Tributes have been paid to legendary comedian and comedy club promoter Eugene Cheese, who has died.
Cheese, real name Paul Jay, was famous on the circuit for running the Chuckle Club in Aldwych for many years.
As this flyer shows, some – if not all – of stand-up's most famous names played there including Mark Thomas, Mark Lamarr, Paul Merton and Jenny Eclair. Note John Hughes on the bill on April 30. John Hughes would later use the name Sean Hughes.
Eugene's brother Paul paid this tribute, quoting Lewis Carroll's Jabberwocky: "My brother Paul, aka Eugene Cheese now rests in peace by the Tumtum tree. Like our father Larry, like me and Paul’s own son Larry, he was a family man with a deliciously twisted taste in art, music and prose as a creator, comedy club host, performer and artist. There is a larger than life hole that Margaret, his wife of nearly 60 years, his children Caroline and Larry and all us Jays cannot fill.
’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe: All mimsy were the borogoves, And the mome raths outgrabe.’"
Further tributes from the comedy world have been paid to Cheese on Facebook. John Mann wrote: "Saddened to read of the passing of Eugene Cheese. Paul and his Chuckle Club were responsible for a great many comedy careers. Rest in peace lovely clown x"
Simon Hickson wrote: "Paul booked me and Trevor regularly, and his support for us, his fondness for us, his faith in us, was no doubt integral to us eventually having the confidence and ability to move into childrens' TV and Going Live! He was a mentor.
I hope all of us comedians can get together for a fitting tribute to you Paul and I hope your place in the history of comedy, particularly alternative comedy of the 20th Century, is recognised and remembered.
Paul, rest in peace. Margaret, my thoughts and prayers are with you."
Comedian Don Biswas wrote: "R.I.P. to Eugene Cheese. The founder of the legendary Chuckle club. He gave me opportunities to do pro sets even though I was a newer act. I will never forget that. Paul, his real name, was a top bloke who I was in contact with and even visited him and Margaret, his wife. Obviously, we fell out over a few years ago due to different views on the pandemic. But today we lost one of comedy's good guys. My condolences to Margaret and the rest of the family. xxx Thank you for the great memories."
Henry Ginsberg wrote: "When I started stand up, the Chuckle Club at LSE bar was one of my favourite gigs both to perform at and watch others at. It’s one of the nights that always gets brought up in conversations with comics about old gigs that we miss.
The memory that sticks out the most for me was watching Paul Foot do one of the best club sets I’ve ever seen on a relatively quiet night with about 30 audience in. Paul was in full rant mode and there was one audience member who was laughing so much that the rest of the crowd was laughing at Paul and then also laughing at this guy. I just remember this guy genuinely struggling to get his breath back and Paul ranting “and another thing - going to the toilet. It’s so BORING!”
RIP Eugene Cheese. We’ll all think of you every time we hear Minnie The Moocher."
Simon Bligh wrote: "Very sad hearing the news ( from
John Mann ,thank you) that the great Monsieur Eugene Cheese (
Paul Eugene Jay ) has passed away.
Weeks after moving to London ( 1987) to become Alternative Comedians me and my friends Trev and Simon did an " open spot " at his famously fantastic Chuckle Club off Oxford Street. We all got booked and Trev and Simon got a telly show after being seen there !
Everyone did it ,including Robin Williams.
Always a wonderful gig ,down to his unique ,odd charm and the alchemy of the room. Small, packed together crowd and 12 inches away from the just the right height low stage.
I became a regular and he always booked me.
However, when I came back from Japan in 1992 , he was the only person who didn't book me straight away. On the phone ( for that's how it worked then) he said " I can't take a risk on you ". 9 months later I won the "Time Out Comedian of the Year Award" and he was the first to call me, congratulate me and of course book me. That's just the way he was .
After failing a Fire Brigade random inspection for being way over capacity the Chucke Club moved to the LSE in Holborn. It was never quite the same. But we all played there. My last memory was doing it with Harry Hill and
Steve Gribbin . Harry had just got big and it was heaving. I was quadrupling it with the Store shows and Comedy Cafe. Steve was doing something similar with Jonglers ( happy days). It was always a door split and £100 was about usual. Anyway I turned up just as Steve left, did my set and rushed out. Paul dashed over and gave me an envelope " thank you I said " and as I went he gave me a big smile , patted me on the back and said " it's 350 quid"..... Best door split I ever got. Even Margaret his forever Deadpan wife almost cracked a smile. An honest , funny, strange ,unique man. In another time he would have been a Music Hall Star .
Part of a Comedy world long gone. RIP .
" The Chucke Club , the Chucke Club ,The Chucke Club..... balls !"
Charmian Hughes wrote: "RIP Eugene Cheese, top club runner, mc, comedy archivist, fan and cartoonist x, king of the chuckle club!"
