The unglamorous half

A night survives on logistics far more than on booking. Rooms close because the paperwork failed, not because the comedy did.

Build the lineup as a shape

Running order matters more than individual quality. An opener's job is to make the room comfortable being a room; the strongest act should not be first; and two performers with similar material back to back will make both look weaker than they are.

Protect the venue relationship

The venue cares about bar take, noise and finishing on time, and almost nothing else. A night that reliably delivers those three gets forgiven a quiet week. A night that overruns twice gets the slot taken away, however good the comedy was.

Be clear about money

Whether it is a split, a flat fee or nothing at all, say so when booking, not on the night. Most resentment in small-room comedy is not about the amount but about finding out what the amount was afterwards.

The door is the whole job

Someone has to be at the door, on time, every week, counting. It is the least interesting task and the one that determines whether the night exists in six months.

Keep a record of who played

A simple log of acts, dates and how the set went is worth more after a year than any memory. It prevents booking the same person twice in a month, tells you who is developing, and makes the lineup decisions quick instead of agonising.