Bare Faced Comedy

30/07/2026

Will you miss Live At The Apollo?

🚨 LIVE AT THE APOLLO CANCELLED 🚨

What are your thoughts? Did you watch Live At The Apollo? Why did it die?

Here’s what I think….

So Live At The Apollo has been cancelled which, despite being increasingly s**t for years and having a massively declining viewership, has apparently still come as a surprise to some people.

As a comedian, I don’t think I can overestimate how important Live At The Apollo is for some of us. I know a ton of acts who’ve structured their whole careers around getting on there. It’s still a huge factor for why people do the Edinburgh Fringe. It’s a carrot agencies dangle in front of you to get you to sign with them.

And yet, I think the audience stopped caring a long, long, time ago.

Back in the day people actually trusted TV. They trusted it to bring them the news, they trusted it to educate their children, and they trusted it to entertain them. 20 years ago if you were on TV it was like a quality assurance stamp that you *must* be good.

But now, that trust has gone. Instead people have placed it in the algorithms. We believe our phones are going to show us genuinely unbiased news, educate us, and entertain us.

So people have stopped looking to Live At The Apollo for their favourite acts and started looking online. And that’s why every act that’s blown up over the last three years has done so from a strong social media following and not from doing Would I Lie To You or whatever.

There were some genuinely great acts on Live At The Apollo in the last decade. There was also some absolute dog s**t that should never have been given that platform in a million years.

But the main issue is that TV is a dying medium. And that’s probably a good thing.

You don’t have to mindlessly pay your license fee any more and just trust that you’ll get served whatever’s best. You get to go out into the world and discover people for yourself, and when you like someone you get to back them by sharing their stuff, telling your mates, and buying tickets to their show.

The audience are now the ones in charge.

I think that represents something really exciting. Instead of comedians building their careers around Live At The Apollo, maybe now they’ll build it around the audience instead.

One final thing to add, maybe the reason Live At The Apollo always felt a bit s**t is because stand up comedy isn’t meant to be watched on TV - it’s meant to be watched live.

Maybe the reason it was s**t is because TV has a way of sanitising everything, filtering away any edge or spice through a series of directors, producers and lawyers until all that’s left is bland flavourless slop, edible to all but satisfying to none.

13/07/2026

🎤 A Huge Night of Live Comedy at Scarisbrick Hall School – Saturday 18th July! 🎤

Join us for an incredible evening of stand-up comedy featuring four of the UK’s finest comedians!

⭐ Paul Sinha – Star of ITV’s The Chase, Taskmaster, Would I Lie to You? and countless TV appearances.

⭐ Sara Barron – As seen on Live at the Apollo, Would I Lie to You?, 8 Out of 10 Cats and Richard Osman’s House of Games.

⭐ Rob Rouse – A comedy favourite from 8 Out of 10 Cats, The Friday Night Project, Dave’s One Night Stand and many more.

🎙️ Hosting the night is the brilliant Dean Coughlin, a regular compere at comedy clubs across the UK.

With a line-up packed with TV stars and award-winning comedians, this promises to be an unforgettable night of laughs.

🎟️ Tickets are just £22 – book now and don’t miss one of the best comedy nights of the summer!

06/06/2026

Who was there last night to watch Gavin Webster take the roof off at our Burscough show?! 👀

Matt Bragg smashed the opening, and great sets by Stevie Cairns and Gareth Harrison in the middle.

We’ll be back in September! See you then?

12/05/2026

GOOD NEWS!

We will be sending everyone on our mailing list a special offer tomorrow at 12pm.

If you don't want to miss out, you can join here: https://8e55cfe2.sibforms.com/serve/MUIFAFfOkDO7OnCFd4LhWpeH9hTVMNpTrCkZFc3CpV0Pv1e8TkspELrNTcHUIW5izFopfahVwjvRfLUkeRsxWAtqjD0ILxGsRWaAhe3ugr5jil5gUHsANBX7zG06L086_azNH_UEVtZB8I52M3p9BLDlmRm7i-9qkasX9xpXM8H2J3S2FF8CQ9nx__hZfXN6BMVspK7mVsLb-roZ

22/04/2026

COMEDY RETURNS TO BURSCOUGH FRIDAY 5TH JUNE!

Headlining is Matt Bragg, widely recognised for supporting Ricky Gervais on tour. Matt’s laid-back charm, sharp writing, and effortlessly funny storytelling have made him one of the most in-demand comedians on the circuit today. Expect big laughs and expertly crafted material from a comic at the top of his game.

Joining him is the legendary Gavin Webster, a true cult favourite known for his unpredictable, offbeat style and brilliantly original jokes. Gavin’s unique approach to stand-up guarantees something a little different — and a lot of laughs.

Set in the intimate surroundings of The Stanley, this is the perfect chance to catch high-quality live comedy right on your doorstep. Whether you're planning a night out with friends, a date, or just fancy a proper laugh, this show delivers.

Tickets are just £12, making it one of the best value nights of live entertainment around. These shows regularly sell out, so booking in advance is highly recommended.

TICKETS: www.barefacedcomedy.co.uk

10/04/2026

A VERY FULL HOUSE TONIGHT IN BURSCOUGH 🔥