Comedy Night at The Residence Bar & Kitchen 😆

With its smaller layout, it creates a close, atmospheric setting where you feel genuinely connected to the performers. The space is beautifully styled, with elegant white flowers suspended from the ceiling, adding a real sense of occasion. It’s the kind of venue that feels ideal for special events and celebrations, while still being somewhere you can visit at the weekend to enjoy live music and the resident DJ. The staff are exceptionally friendly and welcoming, and manager Sebastian truly goes above and beyond to make sure everyone has a great experience. From start to finish, they really do pull out all the stops to ensure the night runs smoothly and guests feel looked after.

The comedy setup worked surprisingly well within the venue. With the bar positioned centrally, one side offered seating with a clear, perfect view of the stage, while the other side featured more affordable seating with a slightly reduced view. That said, you could still hear everything clearly and fully soak up the atmosphere, and from some of these seats you could still catch sight of the stage. In this space, it genuinely worked.

The comedy night itself was hosted by FunHouse Comedy, who brought their experience and professionalism to this first-ever comedy event at The Residence. Their well-curated line-up, smooth pacing and clear structure helped the evening run seamlessly, creating a comedy night that felt confident, well thought-out and genuinely enjoyable from start to finish. It was clear that FunHouse Comedy and the venue worked closely together to ensure both the audience and performers had the best possible experience.

The comedy began promptly at 8pm, kicking off with compere Paul Revill, who was absolutely brilliant. A favourite on the comedy circuit, Paul Revill was an outstanding choice of compere. With over seven years’ experience and more than 1,000 shows under his belt — including six runs at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival — he knows exactly how to read a room and keep the energy flowing. He was warm, sharp and effortlessly funny, striking the perfect balance between crowd interaction and control. Yes, he did pick on the audience, but it was done with charm, quick wit and just the right amount of cheek, keeping everyone engaged between acts and perfectly setting the tone for the evening.

First up was El Baldiniho, delivering lots of good old-fashioned laughs through props, playful chaos and deliberately bad magic. His “larger than life” character leaned into daft humour, audience interaction and running jokes — including repeated musings on whether the crowd was middle class. Recently seen on Britain’s Got Talent, El Baldiniho’s unique style brought a fun, light-hearted energy to the room and had plenty of people laughing throughout his set.

Next was Sachin Kumarendran, a Middlesbrough-based comedian who has already achieved impressive recognition early in his career. A finalist in Manfords New Act of the Year 2019 and a semi-finalist in the Amused Moose National New Comic Award 2020, Sachin delivered a confident set with thoughtful observations and a clear sense of his own comedic voice, adding variety and balance to the evening’s line-up.

Closing the night was Nick Page, and what a way to finish. Nick has reached the live finals of Britain’s Got Talent — despite never having watched the show — and has performed in over half the countries in the world, from pubs and theatres to cruise ships and expat venues. He even clocked up over 100 online gigs during lockdown from a studio in his garage. His delivery is fast, monotone and deceptively simple, but his storytelling is faultless. You really do need to pay close attention to keep up — and when you do, the payoff is huge. Relatable, sharp and genuinely funny, Nick was a standout way to end the night.

Each act performed for around 20–30 minutes, with short bar breaks in between. Paul returned each time to introduce the next act and clearly guide the audience on how long they had for drinks and comfort breaks. To give the comedians the best possible chance of holding the audience’s full attention, no drinks were served during the performances — a great rule that worked well. There was more than enough time between acts to top up drinks, and it helped maintain the flow and focus of the evening.

On a personal note, this was exactly the kind of night I didn’t realise I needed. Life can be busy, stressful and full-on, and somewhere along the way it’s easy to forget just how good it feels to simply laugh out loud. This night delivered that in abundance — proper, uncontrollable laughter from start to finish. It was the perfect reminder to make time for fun again. Although my head definitely felt the effects the next morning, it was more than worth it for an evening that left me smiling long after the final punchline.

Overall, this comedy night felt refreshingly different and was a brilliant addition to an already strong evening offering around The Hub. It struck the perfect balance — polished yet relaxed, intimate yet lively — and if this first event is anything to go by, future comedy nights here will be well worth catching. For a full list of events across Central Milton Keynes, head to our events page, where you’ll find everything from bottomless brunches and live music to jazz evenings, sip-and-paints, quiz nights, and of course, the full-on Living It Large nights.