A Bit of History

The Nell has the look and feel you would expect from a traditional English pub. Situated across the street form the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, it has long associations with London's literary and theatrical community.

Ideal for pre/post theatre drinks if visiting the Theatre Royal. An interval drinks ordering service is also provided.

The Nell of Old Drury is one of the oldest pubs in Covent Garden and has undergone a number of incarnations. An underground tunnel connects the pub and the Theatre Royal opposite which was allegedly used by Charles II when visiting Nell Gynne during the late 1600s.

The pub was originally called the Lamb but was re-named The Sir John Falstaff by the Victorians. During this period, pubs were often used as exhibition venues for what was considering exotic at the time. The Sir John Falstaff was host to such including a tattooed man from the South Seas and a Zulu warrior woman!

The present day Catherine Street is an amalgamation of what was Brydges Steet and Katherine Street. The pub's former address was 15 Brydges Street and was a regular for a number of the literary and theatrical figures over the centuries.

The pub was also a regular haunt of the market traders when the Covent Garden Fruit and Veg market was still in existence. It even made a cameo appearance in the Hitchcock movie 'Frenzy', which was set in the area.

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Function Room

Our function room is available free of charge which can hold up to 50 people. To book, contact us on function@nellofolddrury.com or ring us on 0207 836 5328 during opening hours. Check our calendar of events for availability.

Location

Whats On

Tickets to all of our events can be found at: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/nell-of-old-drury-17436788053

Tuesdays - Bubble and Squeak Comedy
OUR STORY: Bubble and Squeak started as a safe, cozy space for professional comedians to come and try out new ideas that might not be “weekend ready” just yet. Every week we pain-stakingly try to bring together an array of perspectives and voices, in a small, close-quarters, raw comedy experience. You get to see the comedians at their most vulnerable, and hear future TV gags before anyone else. After talking to a number of amazing acts who gig all across the country, the organizer decided that there was a real place for a safe, fun gig like this in London. Come and enjoy our little slice of fun every Tuesday and be a part of our quickly growing Bubble and Squeak comedy family!



Wednesdays - Blazers
Emily Woods:
Spending the last two years between Kelowna, Canada and London, England, Emily has established herself as a stellar new comedian quickly rising up in both scenes. In London Emily has quickly made a career for herself running a pro comedy showcase Wednesday nights in central London. Emily also has recently co-created a comedy production company called Blazers Presents. Recently making it to the quarter finals of the Leicester Square new comedian of the year competition and the finals of the Comedy Virgins Max Turner prize competition as well as being picked to compete in the 99 club Bursary Award. Emily has been featured on Shaw Tv and regularly can be seen compering at venues across London including Ronnie Scott's.

Pernilla Holland
As seen and heard on BBC and Comic Relief. Pernilla Holland is a comedian and actor from Norway. After a soul destroying drama degree she ventured into the land of comedy where she found like minded outcasts and has since been gigging internationally and in the UK. Pernilla has been making shows at the Edinburgh Fringe; Character Tålks, Panilla Ice Ice Baby and Pop Ditz. She was part of the critically acclaimed improv troupe "Notflix the improvised musical" and is now a co-creator of Blazers Presents production company. Her style is to clown, be silly and unassuming yet dark and spiky.
As an actor her credits include National Theatre, Southwark Playhouse, Old Vic and she also voices characters in the award winning Warhammer.
"One to watch" Funny Women "Holland's one-woman re-creation is hilarious. "★★★★ Time Out "Sheer ludicrous fun.." – The List "Roaringly funny... incredibly talented" ★★★★★ Broadway Baby "Captivating, spontaneous, surprising & delightful" ★★★★ Fringe Biscuit "Fantastic comedy."– ★★★★ Everything Theatre "Stand-out star." – The Public Review



Thursdays - Big Smoke Comedy
Eight stand-up comedians are invited to perform individually then, for one night only, improvise freely with each other as a unique, one-of-a kind ensemble. Meet the characters, watch them play, and help shape our acts with your warmth and laughter. Big Smoke Comedy currently offers Free Entry every Thursday at 8pm.
Host Brooke Hoerr hails from a small town of sixty-three people in the middle of the middle of the middle of America called Allentown, Illinois where, in 1983, he was voted eighth funniest child (of eight). Still not satisfied, he later became an improvisor in Chicago at Second City, iO Theatre, and The Annoyance.
Now Brooke can be seen at some of London's most popular comedy venues embarking upon his spiritual quest to fully understand British humour or absolutely try dying. He most recently won The Blackout competition at Up-The-Creek Comedy Club in Greenwich by recommending to the audience that for improved laughter, if anything he says is literally not funny, they simply should apply an interpretation that is ironic.
Brooke is very excited to be MC for Big Smoke Comedy at the historic Nell of Old Drury.



Fridasy - BeComedy
BeComedy UK is a 'Made in Italy' comedy project founded by Marco Di Pinto in 2018. It is based in London and it's growing exponentially! BeComedy's normal schedule consists in 5/6 comedians doing 10 or 15 mins each, and of course, the resident MC, Marco Di Pinto.
They now perform regularly in 4 different venues across London, and all over Italy.
Marco started his comedy career in Italy inspired by the great late comedian Bill Hicks. He's been hosting Bill Hicks Tribute nights in his country for 4 years in a row now, and had the honour to organise an event at 'The World Famous Comedy Store' in Los Angeles, in 2017. His main goal would be to see BeComedy UK going worldwide!



Rox Central
Every 3rd Monday of the month Bentley Browning hosts Rox Comedy where you can see pro's,semi pros's and newbies trying new material. An hour of top laughs for free donations. Bentley runs Comedy Novice tasters and courses at the Nell of Old Drury so you can start your own comedy career here too.Details at www.comedynovices.com , www.bentleybrowning.com

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