Standard seat
a seat, from$16
- A seat in the middle or back rows
- Drinks and plates ordered at the table
- Good sightlines from every row
- Level access seats at the back on request
Five nights a week, one mic and no safe seats
Stand up in a brick cellar of 140 seats, from Tuesday's open mic to the late show on Saturday. Drinks and small plates come to your table before the lights go down, and seats can be reserved for any show.
Stand up Tuesday to Saturday140 seats at cabaret tablesTable service before the show
- Open mic every Tuesday
- Headliners on Friday and Saturday
- Drinks and plates at your table
- Evening shows for ages 18 and over
The week at the Punchline Room
Line ups for the coming week go up on the doors and on this page every Monday. Every show has a host who keeps the night moving and introduces each act.
| Night | Show | Doors, then show | Tickets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday | Open Mic: up to twelve new acts, five minutes each | 19:00, then 19:45 | $6 |
| Wednesday | Work in Progress: two seasoned acts trying out new hours | 19:30, then 20:15 | $12 |
| Thursday | Thursday Club: four acts and a host | 19:30, then 20:15 | $16 |
| Friday | Headliner Night: two support acts and a headliner | 19:00, then 20:00 | $24 |
| Saturday | Headliner Night, an early and a late show | 18:30 and 21:30 | $26 |
| Sunday | Family Matinee: clean sets for ages 12 and over | 15:00, then 15:30 | $12 |
Acts can change at short notice. A changed line up is not a reason for a refund, but a cancelled show is always refunded in full.
Where you could be sitting
Every ticket is a seat at a cabaret table, and every table has drinks service until the host walks on. Prices shown are for a Thursday; weekend shows cost a little more.
Ringside table
a table of four, from$110
- A table of your own at the edge of the stage
- A first round of drinks brought as you sit down
- Expect the acts to talk to you
- Only for guests who enjoy being part of the show
Group night
a guest, from$22
- A reserved block of tables for the group
- Sharing platters on the table before the show
- A mention from the host only if you ask for one
- Birthdays, leaving drinks and team nights out
Seats are paid once the box office confirms them, and the confirmation says exactly how. The whole cellar can also be hired on Sundays and Mondays from $1,500 for an evening, with a line up booked by the club.
How a night runs
A show lasts about two hours with one interval, and the room works best when everyone knows the rhythm.
Doors open
Arrive from doors, find your table and look over the drinks and plates on the card.
Order before the host
Staff take orders at the table until the host walks on, then stop so nobody crosses in front of the stage.
First half
The host warms the room and brings on the opening acts, one after another.
Interval
Fifteen minutes for a second round, served at the table again.
The closing act
The headliner or the last act of the night closes the show, and the bar stays open for half an hour after.
A cellar built for laughing
The room sits under a former bank, with a low brick vault that keeps every laugh close. No seat is more than ten metres from the microphone, and the stage is only a step high, so the acts can see every face in the house.
Small cabaret tables keep groups together, and servers move along the side walls rather than across the room. Drinks range from beer, wine and cocktails to soft drinks and cocktails without alcohol, with fries, flatbreads and sharing boards from the kitchen.
- 140 seats at tables of two to six
- Drinks from $5, small plates from $7
- Orders close when the host walks on
- Level access to the back row through the side door
House rules, kept short
Stand up only works when the room is on the comic's side. These rules apply to every show, and the door staff and the host enforce them.
Strong language
Evening shows may contain strong language and adult themes, and the acts decide their own material. If that is not your night, the Sunday matinee keeps sets clean.
Our age policy
Evening shows are for ages 18 and over, and photo ID is checked at the door. The Sunday matinee admits ages 12 and over, with an adult for anyone under 16.
Phones away
No filming or photos during a set. Acts try out new material here, and a clip online can ruin a joke still being written.
Heckling
Laugh as loud as you like, but leave the talking to the stage. After one warning from the host, persistent hecklers are asked to leave without a refund.
Latecomers
Arrive after the host walks on and staff seat you at the back during a pause between acts, so expect a mention from the stage.
Looking after each other
Staff wear red lanyards. Tell any of them if someone is bothering you, and they will deal with it quietly and at once.
Nights in the cellar
Open mics, sold out weekends and quieter Sunday afternoons.
Overheard on the stairs (example reviews)
Booked a ringside table for a birthday and the host spent five glorious minutes on the birthday shirt. Drinks arrived before the first act and never got in the way.
The Tuesday open mic is the best $6 in town. Some acts flew, some did not, and the host made sure every one of them left the stage to proper applause.
A team night for twenty, platters on the table and a show that had the whole office crying with laughter. The box office answered every question within a day.
Before the lights go down
Can teenagers come to a show?
Evening shows are for ages 18 and over, because acts use strong language and adult themes and the bar serves alcohol. The Sunday matinee takes ages 12 and over, with an adult for anyone under 16. Rules for venues that serve alcohol vary by country; these limits are the club's own, and ID is checked at the door.
Will the acts pick on the front row?
They might talk to you, because that is part of live stand up. If you would rather stay out of it, ask for seats further back when you reserve.
Can we film a set?
No. Acts try out new material here, so phones stay away during the show. Staff ask once, then ask you to leave.
What happens if the headliner changes?
Line ups can change at short notice. A changed act is not a reason for a refund, but a cancelled show is refunded in full.
How can new acts get a spot at the open mic?
Email the booker with your name and how long you have been performing. Spots are handed out two weeks ahead, five minutes each, and first timers are welcome.
Can we bring a birthday group?
Yes. Groups of 10 to 30 book a group night with a block of tables. The host only mentions a birthday when you ask, and a group that heckles is asked to leave like anyone else.
Reserve seats for a show
Pick the show and the date, say how many of you are coming and where you would like to sit. The box office answers within a day, confirms the seats and explains how to pay, or offers another show if that one is full.
- Seats are held only after the box office confirms them
- Payment is agreed with the box office once confirmed
- Tell us here if anyone needs level access
Find the cellar
Phone the box office in the afternoon for the quickest answer. Emails about groups and private hire are read every weekday.
Box office
Down the steps beneath a former bank on the old market square, five minutes from the late night buses
Box office and show times
| Box office, Tuesday to Saturday | 12:00 to 22:00 |
| Shows, Tuesday to Saturday | Doors from 18:30 |
| Sunday matinee | Doors 15:00 |
| Monday | Closed |
Fancy trying the open mic?
New acts email the booker with a name and a line about their stand up so far. Spots go two weeks ahead, and the host looks after first timers.
Write to the booker