Now that lockdown guidelines are allowing outdoor events, socially-distanced comedy is coming to a beer garden near Grantham.

Melton Mowbray comedian Jon Pearson (picture attached) has teamed up with The Geese and Fountain in Croxton Kerrial to provide the event on Saturday August 1.

The night will be split into 2 separate sittings, an early and a late show, to allow for social distancing.

Jon said: "As an industry Comedians have been discussing how best to bring comedy back, and the majority of us agreed, if social distancing reduces the audience by 50%, then we should just perform twice as much.

"With an early and a late show format, it means the comedians perform twice, but to the same amount of audience members, it means the pub gets the same amount of punters and we get to finally perform to actual people".

Jon contacted pub landlord Nick Holden to stage the event because on a visit before lockdown he noted the garden's amphitheatre layout with stage would be ideal for an outdoor event that would meet government guidelines on social distancing, while still having the proper feel of a Standup Night.

The Melton-born and raised comedian, who now lives in Mansfield, says this is his first performance at the pub, which follows an event in Melton.

"This is a test to see how it goes. If social distancing stays, we will work to do more at the Geese and Fountain and also in Grantham."

The 37-year-old has been a professional comedian for two years but has been performing for ten years in places including the Comedy Store in London and the Glee Club in Birmingham.

Since lockdown started Jon has been successfully hosting Comedy Virtually Live, an online standup show via Zoom and streamed onto Facebook, but he is itching to get out and see real people again.

He added: "My love of doing this for a job is by creating something in the moment, be that a heckle put down or just talking to the audience and creating something funny out of nothing, those have always been my favourite nights, in the moment"

Tickets are on sale for the two night here: https://www.jokepit.com/comedy-by/the-miners-arms

1st August 2020 - The Geese and Fountain

21:30 - Late Show