David Trew is just an ordinary bloke. After leaving college in the 80s, he took up a career as a corporate salesman. He did well, but hated it.

So, after moving to London to follow his sales career, and having to be medicated to get through it, he decided to set up a comedy club. He did this back in his beloved University (Polytechnic, but who cares?) city of Bristol.

How difficult could that be?

Join David on his journey through the yuppie 80s and the early 90s, as he made his comedy-club dream a reality. For a bloke with zero experience of running a club, catastrophes were never far away. Despite many near (and a few actual) disasters, the likes of Peter Kay, Catherine Tate, Alan Carr, Jimmy Carr, Sarah Millican, Sean Lock, Jon Richardson, Dara O Briain, Phill Jupitus, Bill Bailey, Russell Howard, Marcus Brigstocke, Rich Hall, and many other (now) very well-known people performed at his club. These were the days when stand-up comedy was the new rock n'roll. The glitterati types were yet to become household names.

If only David had known this at the time, he might not have worried so much.

First published: Monday 9th November 2020