Northbridge has a new comedy club, arriving just in time to give Friday nights a little more direction.
Presented by Grassroots Comedy, Speakeasy Comedy Club is a weekly stand-up showcase at Curate on James Street, pairing an intimate lounge setting with a rotating mix of Perth comedians, national performers and touring acts.
The show runs every Friday from 7pm to 8pm, with an MC guiding audiences through three showcase acts. It is an easy fit for anyone finishing work in the city, meeting friends for drinks or looking for something to do in Perth on a Friday night before heading deeper into Northbridge.
The timing is part of the appeal. Speakeasy Comedy Club does not demand an entire evening. Audiences can arrive after work, order a drink, settle into the room and enjoy a full comedy showcase while the night is still young.
By 8pm, there is time for dinner, another round at the bar or whatever comes next.
A new comedy club for Northbridge
Perth has a lively comedy scene, but the best rooms are not always the biggest. Small venues allow comedians to respond to the audience, change direction mid-set and create the spontaneous moments that disappear in a large theatre.
Speakeasy Comedy Club is built around that closeness.
The audience is part of the atmosphere rather than sitting at a distance from it. Performers can feel the room immediately, while audiences get to see established comedians in a more relaxed environment than a conventional theatre show.
The format remains simple: one MC, three showcase comedians and a different lineup every Friday.
Some weeks may feature familiar names from the Perth comedy circuit. Others may include national performers, Fringe favourites or touring comedians dropping into Northbridge for a guest spot. Comics may also bring fresh material into the room, giving audiences an early look at jokes that could later appear in festival shows and longer solo performances.
It is curated rather than open entry, giving the night a loose feel without losing quality control.
Friday night comedy with after-work energy
For anyone searching for what’s on in Perth on a Friday night, Speakeasy Comedy Club sits neatly between after-work drinks and a full night out.
Curate provides the right setting for it. Located at DoubleTree by Hilton Perth Northbridge on James Street, the venue has the low lighting, lounge atmosphere and bar service that suit an early evening comedy show.
There is no need to rush through dinner or commit to a late finish. The 7pm start creates room for people to come directly from the office, meet a date or gather a group of friends without turning the night into a major logistical exercise.
That ease is becoming increasingly valuable in Perth nightlife. Plenty of people want to go out on a Friday, but do not necessarily want to begin with a packed nightclub or an expensive formal production. A one-hour comedy showcase gives the evening a starting point, while leaving enough freedom to decide what happens afterwards.
It also offers something beyond simply sitting at another bar table. The room has a reason for people to gather, a live performance at its centre and a lineup that changes from week to week.
Grassroots Comedy expands its Perth footprint
Speakeasy Comedy Club is the latest regular venue from Grassroots Comedy, which has steadily built a network of live comedy events across Perth.
Its existing shows include Experimental Comedy Club, where comedians develop new material on Tuesday nights; Leederville Comedy Club and its Saturday showcases; and Cap Off Comedy at the Bassendean Hotel.
Grassroots Comedy has also presented shows during Fringe World at DoubleTree by Hilton Perth Northbridge, bringing local performers and festival audiences into the venue’s Jarrah and Banksia rooms.
Speakeasy Comedy Club extends that presence beyond festival season. Rather than waiting for Fringe World to return, audiences can now find a weekly comedy showcase in Northbridge throughout the year.
That continuity also gives local comedians another well-run stage, while touring performers have somewhere to drop in when visiting Perth.
Comedy in Perth, without the theatre formality
There is a certain mood that suits Friday night comedy. People arrive carrying the remains of the working week, usually with a drink in hand and fewer expectations than they might bring to a major theatre show.
That tends to make for good rooms.
Speakeasy Comedy Club is designed to preserve that relaxed atmosphere while still presenting a proper showcase. It is polished enough to feel like a night out, but informal enough for comedians to play with the room.
The lineup may change, but the basic promise stays consistent: an hour of live comedy, a strong MC, three hand-picked performers and a setting that makes the audience feel close to what is happening.
For locals searching for Perth comedy, live comedy in Northbridge, after-work entertainment in Perth or simply a different way to begin the weekend, the new club offers a clear answer.
Speakeasy Comedy Club – Tickets
Every Friday, 7pm to 8pm
Curate, DoubleTree by Hilton Perth Northbridge
100 James Street, Northbridge
Presented by Grassroots Comedy
The show finishes at eight. James Street is still wide awake outside.
For more information click here
