The comedy week ahead

The comedy week ahead...

Today

LIVE IN LEICESTER: The city’s packed comedy festival continues apace this week. We’ll leave you to find your own favourites on the official website –- but tonight’s picks include Carey Marx’s making his heart attack funny at the Crumblin’ Cookie at 9pm, the deliciously bonkers Bob Blackman Appreciation Society at Heroes @ Hanson Hall at 6pm, and acclaimed musical comedy from Rachel Parris at the Criterion, also at 6pm.

LIVE IN LONDON: The Hammersmith Apollo hosts a fundraiser for the foundation set up in memory of Felix Dexter with an unbeatable line-up that includes Sean Lock, Alan Carr, Jo Brand, Jack Dee, Dara O Briain, Omid Djalili, Paul Whitehouse, Charlie Higson and Stephen K Amos,

LIVE IN LONDON: Meanwhile, there’s a fundraiser at the Union Chapel in Islington for Freightliners City Farm in North London which has just lost its funding. Jimmy Carr and Alan Davies top the bill, which also includes more offbeat acts such as Cornish comedy rappers Hedluv and Passman and quirky Bec Hill.

TV: Babylon, the new comedy drama written by Peep Show creators Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrong and directed by Danny Boyle, starts on Channel 4 tonight. It promises a wry and fast-paced look at a modern police force: looking at the command rooms and on the frontlines, rather than on any detective work.

Monday February 10

TV Rhys Thomas and Simon Day’s parody rock documentary Life Of Rock With Brian Pern starts on BBC Four. Day plays the central figure, an ageing rock star now committed to environmental campaigns such as teaching gorillas how to Sykpe. Guest stars over the three-part series include Paul Whitehouse, Matt Lucas, Vic Reeves, Bob Mortimer,David Baddiel, Jools Holland and Rick Wakeman. BBC Four, 10pm

LIVE IN LONDON: Mike Wozniak had a quietly wonderful show at last year’s Edinburgh Fringe with Take The Hit, a unique take on the glittery entertainer doing mother-in-law material. With its dramatic undertow and smart writing, this is a hugely satisfying show - and resident at the Soho Theatre until Friday.

RADIO: Just A Minute - and its chairman Nicholas Parsons - return for another series… the 68th no less. The players in this first episode are Gyles Brandreth, Tony Hawks, Fi Glover and Paul Merton. Radio 4, 6.30pm

Tuesday February 11

TV Another BBC Four comedy treat as we return to Pawnee for the third series of Amy Poehler’s hit Parks And Recreation, kicking off with a double bill. BBC Four, 10.30pm

Wednesday February 12

TV: The second in Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith’s Inside No. 9 anthology is surely the most ambitious: a dialogue-free half hour in which two cat burglars try to silently rob a house without being caught by the inhabitants - who just happen not to be on speaking terms. If last week’s debut is anything to go by, this should be a small televisual treat. BBC Two, 10pm

LIVE IN IPSWICH: Affable, toe-tapping musical duo Jonny And The Baptists are leaving no doubt to the politics with their new show, The Stop UKIP tour, which kicks off tonight at Ipswich's New Wolsey Theatre. Dates.

LIVE IN GLASGOW: Barry Humphries is retiring in spectacular style, with Dame Edna’s swan song uncontestably one of the finest shows of last year. And this week, Eat, Pray Laugh is on at the King’s Theatre.

Thursday February 13

LIVE IN LEICESTER: A special event as the city’s comedy festival and sponsor Dave launch the first UK Pun Championships, in which eight comics battle it out at the Just The Tonic comedy club to be crowned UK pun champion of Britain. It’s hosted by Lee Nelson.

LIVE IN WINDSOR: A strong comedy line-up at the Theatre Royal tonight, led by an on-form Alan Davies, and backed by Barry Castagnola and others.

Friday February 14

RADIO: The Comedians Theatre Company, which has staged a number of plays at the Edinburgh Fringe, has created a series of four half-hour shows for Radio 4 under the banner Making The Best Of It. In the first, Shock Jock, Adil Ray plays and aspiring urban DJ and Roy Hudd his studio guest: Barry from Room 1A of the Lake Vista Care Home. Radio 4, 11.30am

Published: 9 Feb 2014