FAQ

Everything you wanted to know about Rip Roar Comedy, but were too afraid to ask! Select a subject:

About Us

Q

Are the comedians any good?

A

You might be surprised how many times, we're asked this. We only book the best comedians on the UK circuit. How do we know they're the best? We have booked most of them before and seen them perform at our venue. Comedians we book for the first time have to have a very strict set of credentials, and a LOT of experience on the circuit. As comedy promoters, we're considered to be one of the most difficult clubs for comedians to get a booking. This is a good thing for our customers because it ensures that the comedians they are spending their hard-earned to watch, have the pedigree and a comedy CV that would get them booked at any of the 'premier league' clubs in the UK. (Comedy, not football, obvs!)

It is also our policy to bring on newer acts who can only get better by getting valuable performance time at gigs like ours. As a customer, you will always be told when a comedian is 'new' or trying out new material, or doing a 'half-spot'. It is important that we do our bit to contribute to allowing new talent this stage time because, without it, the circuit would not have new talent taking over from those that no longer perform on it. In the 16 years of Jesters, there were very few comedians from the early days still performing in 2011. Without the possibility of gigs in front of 'real' audiences, very few of the latter-day comedians would actually be able to perform to the standard required.

We pride ourselves as a venue in managing our audience too - to allow everyone to enjoy themselves to the fullest extent possible. More about that later.

Q

Being a comedy club, are you supposed to heckle the comedians?

A

Simply, no. As one of our comperes will tell you regularly, at no point while they were writing their material, did any comedian leave part of it blank because he/she hoped that an audience member would heckle in a punchline. That said, clearly we expect a deal of interaction between the audience and a comedian, otherwise, there'd be no point us staging live shows. However, there is a line to be drawn between what can be having a laugh with the comedians and preventing them from performing their material. We'll let you know if you are crossing that line.

Comedians have a wealth of funny material to do on stage, which they can't possibly get through if they have to deal with hecklers all night.

Good heckling can be great fun, and many comedians make references to heckles from previous gigs. So if you're going to heckle, try to make it positive AND funny. Simply shouting abuse, or making inane, drunken remarks to a comedian you're not enjoying, will eventually get you ejected from the venue.

Also, please be aware of when to shut up. If your judgment in this area is poor, then we'll let you know... ;-)

We will always ask you to switch your mobile phones to silent (preferably, off), while the acts are performing. please have the courtesy to make or take calls well outside the auditorium. Texting or using social media on phones while the comedians are performing, is also considered to be very bad manners, and will irritate those around you.

Q

Can we sit where we want?

A

When you arrive at the venue, you will be greeted at our reception desk, where we will have pre-prepared a seating plan. We will always seat groups together.

We do this to be as fair as possible to people who have pre-booked tickets as a group and to avoid seating disputes on the night.

Where possible we seat the larger groups near the stage and the smaller groups towards the rear of the room. We will also give priority to those that have booked meal-inclusive tickets.

We will where possible seat all groups together. If you book as a group, you will be seated as a group. Please be aware that if you just turn up on the night without an advanced booking, and expect to be seated with a pre-booked party, we will always do our best, but the likelihood is when we are busy, that this may not be possible.

For more details of our seating policy, see 'How do we make a reservation?' below.

Q

How do I find the club?

A

Riproar Comedy takes place in the Opus room at Pryzm:

Pryzm can be found just off Millennium Square in Bristol's Harbourside, behind Za Za Bazaar:

Address as follows:
The South Buildings
Canon's Road
Bristol
BS1 5UH

Directions to the venue, with a map, are on our Contact Us page.

Q

How do we make a reservation?

A

The simplest and quickest way is to use our Book Online service; find the date of the show you want to attend on the right hand side of the home page, click on it, and follow the rest of the process.

You may book a mixture of show+meal and show-only tickets - the system will calculate the correct total to charge you. We cannot upgrade entry-only tickets to meal-inclusive once payment has been made, but you can still eat on the night - we will issue you with a voucher of your meal choice at reception as you arrive, which you pick up yourself, in your own time (up to 8pm) from our serving hatch to our commercial kitchen.

