Highlights of the next 7 days

Tonight, a benefit at the Bedford in Balham features long-unheard-from visual act Men In Coats, along with Marcel Lucont, The Reduced Shakespeare Company, Ed Byrne and more. It’s in aid of the Chordoma Foundation, which researches a rare form of tumour.

Another benefit on Wednesday at the Bloomsbury Theatre is in aid of mental health charity Mind and features John Moloney compering a strong line-up of Danny Bhoy, Marcus Brigstocke, Tony Law, Brendon Burns and more...

30 Rock’s Judah Friedlander is on at the Soho Theatre from Tuesday to Thursday; while Luisa Omielan’s fun What Would Beyonce Do? is on at the weekend – where it very much belongs.

Hal Cruttenden will be sharing his middle-class angst at the Udderbelly on the South Bank on Thursday. Other highlights at the purple upside-down cow include Brendon Burns (Tuesday), the science-based Festival of the Spoken Nerd (Wedneday) or Simon Munnery’s pioneering Fylm Makker (Saturday)

Or you can see Cruttenden warm up the show at Comedy De Luxe in Spitalfields Market on Tuesday, alongside Carl Donnelly. Tickets.

LIVE IN MANCHESTER

Rob Newman launches his new book The Trade Secret at Gorilla on Tuesday night. Tickets; while Eddie Izzard brings his Force Majeure show to the Arena on Thursday Tickets

LIVE IN SCOTLAND

Izzard’s in Glasgow on Wednesday Tickets, while Bill Bailey’s Qualmpeddler tour visits the Edinburgh Festival Theatre on Thursday Tickets and Friday Tickets

LIVE IN BATH

The city’s comedy festival continues. Picks include the well-honed puns of Gary Delaney in Burdell’s Yard on Thursday; droll Scottish fellow Alan Francis at the Ring O Bells on Monday; and the compilation show Arthur Smith’s Comedy Kick-Off at the Rugby Club on Sunday.

TV

Channel 4 airs the star-studded Comedy Gala, recorded at London’s O2, at 9pm on Friday. The line-up includes Russell Brand, Michael McIntyre, Adam Hills, Jack Dee, Rhod Gilbert, Jo Brand and Seann Walsh – plus more on video and ‘unlikely dance cameos’ from Alan Carr, Miranda Hart and Warwick Davis.

A rival group suffragettes in Banbury feature in the second episode of Jessica Hynes comedy Up The Women, which also stars Rebecca Front and others. >BBC Four, Thursday, 8.30pm<>

RADIO

At 10.30am on Thursday, Radio 4 Extra starts a repeat run of the 2010 series of The Shuttleworths, with Sheffield's favourite singer-songwriter, his electronic keyboard, wife Mary and agent Ken.

Published: 2 Jun 2013