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. read more

The Glee Club - The interior of the Glee - Comedy Clubs Near Me - Birmingham, XWM

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. read more

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. read more

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. read more

The Glee Club - Jasper Carrott, Charity Night in the Glee Club - Comedy Clubs Near Me - Birmingham, XWM

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. read more

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. read more

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. read more

The Glee Club in Birmingham is pretty well know for comedy and attracts some well known touring acts. However, it is also a wonderful music venue that offers something a bit different to a standard gig room. Most music events at the Glee are seated which really allows you to relax and appreciate the musical talent. It feels like a gig venue for grown-ups; no mosh pits, decent drinks and clean toilets. Uniquely they don't issue paper tickets which is great for the environment and cuts out any booking fees and postage charges. Instead your name is on a list which makes you feel like a VIP guest! The bar is reasonably priced but it can take a while to get served when busy. They also serve food which looked impossibly difficult to eat whilst watching a band but I guess it's good to have the choice. read more

The Glee Club is my absolutely FAVOURITE music venue in Birmingham - actually, in the West Midlands! They always attract artists I love, and the venue is so small and intimate, and does awesome adult things that I love - like making gigs SEATED! And having a kitchen and bar on for most of the night, so you can grab some chips or a decent bar snack whilst there. I've also been to some comedy nights there, and I'm not a huge fan - but this may be because I don't like anywhere that might remotely attract hen or stag dos. Which, by their very nature, comedy clubs do. Live music here is what it's all about for me. read more

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. read more

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! read more

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. read more

We've been here a few times now for comedy nights, & had a fantastic time every time. Lots of bars for a pre-show drink. Comedians we've seen have always been top quality, with a few familiar faces from TV. Although there's been hecklers on every occasion, they've never spoilt the evening, so must be managed in a way to enhance, not ruin, the entertainment read more

I have only been here once, but that was enough. The comedians where hopeless, and you where not allowed to mutter under your breath, let aloan heckle, as the staff constantly threaten you if you dont laugh! read more

I saw the Mystery Jets here last night. It was such an intimate gig it was amazing. A friend that was with me say them at Reading festival and heres something he said last night 'I thought I was really lucky to be so close to the front at Reading, and here I can stand at the back of the room and still be closer than I ever was there!'. I like the layout, the toilets were clean. It took a while to get served at the bar downstairs but upstairs I never had to wait more than 5 mins. It was a standing gig which was great, but I wish they'd just left a few tables and chairs around the outer edges of the room so we could have a bit of a sit down inbetween bands. read more

I have been to the Glee club several times on Thursday evenings whenthey hold the 'Food and Comedy Special'. This is held in the main room and features 3 different live stand-up acts. It is definitely cosy as the seats are all very close together! Warning- if you are sitting near to the stage, you may well be picked out by the comedian and asked some questions! Food is served buffet-style and is always very busy so I would advise getting their early! I have not tried the food before but it is popular so it can't be bad. Student discount is offered but you have to bring ID with you on the evening in order to be admitted. Overall, a good place to have a fun and cheap night out with friends. read more

a good club with good events. Its friendly atmosphere makes it a good night out for all ages and its good location makes it a great night. Good value for money read more

