The Phoenix Club
Encyclopedia
The Phoenix Club is a fictional working men's club
in Farnworth
near Bolton
, and is the centerpiece of the acclaimed UK sitcom Phoenix Nights.
The Phoenix Club is home to entertainment
of all types, including Bingo
, singing
, cabaret
and a wide range of themed nights. The club was created and is run by Brian Potter
along with his staff.
The club has a number of workers, all with their own part to it.
The club follows the layout of a typical working men's club
, with a large cabaret room along with a lounge area (called 'The Pennine Suite' in the opening series). In an attempt to diversify and attract more customers, the lounge is later converted into a successful Chinese restaurant. There is also a games room in the club, that was named, The "Jocky Wilson Suite" in the first series, and the "Tony Knowles Suite" in the second. In the first series the room was shown as a home to the games supplied by "Dodgy Eric" such as the wonky snooker table, the bucking bronco and the child's aeroplane ride. In the second series, the room is used more as lounge, replacing the "Pennine Suite"(which was used as the Chinese Restaurant), for example, The "Kamikaze Lager Quiz Night" was hosted in the games room, whilst Jerry hosted his "Free and Easy Night" in the main cabaret room.
Throughout the two series of Phoenix Nights, an ongoing theme of the show is the rivalry between The Phoenix Club, and local rival club 'The Banana Grove', run by the flamboyant Den Perry. Brian Potter will devise ideas for the club to attract more customers, usually to the disapproval of Jerry St.Clair. However, as more people come to the club, the more popular the club becomes than its rivals, but this is at the expense of Brian Potter's thrifty ways, cutting corners in the running of the club wherever possible.
The second series follows on from the first. Following the staging of the highly regarded local talent contest 'Talent Trek' a vengeful Den Perry burns the club down. With the authorities taking a dim view of Potter's poor attitude towards fire and suspend his licence. Potter then rebuilds the club on the cheap, but with Jerry St. Clair with the licencee.
The club bounces back and regains its popularity, with schemes such as placing a fake speed camera outside of the club to slow motorists down, and a re-enactment of the club's arson on TV show 'Crimetime' (a parody of Crimewatch
) in order to gain free advertising.
Eventually, Den Perry unwittingly reveals to most of the local clientele that he burned down the Phoenix Club, and the club is victorious.
Working men's club
Working men's clubs are a type of private social club founded in the 19th century in industrial areas of the United Kingdom, particularly the North of England, the Midlands and many parts of the South Wales Valleys, to provide recreation and education for working class men and their families.-...
in Farnworth
Farnworth
Farnworth is within the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton in Greater Manchester, England. It is located southeast of Bolton, 6 miles south-west of Bury , and northwest of Manchester....
near Bolton
Bolton
Bolton is a town in Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. Close to the West Pennine Moors, it is north west of the city of Manchester. Bolton is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the...
, and is the centerpiece of the acclaimed UK sitcom Phoenix Nights.
The Phoenix Club is home to entertainment
Entertainment
Entertainment consists of any activity which provides a diversion or permits people to amuse themselves in their leisure time. Entertainment is generally passive, such as watching opera or a movie. Active forms of amusement, such as sports, are more often considered to be recreation...
of all types, including Bingo
Bingo (US)
Bingo is a game of chance played with randomly drawn numbers which players match against numbers that have been pre-printed on 5x5 matrices. The matrices may be printed on paper, card stock or electronically represented and are referred to as cards. Many versions conclude the game when the first...
, singing
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, cabaret
Cabaret
Cabaret is a form, or place, of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue: a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting at tables watching the performance, as introduced by a master of ceremonies or...
and a wide range of themed nights. The club was created and is run by Brian Potter
Brian Potter
Brian Chelsea Potter, one of many fictional characters played by Peter Kay, is the owner of The Phoenix Club in both That Peter Kay Thing and Peter Kay's Phoenix Nights...
along with his staff.
The club has a number of workers, all with their own part to it.
- Brian PotterBrian PotterBrian Chelsea Potter, one of many fictional characters played by Peter Kay, is the owner of The Phoenix Club in both That Peter Kay Thing and Peter Kay's Phoenix Nights...
: Owner of the club, who goes to any extremes to keep it still standing. - Jerry St.Clair: Cabaret singer and fall guyFall guyA fall guy is a person used as a scapegoat to take the blame for someone else's actions, or someone at the butt of jokes. One placed in the position of fall guy is often referred to as "taking the fall". In the film industry, a fall guy is a form of stock character.-Origin:The origin of "fall guy"...
of the show. He later becomes licensee of the club - Ray VonRay VonRay Von is a fictional character that appears in UK sitcom Phoenix Nights. He is played by comedian and actor Neil Fitzmaurice who also co-wrote the series....
: A former fairground gypsy and electrician, who is the club's DJ and sound engineer. - Max and PaddyMax and PaddyMaxwell "Max" Bygraves and Patrick "Paddy" O'Shea are fictional nightclub bouncers created by comedian Peter Kay and performed by Kay and fellow comedian Patrick "Paddy" McGuinness....
: The two doormen of the club. - Les and AlanLes and AlanLes Campbell and Alan Dalton are two of many characters from the comic world of Peter Kay.Les and Alan are another double act from Peter Kay's Phoenix Nights, with small appearances in both That Peter Kay Thing and Max and Paddy's Road To Nowhere.Les is played by BBC Radio Sheffield DJ and...
: The two backing players with both drums and keyboard. - Kenny SeniorKenny SeniorKenny Senior is a fictional character from the Channel 4 sitcom Phoenix Nights, portrayed by Archie Kelly.Kenny Senior is portrayed as a habitual liar, something of a Walter Mitty, whose statements are either complete lies or vast exaggerations...
: A handiworker at the club and habitual liar. - Young KennyYoung KennyYoung Kenny is one of many characters from the comic world of Peter Kay.Young Kenny is a quiet member of The Phoenix Club played by Justin Moorhouse. He Appeared in Peter Kay's Phoenix Nights and briefly appearing "butt naked" in Max and Paddy's Road to Nowhere.Young Kenny is the uncredited member...
: A young, rather simple handyman. - Mary (Holy Mary): Bar worker and devout Christian.
- Spencer: Gormless but enthusiastic young barman.
- Ant and Dec: Two illegal Chinese immigrants whom the club accidentally brought into the country. Employed by thrifty Brian Potter as chefChefA chef is a person who cooks professionally for other people. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who cooks for a living, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation.-Etymology:The word "chef" is borrowed ...
s.
The club follows the layout of a typical working men's club
Working men's club
Working men's clubs are a type of private social club founded in the 19th century in industrial areas of the United Kingdom, particularly the North of England, the Midlands and many parts of the South Wales Valleys, to provide recreation and education for working class men and their families.-...
, with a large cabaret room along with a lounge area (called 'The Pennine Suite' in the opening series). In an attempt to diversify and attract more customers, the lounge is later converted into a successful Chinese restaurant. There is also a games room in the club, that was named, The "Jocky Wilson Suite" in the first series, and the "Tony Knowles Suite" in the second. In the first series the room was shown as a home to the games supplied by "Dodgy Eric" such as the wonky snooker table, the bucking bronco and the child's aeroplane ride. In the second series, the room is used more as lounge, replacing the "Pennine Suite"(which was used as the Chinese Restaurant), for example, The "Kamikaze Lager Quiz Night" was hosted in the games room, whilst Jerry hosted his "Free and Easy Night" in the main cabaret room.
Throughout the two series of Phoenix Nights, an ongoing theme of the show is the rivalry between The Phoenix Club, and local rival club 'The Banana Grove', run by the flamboyant Den Perry. Brian Potter will devise ideas for the club to attract more customers, usually to the disapproval of Jerry St.Clair. However, as more people come to the club, the more popular the club becomes than its rivals, but this is at the expense of Brian Potter's thrifty ways, cutting corners in the running of the club wherever possible.
The second series follows on from the first. Following the staging of the highly regarded local talent contest 'Talent Trek' a vengeful Den Perry burns the club down. With the authorities taking a dim view of Potter's poor attitude towards fire and suspend his licence. Potter then rebuilds the club on the cheap, but with Jerry St. Clair with the licencee.
The club bounces back and regains its popularity, with schemes such as placing a fake speed camera outside of the club to slow motorists down, and a re-enactment of the club's arson on TV show 'Crimetime' (a parody of Crimewatch
Crimewatch
Crimewatch is a long-running and high-profile British television programme produced by the BBC, that reconstructs major unsolved crimes with a view to gaining information from the members of the public. The programme is usually broadcast once a month on BBC One...
) in order to gain free advertising.
Eventually, Den Perry unwittingly reveals to most of the local clientele that he burned down the Phoenix Club, and the club is victorious.