Mar 30, 2021
Sal and Bob interview the one and only Mark Ridley, the owner of Mark Ridley's Comedy Castle in Royal Oak, Michigan.
Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle, the first comedy club in Michigan was opened on January 4th, 1979. Tim Allen and Dave Coulier began their comedy careers on the first Comedy Castle stage. The current Royal Oak location has been in the former Daily Tribune newspaper facility since February 1st, 1990. Mark vowed after six previous locations that if he ever had to move again, it will be in a 400-seat mobile home that comes right to your neighborhood.
Today, Mark still handpicks the club’s talent, searching the entire country and Canada for the very best talent available. On any given night, audiences have seen surprise guests such as Ron White, Lewis Black, Keegan Michael Key, David Copperfield, Brian Regan, and many other comedians pop in to watch the show or do a guest set.
Mark Ridley founded the three-comedian format which is a standard in today’s comedy club industry. Many of the local comedians come out of open mic night or through the comedy classes taught at Comedy Castle.
Comedy Castle hosts many charity fundraisers for the metro Detroit area and it can provide faith-based to PG 13 comedy acts. The Salvation Army has their annual “Comedy for A Cause” with Mark’s help in producing their show at the club each year.
Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle is largely regarded as one of the top 18+ comedy clubs in the country and is the club to perform at for many of the up-and-coming and established comedians. Just walk the halls at Comedy Castle to see early photos of Jerry Seinfeld, Jim Carrey, Ellen DeGeneres, Rosie O’Donnell, Garry Shandling, Bob Saget, Kathleen Madigan, and many more of today’s stars who have performed at Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle.