The Comedy Store Players are a group of improvisational comedians who perform at The Comedy Store in London. The group first came into being in October 1985.[1] [2]
Members of the group have included:
Currently there are five regular cast members; Josie Lawrence, Neil Mullarkey, Lee Simpson, Richard Vranch and Ruth Bratt, who in 2024 became the first new permanent member of the Players in almost 30 years.[3] [4] Sweeney retired from performing in 2008 but is still listed as a member and is also the group's President. Paul Merton ceased appearing as a full-time member in 2020 in order to concentrate on Paul Merton's Impro Chums but makes occasional appearances as a guest performer.
The Players currently perform once a week on Sunday, but have also in recent times performed once each on Wednesdays and Sundays. Performances are usually with the regular cast, although occasionally a guest performer will appear, which have in the past included the likes of Niall Ashdown, Marcus Brigstocke, Stephen Frost, Eddie Izzard, Greg Proops, Steve Steen and Phill Jupitus. Shows start at 7.30pm on Sundays. They last approximately 2 hours (including interval), in which time they play 6 or 7 games. There is no one host of the show, and no points to be won, so every performer should get to have a go and are able to support each other.
They are also in the Guinness World Records for being the world’s longest-running comedy show with the same cast.[5]
Usually, the games are:
Several of The Comedy Store Players appeared on the Channel 4 comedy game show Whose Line Is It Anyway?. Lawrence, Merton, Simpson and Sweeney also starred in The Masterson Inheritance, an improvised comedy series which ran on BBC Radio 4 from 1993-1995. [6]
The Comedy Store Players also appeared on episode 4 of The Sitcom Trials - the line-up consisted of Neil Mullarkey, Suki Webster, Niall Ashdown and Richard Vranch.[7]