Our booking process is designed to be as painless and quick as possible. We appreciate you're busy and we don't want you to spend more time than you need filling in data on a computer screen!

GROUP BOOKINGS WHERE EACH PERSON PAYS INDIVIDUALLY.

One of the most common requests is that you may wish to book in a large party, yet don't wish to pay for everyone yourself. It is possible to do this easily. Here's how:

1) Give everyone a party name to book under (usually your own).

2) Tell everyone to book their ticket for your group booking under that exact name. (If your name is Peter Porter, then all of your friends to book under the name Peter Porter. This means that instead of putting their own name in the box, they put yours. It doesn't matter what name is on the debit/credit card they are using to pay!)

3) We will always seat people with the same name together, (even if coincidentally, someone with the same name as you also books on the same night!)

4) Please, please ensure that your friends follow this rule. We can't be held responsible, or guarantee to make amendments on the night of the show for people who book under their own name, and then expect to be seated with you.

5) Also, (for as obvious as it sounds), make sure they get the correct date! (Many people have got this wrong in the past!)

6) If any of this process has gone wrong for you, we can correct it on our system given advance notice. Again, e-mail is the best way to do this. Contact us at bookings@riproarcomedy.co.uk

7) You will need to ask for corrections to be made AT LEAST 24 HOURS prior to the show. We cannot guarantee to resolve any mistakes you or your friends have made if you don't allow us sufficient time to do so.

We do not have a box office as such, so it isn't possible to come along and pay cash in advance for tickets. All ticket bookings are done solely through our own website, or via Pryzm's website, where they too, advertise our shows.

Q

How is the club laid out?

A

We've been resident at Pryzm since November 2017. We operate our shows from their biggest room - Opus. Opus has a circular dance floor, which makes row-seating in banquet chairs the only type of seating we can offer. There are no table seats whatsoever. All meals are designed to be eaten from your lap. (Plenty of napkins available).

There is a circular VIP booth to each side of the stage, which will seat 8 people per booth. For groups of or about 8 in number, we can seat you here upon special request.

The row seats all face the stage directly, and there is nowhere in the club with a poor or restricted view. We will always seat groups together (so long as you book as a group, or under the same name), with our longest row being 10 seats. If your group size is larger than this, we will still seat you together, but use two rows - one behind the other. For more details on how we go about our seating plans, please see the FAQ titled 'Can We Sit Where We Want?'

At the end of the show (latest 10pm), Pryzm staff will be in to clear away the seats to turn Opus back into a dance room. Soon after 10pm, expect dry ice, the light rig to come alive, and some banging hardhouse tunes.

Q

Is the comedy rude/blue?

A

It most certainly can be!

Our shows are intended for adults and as such taboo subjects are often dealt with. You will almost certainly hear every profanity (or 'swear word' if you prefer) that the English language holds. Sex and personal relationships are usually the subject of a comedian's routines.

You may well also hear politically sensitive material, and bang up-to-date topical routines, all of which can be offensive to some. A live alternative comedy club is exactly that.

Please be very aware that it is not our intention to offend anyone at any time, about anything. Nor do we ever book comedians whose sole aim is to shock, to be funny.

As a company we remain politically, and religiously neutral. We are not here to express opinions about anything through the comedians who perform at our shows.

We will not be held responsible for anything that they say, or any offence anyone feels may have occurred, to either themselves, or to any group they may sympathise with. It is on this basis that you book a ticket to the show.

Having been very upfront and explicit about the nature of the comedians' material you are likely to hear at any Riproar show, we will largely ignore any complaints either written or verbal, from anyone who deems that they have been offended. We most certainly will not act upon any complaint made in this regard, nor consider any kind of refund. or credit. The same ethos applies for anyone who claims not to have enjoyed the show, or not to have found the comedians funny, for whatever reason.