At work we do like having a good laugh and as our bosses think they are very funny and to be honest they are most of the time, we do have a laugh daily at work. As a little motivation we get to go out once a month if we hit certain targets so what we decided to do was go to the Glee Club in Birmingham for an night out. We had such a good time that we are currently planning going again at some point and to be honest it is one of those things that you can go to, truly relax at and basically not worry about money as it will not actually cost that much. So enjoy my review and hopefully I will make you all want to go to the Glee Club. - What is the Glee Club? The Glee Club is basically a comedy club in the centre of Birmingham. It is renowned for its very stylish, relaxed, modern and funky atmosphere. The best comedians in the country do come to the Glee Club and there is actually two in the UK with the other being situated in Cardiff. And yes it is one of those places that you go to, watch some comedy, have something to eat and drink and then if you like have a dance at eth end of the night. - How to Find the Glee Club: If you go onto the internet and type in http://www.glee.co.uk you will be taken to the website where you can find all of the details including booking online and information about which comedy acts are on and when. For those who haven't got th internet I will put the Birmingham address here for you. Glee Club 1st Floor The Arcadian Hurst Street Birmingham B5 4DP - The Area and First Appearances: The Glee Club is situated in the Arcadian which is a buzzing and vibrant part of the city centre. Depending on which way you walk there you will see lots of restaurants and cafes one way and then you will be able to see the Hippodrome theatre from the other way so as you can imagine there are always lots of people around. Very conveniently the Glee club is located right in the city centre so it is literally a five / ten minute walk from all public transport areas and there is also a taxi rank very close by. First appearances of the building the Glee Club is in is that it looks quite quiet. The building is nice and very clean with the words Glee written all over the outside so you can make no mistake on where you are going. Then when you walk into the building you will be asked to pay for your tickets or if you have pre-ordered then you can just show them your booking confirmation here. When you have got your tickets you can go on straight upstairs which takes you to the main comedy room where you will see the stage, the bar and the toilets. Everything is very neat and tidy and modern looking with the tables all a very nice bright colour just to draw more attention to the audience and the whole room is quite dark giving it quite a scary feel but it's all good. - Prices: The prices vary on the different nights so on a Thursday night they are £8.00 for an adult and £5.50 for a student. On a Friday night it is £12.50 for an adult and £6.50 for a student. Then on a Saturday it is £14.50 per person. On a Thursday you can have the option of getting food from the buffet which we did and it was really nice with a lot of choice. The price for this is £10.95 per person. - The Drinks: They have a great selection of drinks including your normal beers and wines but then they have cocktails and lots of spirits so take your pick. The prices are not too bad as it cost me about £3.00 a glass of wine and my archers and lemonade cost about the same. The drinks are given to you in plastic glasses so you do not have to worry about glass all over the floor so that is really fantastic. - The Food: When we went we had the buffet option on the Thursday and there was choices of vegetarian pasta, chicken wings and legs, chilli, chips, pitta bread and dip and a selection of salads and sauces. I was quite impressed with what they had and there was somebody serving you. If you don't have the buffet the actual menu boasts some impressive meals including goats cheese salad and mussels. There are of course the normal things such as steak, burgers and side orders of chips too. - Seating and Stage: The stage is in a spotlight for the duration of the night and the seats are quite close together but still giving you enough room to move freely. Wherever you are sitting you should get a view of the stage because it is so high up and clear in the spotlight. The seats bend around the stage so you don't even have to sort of lean to see. The only thing I will warn you about is that they are not very comfortable so be aware of that as they are quite hard-backed. - Toilets: I loved it that the toilets were spotless and there were plenty of them and they were all fully stocked with toilet paper which was nice. - The Comedy: Well the main reason for going to a comedy club is to see the comedy and here at the Glee Club there is a lot to keep you entertained. read more

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 read more

I think that the Glee Club is mainly a comedy club. I've only been there to watch a few gigs though. As a gig venue it's pretty cool and intimate. The stage is only a foot or so high, which means that the venue is all-seated. Make sure you get there early though as the seats aren't numbered - it's first come, first served. Oh, and when I say early, I mean get ready to queue up outside early, then run for seats. It's a bit annoyingly chaotic to be honest. read more

Like the other review I've only been here in the intimate room for a gig. It's all very small and close-up which on the upside is very atmospheric. The downside is the design which means to go to the loo you have to in effect walk to the back of the stage feeling like you're interrupting the performance to exit and then re-enter. I wasn't too taken with the outside queueing either but other than that it seemed a friendly venue to see some great original acts. I'd like to try the main room next time. read more

Ive only been here for the comedy, not the music. Its quite a small place so you are never going to get the big names. However, its quite good to see some of the less well known people, such as the comedians off Mock the Week. Its very cramp here, so its not overly comfortable if you are sitting next to someone on the large side! The food and drinks are incredibly pricey so i wouldnt recommend eatting here. Some nights they have unsigned comics on stage so the tickets are very cheap. Its a bit of a hit or miss whether you will like them as you have never heard of them before, but generally they are pretty good. read more

