The international comedy brand opens its doors in Mumbai for the first time.
The Comedy Store's Don Ward
A taste of the UK comedy scene has come to India with the opening of the first ever Comedy Store branch in Mumbai over the weekend. Over 1,000 stand-up fans turned out for the Store's inaugural gig, which featured top British circuit names including Micky Flanagan, Craig Campbell and Paul Tonkinson.
The Indian branch of the famous London comedy brand, a joint venture between Comedy Store owner Don Ward and local entrepreneur Amar Aggarwal, took over two years and £3 million to build. It is the first live stand-up venue of its kind in the country, and will star three top UK headliners each and every week.
Ward said he was excited to be bringing a taste of London's renowned stand-up scene to India. "To celebrate 30 years of the Comedy Store we decided to look east for our next major project and I am glad we did", he said. "In England, there are 400 comedy venues. India had none and now it has one in a city which is home to more than 22 million people."
Both British expats and locals alike are said to be thrilled at the opening, which has added a new and somewhat risque aspect to social life in Mumbai, where until recently kissing was banned in the local film industry. "It's new and everybody loved it", expat Jason from Bristol told the BBC. "You wouldn't hear these kind of jokes on the TV, but at the end of the day it's just normal humour and it's what people talk about in private."
See more London stand-up
See more things to do in London
Return to London Comedy homepage
Add an event
Frieze Art Fair to launch new section for young galleries in 2012
Frieze have today announced details for the 2012 edition, their tenth art fair in London. Taking place...