in Brighton's Kemp Town area. At that time, Komedia promoted the burgeoning talents of many young performers including Graham Norton, Mel & Sue, Johnny Vegas, The Right Size, Al Murray, Jenny Éclair, Peepolykus, Alistair McGowan, Omid Djalili, Rhona Cameron and The League of Gentlemen. Within a few years, the tiny venue had proved so popular that the company was forced to expand, and in 1998, Komedia moved into a former Tesco supermarket on Gardner Street in the North Laine area of Brighton.

In addition, Komedia has strong roots in physical theatre, and was a co-founder of the Aurora Nova programme at St Stephens, which runs during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Since its relocation, the Brighton Komedia has grown to include three very different spaces, each with its own bar: Komedia Upstairs, Komedia Downstairs and the intimate Studio Bar, as well as a street-front café and Box Office on Gardner Street, in the heart of Brighton’s bustling North Laine.