The Glee Club is one of the biggest comedy clubs in Birmingham so it must be doing something right, but to be honest, I wasn't impressed. In the holding pen (the bar downstairs), waiting for doors to open, there is far from ample seating and frankly little room. But the decor is pleasant, and the screen showing the main room is interesting. The staff - in particular, the door staff and manager - all had an air of jobsworth about them, and cast a bad atmosphere. Onto the main room. Considering the price of admission, both the acts and the organisation struck me as a bit amateurish. Chairs and tables are pushed together to create a semblance of organised seating, and then cleared away to the edges for the place to be converted into a dancefloor later. And the comedy was, I'm afraid, rather unfunny. Perhaps I'm spoilt by usually seeing more established acts doing solo tours, but the comedians on display here were mostly a poor lot. Their material is geared towards the lowest common denominator, and is likely lapped up by the drunken workmates crowd. For my money though, only one of the acts was worthwhile. The other two, and the MC, were a disappointment. read more

The Glee Club is a rather good example of how not to do comedy I'm afraid. Your night begins with being 'kettled' in an incredibly claustrophobic room downstairs, followed by being 'processed' into another, larger room upstairs where if you're lucky you'll have an unobstructed view of the stage following an eternity of queueing. With so many seats having views being obscured by pillars being annoying and the quality of comedians getting nowhere near the calibre of the London clubs, this place is a quite a miss. Lousy treatment, often lousy views and too often lousy acts make for a disappointing evening. Avoid. read more

Had an absolutely superb evening at the Glee Club on Saturday night, 3 quality comedians and an excellent compare! Ignore all the previous bad reviews, this is a great venue! read more

Been here a couple of times, comedians are at best mediocre. Christmas Party event was a shambles, food terrible, definitely won't be going again. Staff treat customers like school children - a couple of my party wanted to go for a cigarette 40 minutes before the first act and we were told we weren't allowed outside as it wasn't an allocated time for smoking. The manager was condescending with comments like 'I understand you have withdrawal symptoms'. If you want good comedy without being treated like a child, go to Jongleurs on Broad Street. Better atmosphere, better staff, better all round. read more

Although the comedy is really funny, I find that the Glee Club pack a lot of people into the venue making it a bit uncomfortable sometimes. They are also really inflexible about seating - if you book seperatly then you are unlikely to be able to sit together. The food isn't that great either and the drinks are overpriced. But the disco after is hilarious. As I said, the comedy is good so if thats all your after then go for it. read more

Excellent music venue in the centre of Birmingham, featuring a variety of artists, usually up-and-coming rather than nationally famous types. The place is renowned for having quiet, attentive audiences (the shows are often fully seated, which tends to encourage the audience to pay attention to the artists, rather than talk through the performance). They can be a little OTT on the warnings if the artist doesn't want the audience taking photos, and they don't like letting you back in if you leave. But otherwise, a friendly place that's excellent value for money. read more

Agree with all the points raised by others, again only been to the small music venue, and top tip is definitely go to the loo before it starts as you do feel conscious that you may be disturbing the performance if you go once it's started. Main grumble is that it always seems to take an age to get served at the bar, which is strange given that the venue hold so few people. Other than that its cozy, intimate and the closest you are probably likely to get to a live performer. I've never been disappointed, and must have been lucky as never had to queue outside. read more

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

Was really looking forward to going to a comedy night here with my friends some who had come from as far as Yorkshire. We'd bought tickets ahead with our student cards but because mine did not have an expiry date (not my fault, my uni did not put this on the card) they would not let me come in despite me showing the staff my student gym card, my ID showing them that i was 20 (so still at uni). The reception staff were deliberately awkward, rude, arrogant and seemed to have a bit of a god complex I was trying to reason politely with the staff which resulted in them telling my friends they couldn't come in too. Despite extreme provocation, I know I was reasonable with them and didn't raise my voice, they just seemed to get a sadistic kick out of turning me away.. One of the staff had a particularly condescending smug and irritating manner.. Disgusted by the way we were treated and would advise people to avoid this place read more