Mark Ridley's Comedy Castle

Mark Ridley's Comedy Castle

Comedy Castle in Royal Oak, MI
Address	310 S. Troy Street
Location	Royal Oak, Michigan
Owner	Mark Ridley
Type	comedy club
Capacity	400
Opened	1979
Website
www.comedycastle.com

Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle is a comedy club located in Metro Detroit, at 310 S. Troy St., Royal Oak, Michigan 48067.

Mark Ridley first opened the Comedy Castle on January 4, 1979, in the basement of a Bloomfield Hills, Michigan restaurant. Ridley created the three comic set (emcee, feature performer, and headliner) to better organize shows and stage time each night after witnessing an endless line of performers at Los Angeles clubs like The Improv and The Comedy Store, making Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle one of the first clubs in the nation to do so. During the first 11 years of the club’s existence, it changed locations six times. In 1990, The Comedy Castle established its permanent, 400-seat location, in Royal Oak. It is the oldest operating comedy club in Michigan.

Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle hosts several charitable events for a small fee, allowing organizations to price tickets accordingly for their fundraising. Each year, however, the Comedy Castle donates the room, food from Garden Fresh Salsa, and underwrites performances along with Michigan Financial Companies for The Salvation Army Bed and Bread Club, where they raise around $40,000 each year. Other benefits include the American Cancer Society, Infant Mortality Night, Furniture Bank of Southeastern Michigan, South Oakland Homeless Shelter, Common Ground Shelter, Guardians for Animals, and the Royal Oak Police Officer Association, among many more. All proceeds go to the charities.

The Comedy Castle has hosted several television specials, including Showtime Comedy Club Network, HBO's Comic Relief, A&E's Comedy on the Road with John Byner, and the Comcast Comedy Spotlight. In 1991, Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle produced and hosted the Emmy Award winning “Funny Side of the Street” , a local variety show featuring Tim Allen.