Comedian, author and business speaker Neil Mullarkey has announced his resignation from The Comedy Store Players, Europe’s longest-running improv troupe, after more than 40 years with the group.
Mullarkey (pictured centre) co-founded The Comedy Store Players in October 1985 alongside Mike Myers and Paul Merton, establishing what would become a defining force in British comedy. His final performance will take place on 4th January 2026, following a farewell run of shows on 16th, 30th November and 14th, 21st, 28th December 2025 at London’s legendary Comedy Store.
Tickets are available via comedystoreplayers.com.
“I will have been a member of The Comedy Store Players for 42 calendar years – 1985 to 2026,” said Mullarkey. “According to The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, 42 is the meaning of life, so it feels like the right time to bow out.” He has new ventures planned in both business and theatre.
“It has been a privilege to share the stage with so many brilliant performers. I’m so grateful to the current Players – Josie Lawrence, Lee Simpson, Richard Vranch and Ruth Bratt for all the love and laughs and to Don Ward, owner of The Comedy Store, for his support since day one when improvised comedy was pretty much unknown in the UK.”
A pioneer in applying the principles of improv to leadership, teamwork and communication, Mullarkey has spent more than two decades helping organisations (across 27 countries) enhance communication and leadership skills. “I’m hoping to make that 30 countries soon-ish. My corporate work started as a ‘side gig’ but soon became my main stage,” he said. But he will still be at the Comedy Store regularly in the daytime, where he hosts team-building workshops and conferences, as well as coaching presentation skills to senior leaders across many sectors.
Mullarkey is also developing a new site-specific, immersive improv format, ‘CrowdSauce’, which invites audience volunteers to become the cast - as featured or background artistes. “CrowdSauce is like Whose Line Is It Anyway meets The Gong Show – except nobody gets gonged off,” he explained. “Some stand-ups do ‘crowd work’. I will make the crowd work.” Less a one-man show, more a double-act - Mullarkey plus audience.
He is also starting a new venture with Simon Wylie (former CEO and now consultant to media/ad agencies), based on a radical new approach to sales training, drawing on improv techniques, naturally. It’s called Solve, Don’t Sell https://www.solve-dontsell.com/
.Neil Mullarkey (described by Josie Lawrence as “our linchpin”) co-founded The Comedy Store Players in October 1985 with Dave Cohen, Kit Hollerbach, Mike Myers and Paul Merton. The group has played Sundays at the Store and toured ever since, selling around a million tickets. They have been recognised by the Guinness World of Records for their longevity.
Mullarkey is an acclaimed business speaker and author, specialising in the use of the ‘improv mindset’ to enhance leadership, communication and creativity. His latest book, In The Moment was shortlisted for a Business Book Award in 2024.
His work has taken him to 27 countries and countless organisations, from global corporations to government departments to business schools.
For more information about Neil’s business and other work, visit www.neilmullarkey.com.
Neil is a trustee The Comedy School Charitable Trust https://www.thecomedyschool.org
Picture by Steve Best
