How The Comedy Cellar Became Edinburgh’s Underground Comedy Powerhouse

Michael Porter
Jun 9
3 min read

Updated: 6 days ago

The Comedy Cellar: From a Fringe Dream to Edinburgh’s Rawest Underground Comedy Club

By Michael Porter, Comedian & Founder

Welcome to The Comedy Cellar at The Canons’ Gait, Edinburgh’s newest (and most electric) underground comedy club — running live stand-up 7 nights a week on the Royal Mile. This isn’t just another club on the circuit — it’s the beating heart of Irish comedy in Scotland, and it all started with a flyer, a buzz, and a dream.

🎤 Where It All Began

Let me take you back to August 2009. I was a fresh-faced comic with too much confidence and zero clue. Wandering the Royal Mile during my first Edinburgh Fringe Festival, I saw hundreds of comedians hustling flyers for their debut shows. It was a chaotic, beautiful mess — and I knew I needed in.

From day one, I knew if I was going to create a show that cut through the noise, it had to be clever, punchy, and unmissable. That’s when the name hit me:

The Good, The Bad & The Irish.

A cheeky play on words from an old western. No, I’ve never seen the movie — but the title stuck, and so did the idea.

The old artwork is attached below & was done by my stupidly talented younger brother Karl Porter. You may not recognise the name but you'll certainly recognise his work! He's the founder of UV Arts, he's the one responsible for the world famous Derry Girls Mural that's become one of the most recognised murals in the world!

🍀 The Rise of an Irish Comedy Brand

In 2010, alongside my mate Gary Lynch, we came back with a bang. Three shows a day — The Good, The Bad & The Irish in the afternoon and evening, and a wild one in between called All About The Craic. That hustle? It’s never left me.

Fast forward 16 years, multiple sold-out European tours, countless five-star reviews, and here I am — still hustling

🔥 Why The Comedy Cellar Is Different

This is real comedy, delivered straight from the gut. It’s alternative. It’s unpredictable. It’s raw — and it’s run by someone who actually gives a shit.

✅ 7 Nights a week of live stand-up in the cellar of a proper Edinburgh pub

✅ Irish-led line-ups that blend grit, heart and hilarity

✅ 5-star crowd reviews — not critics, real people

✅ A stage where the next big names are sharpening their weapons