Cabaret Upstairs
BBC Radio 4 has had a long tradition of producing and developing stand-up comedy with many shows - eg “Four At the Store” acting as a showcase for new comedians.
The first show to do this after the explosion in new comedy in the early 80s was “The Cabaret Upstairs”, or more simply, Cabaret Upstairs. The eponymous cabaret was a room above the Hemingford Arms in Islington, N1, and the first series (produced by Alan Nixon) boasted a theme tune by Ronnie Golden and various acts including John Hegley, Steve Punt & Hugh Dennis and Harry Enfield, who were to become staples of the cabaret and comedy scene stretching far into the future.
The format was to allow three comedians or music acts to do a twenty minute act and then to edit it down to the best (or at least the cleanest) five minutes.
The second series moved venue (paradoxically downstairs) to the old Comedy Store in Leicester Square, and established itself as a regular fixture on Radio 4, running to two more series in 1987 and 1988. The second series, produced by David Tyler and Graham Frost producing there shows each, was hosted by Clive Anderson and boasted the first appearances by such newcomers as Jo Brand (then known as The Sea Monster), Mark Thomas and Jeremy Hardy. The format was tweaked slightly to allow four or sometimes five acts on the bill rather than three as hitherto.
The third produced by David Tyler with Dan Patterson was also hosted by Clive Anderson, and his interactions and chat without the audience became a much-loved part of the show, and certainly helped Dan Patterson to find the perfect host when he was devising “Who’s Line Is It Anyway”...
The fourth and final series was produced by David Tyler, with Lissa Evans and Bill Dare, and Clive Anderson again hosted half of the series, with Tony Hawks and Dave Cohen sharing the compering for the last three shows
Cabaret Upstairs
Series 1
Show 1
First Tx: 11/5/85 23.00-23.30 BBC Radio 4
Hosted by | Ronnie Golden |
with | John Hegley |
John Sparkes | |
Denise Black | |
& | The Kray Sisters |
Produced & directed by | Alan Nixon |
Show 2
First Tx: 18/5/85 23.00-23.30 BBC Radio 4
Hosted by | Ronnie Golden |
with | Clive Benson |
Jenny Eclair | |
Dusty & Dick | Harry Enfield |
Bryan Elsley | |
Produced & directed by | Alan Nixon |
Show 3
First Tx: 25/5/85 23.00-23.30 BBC Radio 4
Hosted by | Clive Anderson |
with | Jeremy Hardy |
Pulse | |
Nice & Sweeney | Phil Nice |
Jim Sweeney | |
Produced & directed by | Alan Nixon |
Show 4
First Tx: 1/6/85 23.00-23.30 BBC Radio 4
Hosted by | Clive Anderson |
with | Norman Lovett |
The Dexter Brothers | |
Gorham & Swift | Carl Gorham |
Amanda Swift | |
Punt & Dennis | Steve Punt |
Hugh Dennis | |
Produced & directed by | Alan Nixon |
Show 5
First Tx: 8/6/85 23.00-23.30 BBC Radio 4
Hosted by | Arthur Smith |
with | zJohn Irwin |
John Dowie | |
The Popticians | |
Produced & directed by | Alan Nixon |
Show 6
First Tx: 1/6/85 23.00-23.30 BBC Radio 4
Hosted by | Arthur Smith |
with | Jim Barclay |
Ian McPherson | |
Calypso Beat | |
Arnold Brown | |
Produced & directed by | Alan Nixon |
Series 2
Show 1
First Tx: 8/5/86 23.00-23.30 BBC Radio 4
Hosted by | Clive Anderson |
with | Phil Cornwell |
Andy Greenhalgh | |
Mint Juleps | |
Fiasco Job Job | Arthur Smith |
Phil Nice | |
Produced & directed by | David Tyler |
Show 2
First Tx: 15/5/86 23.00-23.30 BBC Radio 4
Hosted by | Clive Anderson |
with | Roy Hutchins |
Arnold Brown | |
Tony & Stod | |
Felix | Felix Dexter |
Rabbitt & Doon | Anne Rabbitt |
