Every established comedian had to start somewhere. Before the theatre tours, television appearances and festival runs, there were small stages, short sets and rooms where a new joke had to earn its laugh. At Up the Creek, The Blackout puts that part of live comedy centre stage.
What is The Blackout?
The Blackout is Up the Creek's Thursday-night new-act comedy competittion, giving newer comedians the opportunity to perform in front of a real live audience while a professional MC keeps the evening moving. It is a format built around discovery: some performers are taking early steps in stand-up, others are refining material and trying to turn a promising set into something sharper.
That makes the night different from a conventional headline show. You are not simply watching a finished touring set. You are seeing comedians at the point where ideas are being tested, confidence is being built and distinctive voices are beginning to emerge.
We give YOU the audience the power in how long the performer is on stage. We give out voting paddles and encourage all audience participation to let the room know how they feel.
Why new-act nights can be so much fun
There is a particular energy to watching new comedy. Nobody in the room knows exactly what is going to happen next. A joke can suddenly land far harder than anyone expected. A performer can find an unexpected connection with the audience. A short set can contain the first signs of a comic who will be playing much bigger rooms a few years later.
That unpredictability is part of the attraction. The audience is not passive: its reaction helps shape the night. In a comedy club, laughs are immediate feedback, and on a new-act night that feedback matters even more.
A proper comedy-club test
Up the Creek has been part of London's comedy landscape for decades, and its Greenwich room gives The Blackout something that cannot easily be recreated in a rehearsal space. Performers have to make their material work in front of a paying audience, in a room designed for live comedy, with all the pace and pressure that comes with it.
The professional MC is an important part of that equation. Between acts, the host resets the room, keeps the energy up and gives the evening a structure, meaning the audience gets a full club-night experience rather than simply a succession of open-mic sets.
Who should come to The Blackout?
If you enjoy seeing established comedians, The Blackout offers a chance to see the other end of the process: the point where performers are still developing the material and stagecraft that can eventually take them much further.
It is also a good night for people who like their comedy a little less predictable. Because the line-up is built around developing acts, every evening can feel different. You might discover a performer you immediately want to see again, or simply enjoy the variety of watching several contrasting comic styles in one sitting.
The Blackout in Greenwich
The Blackout runs EVERY Thursday night at Up the Creek with doors opening at 7pm and the show starting at 8pm.
That Thursday slot makes it an easy way to start the weekend early. Up the Creek is at 302 Creek Road in Greenwich, around a minute from Cutty Sark DLR and a short walk from Greenwich station.
See tomorrow's Comedy Stars today
One of the pleasures of following live comedy is being able to say you saw someone before everybody else did. The Blackout is built around exactly that possibility. Not every act will become a household name, of course, but that is part of what makes the format genuine. New comedy develops by being tried in front of real audiences, and the room gets to experience that process first-hand.
For anyone curious about how stand-up grows from an idea into a finished act, The Blackout offers a front-row view. Check the latest Up the Creek listings for current dates, ticket availability and timings.