Best Theatre and Comedy in Exeter: A 2026 Guide

Where Can You See Comedy in Exeter?

Exeter has more live comedy than most cities its size, and almost all of it sits within a ten-minute walk of the High Street. There are four places to know.

Exeter Comedy Club at the Corn Exchange

Where: Exeter Corn Exchange, Market Street | Box office: exetercornexchange.co.uk or 01392 665938

This is the closest thing Exeter has to a proper comedy club. The Corn Exchange describes each night as four top performers from the national stand-up circuit, in cabaret layout, with the bar open throughout and pizzas available. The next listed night at the time of writing is Friday 2 October 2026, and the council-run venue also sells a comedy membership for regulars.

The format is the draw. You sit at tables rather than in rows, so you are facing the people you came with, not the back of a stranger's head. Even on your own, you are likely to end up chatting to the next table by the interval.

The Corn Exchange also books bigger touring names; Judi Love's All About The Love is listed for 1 October 2026.

The Comedy Store at the Barnfield Theatre

Where: Barnfield Road, city centre | Box office: exeternorthcott.co.uk or 01392 72 63 63

The London club where comics such as Eddie Izzard and Jimmy Carr cut their teeth tours a line-up to the Barnfield. The Comedy Store's 2026 dates are Friday 23 October and Friday 27 November 2026, both at 7.45pm.

The Barnfield, now run by Exeter Northcott, is also the city's busiest room for touring stand-up this autumn. Its listings include Scott Bennett's Stuff (26 September), Jazz Emu's The Pleasure is All Yours (30 September), Michael Akadiri's Don't Call Me Uncle! (1 October), John Robertson's The Dark Room (4 October) and Ginger Johnson's Show Pony (10 October 2026).

Exeter Comedy Festival

The Exeter Comedy Festival ran from 3 to 7 June 2026, with shows across the city over five days. It is the best week of the year to see a lot of comedy on foot, hopping between rooms with a group. Watch exetercomedyfestival.com for 2027 dates.

Exeter Phoenix

Where: Bradninch Place, Gandy Street | Box office: exeterphoenix.org.uk or 01392 667080

The Phoenix is the city's independent arts centre, with an auditorium, galleries, the Studio 74 cinema and a café bar. Comedy sits alongside gigs, theatre and spoken word, and tends towards newer and more experimental acts. It is the place to catch someone before they fill the Barnfield.

Food and drink: The café bar is open from 10am Monday to Saturday (to 8.30pm Monday to Wednesday, 11pm Thursday to Saturday), but food is served 10am–5pm only, so eat elsewhere before an evening show and use the bar afterwards.

Is There Improv Comedy in Exeter?

Possibly, but check first. Devon Improv staged the Devon Improv Festival at the Cygnet Theatre in September 2025, and no 2026 dates were listed on devonimprov.co.uk when this was checked. Its site has a register-your-interest form, so sign up there if you want to hear about future workshops or shows. Improv is one of the few comedy formats you can join rather than just watch, which makes it worth keeping an eye on.

Which Theatres in Exeter Are Worth Knowing?

Exeter Northcott Theatre

Where: Stocker Road, University of Exeter Streatham campus | Box office: exeternorthcott.co.uk or 01392 72 63 63

The Northcott is Exeter's main producing theatre, mixing its own "Made by Exeter Northcott" work with touring drama, dance, family shows and comedy. The auditorium runs over stalls and circle, and the foyer bar sells drinks and ices you can take in. The campus setting means a walk through the university grounds before or after — pleasant in summer, a torch job in winter.

Barnfield Theatre

The Barnfield is the more intimate of the two Northcott-run stages and sits right in the city centre, so dinner before and a drink after are both a short walk. As well as the comedy above, it hosts music, one-person shows and the city's amateur companies.

Exeter Corn Exchange

Beyond the comedy club, the Corn Exchange programmes tribute acts, dance, live music and seasonal shows. It is the largest city-centre entertainment room and the most flexible.

Can You Join an Amateur Theatre Company in Exeter?

Watching is one thing; being part of it is how you actually make friends. Two long-standing companies are active in 2026.

Exeter Little Theatre Company (ELTC) performs at the Barnfield. Its next production is The Vicar of Dibley: The Greatest Nativity Ever Told (almost), 1–5 December 2026, and it runs a youth company too. See eltc.org.uk.

Exeter Drama Company is smaller, and lists The Importance of Being Earnest and Witness for the Prosecution among its 2026 productions. Its website invites newcomers to get in touch and come along — a gentler start if bigger companies feel intimidating.

If you are at the university, student drama societies also perform in the city; look them up through the Students' Guild.

Where to Eat Before a Show in Exeter

The best comedy and theatre nights include dinner. All of these were confirmed as trading on the Food Standards Agency register.

Before the Northcott

The campus location means planning a little. Harry's at 86 Longbrook Street is a long-standing Exeter bistro, and Dinosaur Cafe at 5 New North Road serves Mediterranean food; both are within walking distance of campus via the city side. I would pick Harry's for a proper sit-down meal before a show, as it is on the city-centre side of the walk up to the Northcott. Dinosaur Cafe suits a more casual plate of Mediterranean food when you want to eat and move on.

Before or After the Barnfield and Corn Exchange

Both are in the centre, so the whole city-centre dining scene is open to you: the High Street, Cathedral Yard and the West Quarter are all a few minutes away. The Corn Exchange also serves pizza on comedy club nights if you would rather eat at the table. For a daytime coffee first, see our guide to Exeter's best coffee shops.

After Exeter Phoenix

The Phoenix bar itself is the natural post-show debrief. For a later drink, The Old Firehouse at 50 New North Road is a few minutes' walk and a classic late-night Exeter haunt. I would send a group there when the Phoenix bar closes and nobody wants the night to end, since it is close enough that you lose no one on the walk.

For a full evening, our best date night ideas in Exeter pairs shows with restaurants, and the events and festivals guide covers what is on across the city month by month.

Why Live Comedy Is So Good for Making Friends

A shared performance gives you something real to talk about. Not the weather, not work, but "what did you make of the second act?" or "I can't believe she said that." Laughing at the same thing at the same time is about as quick a shortcut to feeling at ease with someone as exists.

If you are new to the city or feeling isolated working from home, a comedy night is a low-stakes invitation to make. Buy two tickets, suggest food beforehand, and the evening does most of the work. If you would rather start with people and add the shows later, our guide to social clubs in Exeter is a good next step.