The Establishment (club)
Encyclopedia
The Establishment was a London
nightclub
which opened in October 1961, at 18 Greek Street
, Soho
and was famous in retrospect for satire
although actually more notable at the time for jazz and other events. It was founded by Peter Cook
and Nicholas Luard
, both of whom were also important in the history of the magazine Private Eye
. The name "The Establishment" is a play on the meaning of "establishment" as in "institution," i.e. the club itself, and the broader definition
meaning the prevailing social order of the time, which the satirists who founded, funded and performed at the club typically undermined. Peter Cook called it "the only good title I ever came up with."
The venue allowed the opportunity for budding comedians and satirists to perform new material in a nightclub setting, outside the jurisdiction of the Lord Chamberlain
, whose censorship of language and content was a problem for many performers. Some who appeared included Lenny Bruce
, Barry Humphries
(as Edna Everage), and musically, The Dudley Moore
Trio.
A second club was established in New York
in 1963. However, both folded after only a few years. The Establishment in London closed in 1964.
In March 2008, the site of the club was renamed Zebrano's but after a small group of Peter Cook devotees pressured the management for some recognition of the old club's importance in satire, the owners agreed to replace "The Establishment" in writing above the door.
The Establishment was referenced in the book Stop-Time
by author Frank Conroy
. The book is a semi-autobiographical account of Conroy's own life, and he mentions getting drunk at The Establishment, and then racing his car home to his apartment outside London while he was living in England with his wife in the 60's. The Establishment also featured briefly in the semi-fictional Peter Cook and Dudley Moore biopic, Not Only But Always
seen only in an exterior shot it bore no resemblance to 18 Greek Street, and it is unclear if it was an actual building or a film set.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
which opened in October 1961, at 18 Greek Street
Greek Street
Greek Street is a street in Soho, London, leading south from Soho Square to Shaftesbury Avenue. The street is famous for its restaurants and cosmopolitan nature.-History:...
, Soho
Soho
Soho is an area of the City of Westminster and part of the West End of London. Long established as an entertainment district, for much of the 20th century Soho had a reputation for sex shops as well as night life and film industry. Since the early 1980s, the area has undergone considerable...
and was famous in retrospect for satire
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
although actually more notable at the time for jazz and other events. It was founded by Peter Cook
Peter Cook
Peter Edward Cook was an English satirist, writer and comedian. An extremely influential figure in modern British comedy, he is regarded as the leading light of the British satire boom of the 1960s. He has been described by Stephen Fry as "the funniest man who ever drew breath," although Cook's...
and Nicholas Luard
Nicholas Luard
Nicholas Lamert Luard was a writer and politician, but is perhaps best known for his activities in the early 1960s: co-founding The Establishment with Peter Cook and being one of the Lords Gnome of Private Eye....
, both of whom were also important in the history of the magazine Private Eye
Private Eye
Private Eye is a fortnightly British satirical and current affairs magazine, edited by Ian Hislop.Since its first publication in 1961, Private Eye has been a prominent critic and lampooner of public figures and entities that it deemed guilty of any of the sins of incompetence, inefficiency,...
. The name "The Establishment" is a play on the meaning of "establishment" as in "institution," i.e. the club itself, and the broader definition
The Establishment
The Establishment is a term used to refer to a visible dominant group or elite that holds power or authority in a nation. The term suggests a closed social group which selects its own members...
meaning the prevailing social order of the time, which the satirists who founded, funded and performed at the club typically undermined. Peter Cook called it "the only good title I ever came up with."
The venue allowed the opportunity for budding comedians and satirists to perform new material in a nightclub setting, outside the jurisdiction of the Lord Chamberlain
Lord Chamberlain
The Lord Chamberlain or Lord Chamberlain of the Household is one of the chief officers of the Royal Household in the United Kingdom and is to be distinguished from the Lord Great Chamberlain, one of the Great Officers of State....
, whose censorship of language and content was a problem for many performers. Some who appeared included Lenny Bruce
Lenny Bruce
Leonard Alfred Schneider , better known by the stage name Lenny Bruce, was a Jewish-American comedian, social critic and satirist...
, Barry Humphries
Barry Humphries
John Barry Humphries, AO, CBE is an Australian comedian, satirist, dadaist, artist, author and character actor, best known for his on-stage and television alter egos Dame Edna Everage, a Melbourne housewife and "gigastar", and Sir Les Patterson, Australia's foul-mouthed cultural attaché to the...
(as Edna Everage), and musically, The Dudley Moore
Dudley Moore
Dudley Stuart John Moore, CBE was an English actor, comedian, composer and musician.Moore first came to prominence as one of the four writer-performers in the ground-breaking comedy revue Beyond the Fringe in the early 1960s, and then became famous as half of the highly popular television...
Trio.
A second club was established in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in 1963. However, both folded after only a few years. The Establishment in London closed in 1964.
In March 2008, the site of the club was renamed Zebrano's but after a small group of Peter Cook devotees pressured the management for some recognition of the old club's importance in satire, the owners agreed to replace "The Establishment" in writing above the door.
The Establishment was referenced in the book Stop-Time
Stop-Time
Stop-Time, published in 1967, is a memoir by American author Frank Conroy, and tells the story of his poor childhood and early adulthood, growing up in New York City and Florida. Focusing on a series of moments from his life, the book combines traditional fictional devices such as scenes while...
by author Frank Conroy
Frank Conroy
Frank Conroy was an American author, born in New York, New York to an American father and a Danish mother. He published five books, including the highly acclaimed memoir Stop-Time, published in 1967, which ultimately made Conroy a noted figure in the literary world...
. The book is a semi-autobiographical account of Conroy's own life, and he mentions getting drunk at The Establishment, and then racing his car home to his apartment outside London while he was living in England with his wife in the 60's. The Establishment also featured briefly in the semi-fictional Peter Cook and Dudley Moore biopic, Not Only But Always
Not Only But Always
Not Only But Always is a British TV movie, originally screened on the Channel 4 network in the UK on 30 December 2004. Written and directed by playwright Terry Johnson, the film tells the story of the working and personal relationship between the comedians Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, a hugely...
seen only in an exterior shot it bore no resemblance to 18 Greek Street, and it is unclear if it was an actual building or a film set.