The Glee Club

The comedians were so funny, would give 5 stars but the chairs were far too close together, sitting in the middle of the row made it impossible to get up to go to the bar or toilet without getting everyone else in the row out of their seats, the tickets were oversold so people were standing around in the doorways through the whole show it was far too busy and the wait for the bar was about 30 minutes. If it was a bit quieter and more comfy it would have got 5 stars, the acts themselves were great

Extremely rude front of house, intimidating security staff. Comedy acts were good but atmosphere, lighting and sound oppressive.

I am a fan of this comedy club, it’s all seated and you can order food to your table for during the shows.
All the show’s I’ve seen (about 3 or 4) have been really great and it’s not a huge space so you can always see the act and it actually feels quite intimate.
Easy to book online, staff have always been perfectly pleasant. All in all a good night out.

I’d somehow managed to spend most of my life in Birmingham and never actually visited the glee club (o.k. I had been to see a small gig in the second room, but I’m not sure that really counts).
A group of 4 of us went on a Saturday night, for no other reason than we fancied checking out some comedy. We had booked in advance and made our way to the venue at 19:25 for the 20:00 start.
Now to begin with I want to clear up that the actual stand-​up acts were all pretty good, a mix of comedy styles and plenty of audience interaction, my main gripe with the place is the format. For a ‘comedy club’ the actual comedy seems to take second place to the act of selling punters meal deals and buckets of beer. I’m not sure what burger and chips has to do with comedy, I wouldn’t go to any other ticketed entertainment event and expect to sit down with a nacho platter, I’m not sure why comedy should be any different to music, theatre, dance shows etc?
The original start time of 20:00 slipped to 20:20 (not before a number of reminders over the PA to get to the bar and try their new range of craft beers), with the doors definitely not closing at 19:45. The comedy was broken down into 3 40 minute segments (compare and act) with a 15 – 20 minute break to go and get more booze, which meant it never seemed to quite get going. A better format for me would have been compare then a couple of acts, an interval and then the second half. After the long wait at the start and the frequent breaks, I felt like I’d spent more time listening to crap background music and food adverts than I had watching comedy.
I realise they probably make the majority of their cash over the bar, but the heavy sales pitches really took the shine of the night. Maybe it was my misunderstanding of the place on a Saturday night, but in reality its nothing more than light entertainment for stag/​hen/​work do’s before they continue their night down in the bars of the Arcadian below.
I will definitely be sticking to the independent nights run at various venues of Kings Heath and Moseley in future.

I ve had many a night out at the Glee Club over the last 17 years (am I really that old). From old skool comedy night with disco afterwards (ahh to be 19 again) to seeing well established comedians such as Lee Evans who has used it as a warm up venue, to dancing and singing along a tiny little gigs for upcoming artists — I have to say on reflection, it’s probably one of my favourite small venues in Birmingham.
It is situated in the Arcadian, right opposite the Hippodrome, therefore there are a wealth of eateries and bars to pick from in the vicinity. It offers entertainment most nights of the week and often there are 3 or 4 comedians. Often as I mentioned above, well known comedians will also use this as their venue, which I prefer to the large comedy gigs as the Genting Arena. I saw Richard Herring tour there two years ago and was a great intimate gig with a good crowd.
Food and drink prices seem reasonable and I ve never had to wait too long for a drink… sounds like I should be making my way back there soon — I need a bit of glee in my life!

The Glee Club is just fantastic for comedy. I have been coming here for years and after a brilliant performance watching the ‘Stand Up for the Heroes’ charity gig last night, I thought it best to put a review in.
It has everything a good comedy club needs and is an excellent layout in terms of seating, every gig no matter how far back you are feels intimate.
it doesn’t try to be anything its not, the drinks it sells are standard and so is the food but they are what works so well about it.
If you have never been head on down to the website, pick a comedian you like and just pay a visit and you will be ever so satisfied when you leave. Alternatively check out some of their nights where there is new talent or established acts trying new material, either way its always a fun night down the Glee.

The Glee Club is well located in The Arcadian so it’s close to lots of restaurants, bars and transport links. The tickets are always well priced and lots of well known comedians and musicians are on the listings.
I’ve seen a couple of stand up shows here and one music gig. I found it quite odd for music as the room is wide rather than long. It is much better suited for comedy when the chairs are set out in rows. Both the main room and studio feel very intimate. As others have mentioned, you do get squashed in next to people you don’t know!
In the main room, you can order meals and there is a bar. Seats are allocated and they will show you to your seat. In the studio room, seats are unallocated but it seemed to be a good view wherever you sit. There is a bar in here and you can get crisps and popcorn too but not main meals.

