Jongleurs reverts to founder’s control
Control of Jongleurs, the UK-wide chain of comedy clubs that celebrated its 25th anniversary last year, is to revert to the brand’s founder Maria Kempinska in January following the collapse of current licensees Regent Inns.
Management of the 10-venue chain has temporarily passed to a new company set up by former Regent directors John Leslie and Mike Foster following the pub operator’s move into administration a fortnight ago. Intertain will continue operating Jongleurs clubs until January 2.
Launched in 1983 with a £300 overdraft facility, Jongleurs had 16 clubs across the UK at its peak and currently has a combined audience capacity of more than 6,500. In 2000, Kempinska sold a 51% stake in the company to Regent’s Inns for £8.5 million. Both she and partner John Davy are to expand the chain in 2010, with ten new “more adventurous, more creative and more spontaneous” venues currently in development, with Newcastle, Liverpool and Brighton among the likely sites.
In an email to her roster of 1,300 comedians, Kempinska said: “We are in control of everything and it’s going to be a great time for comedy. The new clubs are totally under our watchful eye, so expect the attention to detail we always used to have that makes for a great show”.
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