One of Leeds’ most unusual venues is hoping to reopen its doors next month for the first time since lockdown to host a comedy show with the aim of boosting morale just before Christmas.
Left Bank Leeds, a refurbished church on Cardigan Road, is aiming to host the event on December4.
On the night of the event, the audience will be entertained by Allyson June Smith, Dominic Woodward, Justin Moorehouse, and the MC Tony Vino.
Sue Jennings is the director of Left Bank Leeds. She hopes that the upcoming comedy show will go ahead as it is needed at the moment as the country exits a second lockdown.
She told Yorkshire Voice: “We thought about what could enhance peoples lives a little bit, laughing is an obvious thing.”
Left Bank Leeds is a creative hub in Burley. It is a space for performers and artists to rehearse freely. Left Bank Leeds hosted its first comedy show in October; this was after a successful summer of music in its garden.
As they went on to produce more events Sue Jennings said there was one key aspect they focused on:
“We tried to think about who couldn’t get work at the moment. So all summer we supported Keep Streets Live which is a campaigning group that supports buskers up and down the country.”
Michael Walker is a director at Keep Streets Live and a trustee at Left Bank Leeds.
“When I stepped into the space it was just such an amazing space,” he said.
“Sue our director has put a huge amount of effort in along with our team to make sure all the events we have planned in December go ahead safely.”
Allyson June Smith, a stand-up comedian, has been performing for 20 years and is looking forward to performing at Left Bank Leeds. She described Leeds as a second home.
This will be her first live event since the second lockdown was put in place.
“I really look forward to performing in the Leeds Yorkshire area, Leeds is one of the areas I performed the most, they have a lot of comedy clubs,” she said.
Like many, Left Bank Leeds worry about the lockdown extending and Allyson said: “It will be very disappointing if that happens, but I know they have put every precaution possible in place.”
All tickets to the event can be found on the Left Bank Leeds website and social media pages.