The Comedy Experiment

The Comedy Experiment runs three times a month at the Caroline of Brunswick, with each show starting at 16:00 and wrapping up by 18:30. It's an afternoon club, so you're in and out well before the evening properly kicks off, and there are happy hour drinks on the go throughout the afternoon.

The room is set up as a mix: you'll catch newer, up-and-coming acts alongside professional comedians road-testing new material. It's that second part that gives the night its name — you're watching a set being worked on in front of you, rather than a polished routine. Resident MC Alicia Davison hosts the whole thing, keeping the afternoon moving between the different acts.

The venue is the comedy room at the Caroline of Brunswick, 39 Ditchling Road, BN1 4SB, which seats 80. It's a room that's seen a fair few names pass through it over the years: Rhod Gilbert, Jon Richardson, Josie Long, Richard Herring, Sara Pascoe, Romesh Ranganathan, Joe Wilkinson, Isy Suttie, Katherine Ryan and Josh Widdicombe have all played here. That gives you a sense of the kind of act that finds its way onto the bill.

Because it's an afternoon show, it works as a late lunch or a pre-dinner thing rather than a full night out. Standard tickets are free, and with the 16:00 start and 18:30 finish, you're clear by half-six.