If you are offended by swear words, material as described above, or are politically sensitive, please do not come to a Riproar gig, and for the same reasons, we strongly suggest that you don't go to any live stand-up show at any other comedy gig in the UK either, as you'll likely see the very same comedians, and hear the same type of material!

Q

Is there food available?

A

Yes, there is - only two items available, but they're both wonderful. For meat-eaters, we offer an 8oz beef burger, with big fat chips. For vegetarians we offer Pryzm's stack of nachos in an army-style metal dish, topped off with mouth-watering salsa sauce, guacamole, sour cream and jalapenos.
If you order a show+meal ticket we will furnish you with a voucher for your meal as you arrive. You then collect this from the hot dog cart within the venue before the show starts. Hot dogs will be given to you there and then, Nachos orders take a few minutes and will be brought to you at your seat.
As a top tip, you might want to arrive at the club just a few minutes earlier so that you can enjoy your meal without having to rush. The food service is available from the minute we admit customers to the venue.

Q

What about staying on to enjoy Pryzm after the comedy show?

A

Yep, you're more than welcome. Pryzm is the South-west's biggest and best club, with a licensed capacity of nearly 3000 people. It usually reaches capacity every night it opens. There are three rooms of different music - RnB, Hard House, or Anthems. 'Disco 1' where they play the anthems is where most of the comedy punters gravitate after the comedy.
All you need do to enjoy Pryzm after the comedy show, is stay in the building. Please don't leave and come back later, otherwise you'll be asked to pay again. ;-)

Q

What do we do at Riproar?

A

We offer you a live stand up comedy show using the best of the professional circuit comedians in the UK.
We operate from Pryzm's Opus room - (a magnificently appointed and technologically marvellous space), where we set out rows of banquet chairs directly facing the stage. The show usually consists of four comedians, one of whom will compere for the night (chat to the audience, do some of their own material and introduce the other three acts). The show is in three sections, with an interval between each. We always finish at or slightly before 10pm.
Thereafter, you're more than welcome to stay on completely free of charge, to enjoy Pryzm's nightclub shenanigans. Pryzm is open until 4am, has three different rooms of music (RnB, Hard House and disco/anthems), two other bars, and a balcony for smokers.
All in all, your ticket price of £12, is an absolute bargain. Up to 9 hours of entertainment, to include four of the best comedians you're likely to see anywhere, followed by a night in the South-West's biggest, baddest and best nightclub, rammed to the gills with revellers every night.

Q

What is the format of the evening?

A

Depending upon the show, there will be a number of circuit comedians who will entertain you for the duration of the comedy show; one of whom sometimes acts as host and compère for the evening. It is he or she that will banter with you, do birthday, stag, hen, loss of virginity, or 'just-out-for-the-night' celebratory announcements, as well as introducing the other acts.

There are two intervals between the acts, each lasting roughly 15 to 30 minutes to give you time to refill your glasses, answer the call of nature, and/or pop outside for a smoke.

Booking Info

Q

Do I have to pay a booking fee?

A

Our ticket prices are inclusive of the commission we have to pay to our secure online payment service providers.

This means that the price you see advertised for ALL of our shows is the price you pay - you won't encounter a final payment screen that springs a booking fee on you with Riproar.

Q

Do I have to pay in advance for my places?

A

We can only make reservations upon receipt of full payment.

This means that until we receive full payment for your tickets, you do not have a booking.

We are unable to hold/reserve seats until you are able to make payment.

We always advise advance booking through our website, as most shows sell out before we open the doors. We do however retain a small number of tickets on the door, available for cash purchase on the night, for those that have made a last-minute decision to come along. If this is you, please be at the club by 6.45pm (the time we open), to purchase these. They will be extremely limited and once they're gone, that's it.

Q

How do I know where we will be seated?

A

We pre-prepare a seating plan based on the group sizes and numbers we have available to us on our booking records. (This comprises a list of all folk that have booked prior to the night itself). If you have booked, just give your name on the door when you arrive - all successful bookings will appear on our door 'register'.

