The secret society of funny: why joining the newsletter isn’t so easy

If you’ve ever tried to sign up for the Always Be Comedy newsletter and found it a little… elusive, you’re not imagining things. There’s no big shiny pop-up box on the home page. No big neon arrow that says: “Here!” We're even cagey about it on the podcast. And that’s all entirely by design.

We know it’s a bit unconventional. And probably flies in the face of "sensible business model". But, in a world where every brand is clamouring for your inbox, we’ve chosen a different path—one that’s rooted in curation, community and a deep respect for the craft of comedy and, indeed, comedy fans. It's been this way for all of Always Be Comedy's 14+ year history and, at the time of writing, will stay this way.

🎟️The Secret Handshake: You’ve Got to Be in the Room

The only way to get the exclusive steer on how to join our newsletter is by physically attending one of our gigs – and then you find out how after the show.

We want you to be there, soaking up the atmosphere, laughing with the crowd (we mean, that really is the ideal scenario) and experiencing what makes multi-award-winning ABC so very special. As pal-of-the-night Sikisa once pointed out: “We’ve gone from a cult (when we used to be weekly, with the same faces – god bless them all! – attending each week) to a community (now that we’re five – often six! – nights a week).” And that’s exactly what we want: a community of comedy fans.

Why the gatekeeping? Simple: we want proper comedy fans on the list. And, if you’re reading this, that probably means you.

We’re not being difficult for the sake of it. We’re protecting something precious—the unique, electric energy of an ABC audience. And that starts with who’s in the room, and who’s on the list.

🌟 Quality Over Quantity

If we opened the floodgates, we’d be swamped with people who only want to see the “arena filler”—the household names who sell out stadiums — or the A-lister with the sort of screen credits to cause Meryl Streep to blush. And while we love a big-name comic as much as anyone (heck, more than anyone!), ABC is about more than that. It’s about:

• Discovering the Next Big Thing: We champion rising stars and brilliant acts you haven’t heard of yet. The likes of Romesh Ranganathan, Aisling Bea, Tom Allen, Nish Kumar, Ed Gamble, Sara Pascoe (and many, many more) were relatively unknown when they started playing Always Be Comedy. This group have been affectionately referred to as "The Golden Generation" (and there are at least 10 more names to add to said list but, you know, word count).

• The Shared Experience: Comedy thrives in a room full of people who truly get it.

• Commitment to the Craft: Attending a gig shows you’re invested in live comedy—not just celebrity spotting.

• Yes, very well, we actually do have to include big names: Right. Yes. You're right. The likes of Kevin Bridges, Stephen Merchant, Stewart Lee, Jack Dee, Romesh Ranganathan, Katherine Ryan (and on and on and on) have all really helped put us on the comedy map and to claim anything otherwise would be potty.

But, crucially, when it comes to our audiences, we’re not looking for celebrity spotters. We’re looking for the comedy equivalent of the football fan who – as the old adage goes – would travel to Stoke City on a wet Tuesday night. The ones who come to comedy shows because they love comedy. That’s our crowd. That’s our vibe (we’re two sentences away from bursting into tears and singing a song about how much we love Always Be Comedy audiences here).

🙏 Building a Community of Believers

By making attendance the entry requirement, we ensure that everyone on the newsletter has a proven interest in the Always Be Comedy ethos. You’ve been in the room. You’ve felt the magic (god willing). You know what we’re about. Also, crucially, you might not enjoy it! Live comedy might not be your bag. And that’s fine! (they type while weeping)

But if you’ve been and enjoyed it, it means when we send out our updates, we’re talking to people who:

• Appreciate the full line-ups, not just the TV-famous names.

• Value the intimacy and immediacy of live comedy.

• Support the ecosystem of stand-up—from the seasoned pros to the fresh voices.

We're obviously not saying every gig can be a wall-shaking mega-blaster (probably not a technical term, to be fair). Even the great Crystal Palace draw the odd game. But, goshdarnit, it's what we're always aiming for.

🏆 The ABC Promise: Curating the Best Night Out

Our newsletter isn’t just a mailing list—it’s a gateway to the best comedy audiences… possibly on the planet? You really are that good. And, yes, we are biased. By curating who joins, we’re curating the room. And that means better energy, bigger laughs and nights that linger long in the memory. For example. having to take an unplanned break because Alan Carr HAD BEEN TOO FUNNY is one such beautiful core memory. Ditto Michael McIntyre's debut this year. And it's also about seeing, say, Shalaka Kurup's first gig with us, or Josh Pugh's remarkable ABC debut (it was an online gig and, even over Zoom, we knew we had a real one on our hands).

So, if you’re a true comedy enthusiast—the one who seeks out the newest voices, who appreciates the craft, who’d metaphorically travel to Stoke City on that wet Tuesday night —then we absolutely want you on board.

Already on the list? Thank you for being the comedy equivalent of a die-hard fan. Hoping to join? Come to a gig. Feel the vibe. Ask one of the team for the details. It’s our way of giving something back to the brilliant audience that makes ABC what it is.

🎤 See you at the next show!