The Glee continues to be the best comedy venue in Brum in my opinion. I have seen countless shows here over the last few years including Richard Herring (multiple times), David O’Doherty (multiple times), Jon Richardson and plenty more.
The range of and quality of acts that perform here is second to none and I’ve never had a bad night here.
There’s a pleasant little bar area downstairs and it’s well located in the arcadian so you can grab a bite to eat or a few drinks elsewhere before a show.
It does have some flaws though. They always cram you in like sardines and until the acts start there’s always a danger period where someone might accidentally knock your table and and send your pint flying whilst squeezing through the tiny gaps to get to their seats, the sardine factor also results in it being absolutely baking most of the time. The beer and food isn’t cheap, but not as bad as some venues — and they do close the doors way before the show starts in a not-​to-​subtle ploy to get you to purchase more refreshment. But in all honesty once the comedy starts it’s very easy to forget the failings, the sound is always spot on wherever you sit and whilst the bar is inevitably busy there’s usually plenty of staff to get drinks poured as promptly as possible.
The Glee has always been, and will continue to be, the first place I check for upcoming comedy gigs. They do live music as well but I can’t comment on that as I’ve never been to one of their live music gigs.

Great comedy Club venue in the Arcadian –off the busy Hurst Street and near the Hippodrome so good place if you want t combine good food/​drink/​a show somewhere else and make a day of it. Ticket prices are generally £14 depending on the act. Seating is allocated but staff happily put you near you friends if you book separately and ask in advance. No physical tickets either you just give your name which is nice and easy! There are various burger/​chips/​nachos food options (though tables not very big) and pitchers of larger are £16 approx. Get there before doors open if you want to get to the bar without queuing too long though! Atmosphere always friendly and I have enjoyed every visit.

Whether it be top bands or comedians, at some point in their career they have probably stopped by the Glee club. Situated inside the Arcadian, the actual door to the comedy venue is an unassuming one (although you can also get in via the much more obvious bar/​patio area).
I have seen Richard Herring (always a winner), Dylan Moran (a huge disappointment), David O’Doherty (so funny I had to go to the loo several times during the performance) and many other notable acts in their «intimate» rooms upstairs. Well, that’s not fair — the ROOM isn’t intimate, it’s the seating arrangement that will make you feel like a rollmop.
Ticket prices are pretty hard to beat too. It’s always a great line up at the Glee and I don’t believe I have paid more than £15 to see a top comedian perform live. The drinks prices are another matter, but that’s to be expected in a venue. They do reasonable deals on «buckets» (bottles) and jugs of beer.
The food is a reasonable selection of bar food, so don’t expect a Michelin starred meal. It’s perfectly serviceable to quench your hunger pre or mid show, but again, is a little pricey for what it is. Due to where it’s situated, some great restaurants do pre-​theatre menu’s which are much more tasty and better priced.
If you’re looking for a top spot to see some world class comedy, check out the Glee club. It’s not fancy, it’s not cheap to eat and drink; but depending on your taste in comedy and comedian, you might just have ROFLtastic night.

It might not be the only one of its kind, as there are other Glee clubs dotted around in Nottingham, Oxford and Cardiff, but I can’t think of any other venue quite like Glee in Birmingham. Fancy having your ribs tickled by the latest hot comedian or a long-​established funnyman/​woman taking a break from larger theatres and arenas? Come to Glee! Alternatively, going through a tough breakup and want to cry along to some guitar-​aided balladry from a sensitive troubador type? Glee will be more than happy to have you.
Straight from the moment you enter the downstairs bar (where you can enjoy a few tipples without catching the entertainment upstairs), the place is welcoming thanks to friendly staff and a cool, chilled atmosphere. Upstairs is where the real fun happens though; whether you’re here for a comedy night or a gig, Glee wrangles the best talent through the door and up on the stages of its two main rooms. Established names like Dylan Moran have caused some chuckles alongside more up and coming talent, with the club hosting frequent comedy nights — look out for the club’s Xmas specials, which will get you a trio of comedians and a full-​works turkey dinner for a more than reasonable fee.
Where music is concerned, you can catch everything from singer/​songwriters to credible indie bands. Want to catch the next buzzworthy act before the buzz has even really begun? The likes of Regina Spektor, Bat for Lashes, Lykke Li, Villagers and, more recently, soul chanteuse Lianne La Havas have all played Glee before going on to greater things. So, take my word for it — come along, pop open a bottle of red and enjoy some of the finest comedy and music that any Brummy venue can offer.

Company night out. We had to contribute for the bond… which I think is quite excessive. Anyway we got it back and used it for the booze kitty later.
Christmas meal, and pudding… I felt rushed eating this…
The food was well prepared. Sorry but I don’t like the use of frozen brussels.
There must be a reason why they are so strict, it does tend to take a shine off the evening.
We we waiting for our organiser, and they arrived about 10 mins before the doors closed, but the door staff weren’t very accommodating.
The Comedy:
Never heard of the two guests. They weren’t bad, but I felt the compare was better…
Our group aren’t the disco types, so left at that point.
If I went again, I wouldn’t go as a group, and I would be selective about the acts that appeared.