'We’ve had some incredible nights': Fitz of Laughter in store as Stourbridge comedy club celebrates fifth anniversary

A Dudley journalist who used to make a living writing about court cases at the Shropshire Star is celebrating the fifth anniversary of his comedy club.

Wayne Beese quit his life as a reporter to follow his passion for comedy.

It turned out to be the right thing today and on Friday he will celebrate when stand-up favourite Patrick Monahan returns to top the bill at his Stourbridge comedy club.

The popular Irish-Iranian comic, from Middlesbrough, closed the show for the first ever Fitz of Laughter Comedy Club in September 2014.

Since then the monthly club, based at Katie Fitzgerald’s in Wollaston, has gone from strength to strength, with the likes of Joe Lycett, Tom Stade, Reginald D Hunter, Seann Walsh and Gary Delaney appearing there.

Patrick Monahan even helped behind the bar for a bit on his first appearance at Katie's

Chase star Paul Sinha, former Shooting stars favourite Angelos Epithemiou and Britain’s Got Talent winner and runner-up Lost Voice Guy and Robert White all graced the venue last year.

It will be Monahan’s fourth appearance at Fitz, taking him ahead of Jonny Cole for the most stage appearances at the club.

And Wayne Beese, who founded the night with wife Nikki, and hosts the shows, said the record was a fitting one given Monahan’s popularity.

“It squares the circle quite neatly, having Patrick here on Friday five years after he became the first comic to headline here for us,” Beese, from Dudley, said.

“He went down an absolute storm that night and we’ve had him back twice since and he’s taken the roof off both times there as well.

Reginald D Hunter on stage headlining a show in July

“Very little of what he does is scripted, he likes to just improvise based on his interactions with the audience. With how well he does it, it guarantees a memorable experience you’re unlikely to forget.”

Monahan was the winner of ITV’s Show Me The Funny back in 2011, a comedy X Factor equivalent hosted by Jason Manford. He has also appeared on the likes of Splash, Celebrity Squares, Loose Women, The Paul O’Grady Show and The Wright Stuff.

He will be supported on the night by Rosco McClelland, winner of Scottish Comedian of the Year in 2016 and an act who has been compared by some to fellow countryman Billy Connolly. Two newer acts doing shorter spots will complete the bill.

Beese said it had been a fantastic five years putting on comedy shows at the venue but picked out two particular highlights.

Gary Delaney meets number one fan Rory Jones after a show earlier this year at Katie's

“We’ve had some incredible nights,” he said.

“But two memories stick out particularly for me. The first was on the third anniversary in the summer of 2017. Joe Lycett was looking for smaller venues to try out stuff for his upcoming tour and we agreed to put him on in the middle.

“But we didn’t tell anyone in the crowd he was going to be on, we smuggled him into the venue and backstage while the opening act was on and then introduced him as a surprise mystery guest in the second section. The place went up, I can’t remember an act getting such a response coming out anywhere in all my time doing comedy. It was a really special lump in the throat moment.

“The other time was early on in the club’s history. I got talking to a lady in the front row who told us she was a Queen Elizabeth I impersonator in her spare time. She told us she only lived round the corner so I asked her if she would go home and get changed in the break, amazingly she said yes! She turned up after the break as the Queen in full regalia, I bowed down and welcomed her and she got quite the reception.

Angelos Epithemiou gets up close and personal with the crowd

“It really is a special place to put on live comedy and I’d like to really thank Eddy Morton and Trina Keane, who run the pub, for allowing me to put the nights on and being great supports throughout.

“There have been ups and downs, and we haven’t had as many through the doors this year as we would have liked if we’re honest, but hopefully people will continue to support us and the nights can run on for quite a few years yet.

“If you haven’t tried it yet, or not been for a while, get yourself along on Friday night. You won’t regret it!”

Tickets for the fifth anniversary show on Friday cost £10 each and are available at www.funnybeeseness.co.uk.

Host Wayne Beese after being crowned by Queen Elizabeth I impersonator Julia Lowe, from Stourbridge

Funny Beeseness also put on shows in Dudley, Brierley Hill, Halesowen, Sutton Coldfield and Whitchurch, with full listings for all shows available on the website