The Comedy Store gallery

The Comedy Store's original master of ceremonies, Alexei Sayle became regular compere after responding to an advert calling for would-be comedians when the Store opened above a Soho strip club in 1979.

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Yes, before he started acting, presenting and producing chart-topping offspring Keith Allen was a stand-up, opening for many rock bands including The Clash. Here he is at the Comedy Store's original venue in Soho.

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Here's a very young Jack Dee on stage at the Store – as wonderfully grumpy and lugubrious then as he is now.

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'Please welcome Chris Rock' – words no one expected to hear, but hear them they did when the US comedy god dropped by the Comedy Store to test material ahead of his UK dates.

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Here's Lee Evans in 1999, already well on the way to comedy superstardom. The arena-filler still drops by the Store occasionally to try out new material for his upcoming tours.

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Even the biggest (and richest) comedian in the world has played the Comedy Store. Ahead of his one-off O2 Arena gig in 2011, master of the art Jerry Seinfeld performed two secret warm-up sets at the club to delighted audiences.

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George 'The New Mr Vegas' Wallace provided support at the O2 gig – but at the Comedy Store he had the hardest job of any comic: following Jerry Seinfeld. He quickly won over the crowd, however, giving a storming performance.

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The 'Austin Powers' star returned to his spiritual home in 2011 to perform with the group he co-founded in 1985: The Comedy Store Players.

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Stephen K Amos was a regular headliner at the Comedy Store before he started selling out venues as big as the Hammersmith Apollo. But his name still appears on bills for occasional benefit gigs and special nights at the club.

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A true circuit legend, Mike Gunn headlines all of the Comedy Store venues: London, Manchester and Mumbai.

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Here's Simon Brodkin on stage at the Store as his character creation Lee Nelson.

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He can sell out the Hammersmith Apollo for weeks on end, but here's Irish superstar Dara O Briain on stage at a benefit gig at the Comedy Store. You never know who might stop by!

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