Comedy venues seem to be getting bigger what with the likes of funnymen Michael McIntyre and Lee Evans playing places such as the enormous O2 Arena.
Many in the audience probably spend much of the show watching the big screen, so far away are they from the stage. They may as well have saved a few quid and waited for the DVD to come out.
So it's good to know that even though the names on the set-list may not ring too many bells, there are still places in London where you can enjoy a decent comedy show in a smaller, more intimate environment.
If you're lucky, you might even discover a new talent – a talent that could one day end up treading the boards of the O2.
The Funny Side consider themselves as "comedy specialists". They have five comedy clubs around the capital, hosting regular comedy shows, at least once a fortnight, sometimes more often.
You can find them in:
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Covent Garden, upstairs at The George pub. Shows every Thursday and Friday.
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The City, downstairs at The Spectator bar. Shows every Thursday.
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Clapham Common, upstairs at The Alexandra pub. Shows twice a month, on Thursdays.
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Earlsfield, at Tara Arts Studio. Shows twice a month, on Fridays.
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Leicester Square, downstairs at Koha bar. Shows every Wednesday.
Tickets usually cost between about £8 and £14 and comprise up to three stand-ups and a compere.
If you think you've got what it takes to get up on stage yourself and make people laugh, you might want to think about honing your technique at one of their Impro Weekends.
As the name of the course suggests, it's designed to help you improve your improvisational skills, as well as gain confidence performing in front of others. More information about the Impro Weekends can be found
here.
If, however, you'd prefer to sit back and let others do the work, then check out The Funny Side's
website to see a list of their forthcoming shows.