If you haven't pre-booked, don't worry - we can usually accept ticket sales on the door for cash only - as Riproar we have no card facilities at Pryzm. (Pryzm have their own card system, so you can buy drinks with your credit/debit card, but not Riproar show tickets - these must be for cash only). once you've paid cash, our show managers will find you some spare seats from our plan.

Q

What if I turn up late on the night?

A

Please try to avoid this at all costs. Pryzm lock their front doors when the show starts at 7.30pm. So, if you arrive later than this, you may well find yourselves locked out. If you know you're going to be later then this, please call us on 07757772178, or email us at info@riproarcomedy.co.uk to arrange entry later than the show-start time. Your failure to do this, could forfeit your night out. In these circumstances, we will not refund ticket monies in part or in whole.

Q

What if I want to cancel my places or reduce numbers?

A

Once a booking has been made we are unable to give refunds.

This is always clearly explained to you when you make your booking; it also appears on our terms and conditions of booking (Clause 1) which we strongly advise you to read prior to booking and paying for your tickets.

Q

What if the comedians listed are not the ones performing on the night?

A

Sadly, this is inevitable due to the nature of their work. Every club in the country suffers from last minute cancellations by acts who have fallen ill, or have had late offers for highly paid TV work, or might even have crashed in their car on the way to the gig (yes, this has happened!). We are no exception; we can guarantee that the listings we publish now will change, though in most circumstances, the listings we do publish change very little and the comedians listed will perform.

If you are booking to see a particular act that we have listed, we strongly advise you to email us 24 hours before that show, to confirm that the line up is as published.

Often these changes can literally be last-minute, which doesn't allow us time to publicise the fact. Given the nature of the live entertainment industry, we can offer no refunds or other offers should we need to change listed line-ups of our standard shows.

Please note that we will be unable to give refunds on this basis, and we would always replace any cancellation with a comedian of equal quality.

Q

What methods of payment do you take ?

A

We accept all major credit and debit cards (except American Express) and bank transfers for advance bookings (made prior to 4.30pm on the day of the show). If you have no advanced booking and wish to pay on the door on the night, you're more than welcome, but in these circumstances, we can ONLY accept CASH.

We no longer accept cheques of any description.

Q

What's this about a behaviour bond being required for single sex groups?

A

A Behaviour Bond of £10 per person is payable for Stag or Hen Parties, and groups of 6 people or more were the gender split is 70% or more in favour of one sex.

e.g. your group has 10 people, 8 ladies and 2 gents, the gender split is 80% so you must each pay the £10 Behaviour Bond.

Entry to the club will only be permitted when the bond is paid in full, in cash, on the door upon your arrival. You bond will be refunded (in cash) on the night at the time that ALL members of your party leave. There are no exceptions to this rule, and we certainly don't excuse any group from it, based on pleadings of how nice they are, or that they're all in high-status professions, etc. For full details, please read our behaviour bond policy which you'll find under the box on our home page, entitled 'STAGS AND HENS'.

Our Behaviour Bond Contract is available as an Adobe Acrobat document which you can download, save to your device and print out if needs be.

Download Behaviour Bond Contract (Adobe PDF)

The objective of the Behaviour Bond for large groups is that the 200+ people in the audience do not have their entertainment disturbed by troublemakers. During an average week we have 5-6 groups bound by our Behaviour Bond, so you can readily understand how effective it is.

Our Behaviour Bond policy sets us apart from many other Comedy Clubs as we are better able to manage troublemakers and keep disruptions to the show to a minimum. We take great pride in our efforts to ensure that each show runs smoothly for the benefit of everyone that has attends.

Q

When can I book tickets?

A

Our Online Booking service is available 24/7. The deadline for booking tickets to a show is 4.30pm on the day of that show. After this time, we usually have a limited number of tickets available on the door. These are sold on a first-come, first-served basis, FOR CASH ONLY (we have no card facilities on the door) with the understanding that you will have to take whatever seats we have available.

Forthcoming Events

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