Comedy and cabaret in Soho: where to laugh, sing along and stay up late

Soho has been the place to be laughed at, sung to and occasionally shocked since long before the word cabaret came back into fashion. The rooms are small, the performers are close, and the best shows start late. Here is where we would go, from a seven o'clock stand-up to a cabaret that does not begin until midnight.

Soho Theatre, 21 Dean Street

The engine room of Soho comedy is Soho Theatre. Its roots go back to the Soho Poly in the early 1970s, and in March 2000 it opened in its own building on Dean Street, a former synagogue it bought and rebuilt. Today it puts on new theatre, comedy and cabaret, with upwards of six shows a night on three stages. It scouts talent at the Edinburgh Fringe, so its programme is a good place to catch acts on the way up, and it is the leading presenter of Indian comedians in the UK.

The bar on the ground floor is half the point: audiences and performers share it, there is food from the day into the evening, and the beers are from Adnams. Book the late show, get there an hour early and order a pint of Adnams at the bar.

Crazy Coqs, 20 Sherwood Street

For cabaret with tablecloths, go to Crazy Coqs, in the Brasserie Zédel building at the bottom of Soho. Its programme runs from Sondheim cabaret and jazz to comedy, magic and literary evenings, and drinks and snacks are brought to your table before and during the show. The box office opens at 3pm every day. It is the dressy night out, and the room for a singer with a piano. Book an early show, order a glass of champagne to the table and eat in the brasserie afterwards.

Phoenix Arts Club, 1 Phoenix Street

Just across Charing Cross Road, the Phoenix Arts Club has been the theatre crowd's bar for more than 35 years. It puts on cabaret and variety every night, from drag and musical theatre to burlesque, aerial and comedy, and it says around 100,000 people a year come through. You do not need to be a member: a show ticket, from £15, gets you in as a member for the night. After the show it opens from 9pm until late for a showtunes singalong, and the room fills with people who know every word. Go after the curtain falls, find a seat by the piano and sing.

The Comedy Store, 1a Oxendon Street

Strictly it is just over the Soho line, a short walk south of Leicester Square, but no guide to comedy round here can leave out The Comedy Store. On Fridays and Saturdays it runs two line-ups of five stand-ups, at half seven and half nine. Sunday is The Comedy Store Players, with Josie Lawrence and Lee Simpson in the line-up, and Monday is King Gong. Book the half nine show on a Saturday and sit back from the front row unless you want to be part of it.

The Box Soho, 11 to 12 Walker's Court

On the alley where the Raymond Revuebar used to be, The Box opened in February 2011 as a theatre of varieties, the London sister of The Box in New York. The cabaret starts at midnight, Wednesday to Saturday, and is not for the shy. Tables must be booked, there are minimum spends, the dress code is smart and it is over 21s only. This is the end of the night, not the start. Book a table, dress up and order a bottle, because you will be there until it closes.

Drag in the pubs

Some of the best cabaret in Soho is free with a drink. The Admiral Duncan on Old Compton Street is known for its cabaret, and The Yard on Rupert Street has drag and DJs in its Loft bar on Friday and Saturday nights. Get to the Admiral Duncan by nine, get a drink in and find somewhere to stand where you can see.

How to plan it

An early show at Soho Theatre or Crazy Coqs, dinner, then the singalong at the Phoenix or a late set at The Comedy Store. If you have the stamina and the budget, finish at The Box at midnight. Check each listing before you go: these are small rooms and good nights sell out.