Martyn’s Law checklist for comedy clubs

What to think about

• Ticket limit plus staff and acts is your same-time figure.
• Weekend double-headers are the peak that counts.
• Tight seating affects how quickly the room can move.
• Door queues between shows hold people at the entrance.
• Visiting acts and techs count in the room total.

Procedure focus

What evacuation, invacuation, lockdown and communication tend to hinge on in comedy clubs.

• Who raises the house lights when the technician is off
• The MC reads a prepared announcement, never improvised
• Escape routes walked at full table layout, not in an empty room
• One-way flow and a steward at the head of narrow stairs

Common evidence gaps

The process gaps venues in this sector most often need to close — each one fixable, and worth a dated record once it is.

• GapProcedure assumes the technician is always in to raise the house lights
• GapThe MC first sees the announcement script on stage
• GapEscape routes only ever walked in an empty room, never at full table layout
• GapInvacuation plan holds people in the glass-heavy foyer
• GapCapacity counted on a quiet midweek night, not the sold-out late show