Doon Mackichan | |
Produced & directed by | Graham Frost |
Show 3
First Tx: 22/5/86 23.00-23.30 BBC Radio 4
Hosted by | Clive Anderson |
with | Julian Clary |
Mac McDonald | |
Morris Minor & The Majors | Tony Hawks |
Paul Boross | |
Phil Judge | |
Produced & directed by | David Tyler |
and | Graham Frost |
Show 4
First Tx: 29/5/86 23.00-23.30 BBC Radio 4
Hosted by | Clive Anderson |
with | Bob Mills |
Glee Club | |
The Comedy Store Players | Neil Mullarkey |
Kit Hollerbach | |
Dave Cohen | |
Mike Myers | |
Richard Vranch | |
Produced & directed by | David Tyler |
and | Graham Frost |
Show 5
First Tx: 5/6/86 23.00-23.30 BBC Radio 4
Hosted by | Clive Anderson |
with | Eddie Zibin |
Logan Murray | |
Norman Lovett | |
Skint Video | |
Produced & directed by | David Tyler |
Show 6
First Tx: 12/6/86 23.00-23.30 BBC Radio 4
Hosted by | Clive Anderson |
with | Steve Edgar |
Jeremy Hardy | |
Jez Prins | |
Rory McLeod | |
Produced & directed by | Graham Frost |
Series 3
Show 1
First Tx: 3/1/87 23.00-23.30 BBC Radio 4
Hosted by | Clive Anderson |
with | Mark Steel |
Sheila Hyde | |
Gary Howard | |
Mullarkey & Hancock | Neil Mullarkey |
Nick Hancock | |
Produced & directed by | David Tyler |
Show 2
First Tx: 10/1/87 23.00-23.30 BBC Radio 4
Hosted by | Clive Anderson |
with | Nick Revell |
Kit Hollerbach | |
Johnny Immaterial | |
Paul Merton | |
Produced & directed by | David Tyler |
Show 3
First Tx: 17/1/87 23.00-23.30 BBC Radio 4
Hosted by | Clive Anderson |
with | John Hegley |
Helen Lederer | |
Burning Pestles | |
Jeremy Hardy | |
Produced & directed by | Dan Patterson |
Show 4
First Tx: 24/1/87 23.00-23.30 BBC Radio 4
Hosted by | Clive Anderson |
with | Eddie Zibin |
Dave Cohen | |
Denise Black | |
and | The Kray Sisters |
Punt & Dennis | Steve Punt |
Hugh Dennis | |
Produced & directed by | Dan Patterson |
Show 5
First Tx: 31/1/87 23.00-23.30 BBC Radio 4
Hosted by | Clive Anderson |
with | Phil Cornwell |
John Irwin | |
Rory McLeod | |
Igor Thompson | |
Produced & directed by | David Tyler |
Show 6
First Tx: 7/2/87 23.00-23.30 BBC Radio 4
Hosted by | Clive Anderson |
with | Andy Greenhalgh |
Donna McPhail | |
Guy Jackson | |
Mark Thomas | |
Produced & directed by | David Tyler |
Series 4
Show 1
First Tx: 16/3/88 23.00-23.30 BBC Radio 4
Hosted by | Clive Anderson |
with | Mark Steel |
Hattie Hayridge | |
Patrick Marber | |
The Panic Brothers | |
Produced & directed by | David Tyler |
Show 2
First Tx 23/3/88 23.00-23.30 BBC Radio 4
Hosted by | Clive Anderson |
with | Jez Prins |
Draylon Underground | |
Mark Thomas | |
Michael Redmond | |
Produced & directed by | David Tyler |
Show 3
First Tx: 30/3/88 23.00-23.30 BBC Radio 4
Hosted by | Clive Anderson |
with | Bernadine Corrigan |
Bert Tyler-Moore | |
Bob Mills | |
Hope Augustus | |
Produced & directed by | Bill Dare |
Show 4
First Tx: 6/4/88 23.00-23.30 BBC Radio 4
Hosted by | Dave Cohen |
with | Nick Revell |
Guy Jackson | |
Owen O’Neil | |
Jo Brand | |
Produced & directed by | Lissa Evans |
Show 5
First Tx: 13/4/88 23.00-23.30 BBC Radio 4
Hosted by | Dave Cohen |
with | The Tracy Brothers |
The Popticians | |
Nick Hancock | |
Maria Callous | Maria McErlaine |
Produced & directed by | Lissa Evans |
Show 6
First Tx: 20/4/88 23.00-23.30 BBC Radio 4
Hosted by | Tony Hawks |
with | Sean Hughes |
Donna McPhail | |
Jim Tavare | |
Jungr & Parker | |
Produced & directed by | Lissa Evans |
Cabaret Upstairs
Here's the signature tune, performed by the great Ronnie Golden...
To read more about Clive Anderson, here's his Wikipedia page