The comedy week ahead

It's a really strong week for live comedy this one, with loads of tours kicking off, some exceptional shows and the start of the Leicester comedy festival.

Sunday February 1

LIVE IN WESTON-SUPER-MARE: Alan Carr will certainly be doing a lot of chatting this year. His new tour Yap, Yap, Yap kicks off in the Somerset seaside town tonight and keeps him busy until December 12, when it wraps up in Derry. Schedule.

LIVE IN NORWICH Stewart Lee also starts a tour that'll keep him busy for most the year, culminating in winter residency at London's Leicester Square Theatre that last roughly as long as the last ice age. His penetrating sarcasm will be on display at the Norwich Theatre Royal tonight, Colchester Theatre on Wednesday and Thursday, and Malvern on Friday  Schedule.

Monday February 2

LIVE IN GUILDFORD: Roar with laughter (geddit?) as G Live hosts a benefit for tiger conservation featuring the brilliantly supercilious Simon Evans, former BBC New Comedy Award winner Angela Barnes and livewire Jarred Christmas, among others.

LIVE IN LONDON: Another benefit at the Comedy Store - in aid of The Lily Foundation to combat mitochondrial disease - features Jon Richardson, Marcus Brigstocke and John Moloney among its esteemed bill.

LIVE IN LONDON: Luisa Omelian's Am I Right Ladies? is a sassy party of a show that includes feminist message and a more than a touch of her personal issues, bringing a fresh perspective to her funny. It's on at the Soho Theatre all week, starting tonight. Review

Tuesday February 3

LIVE IN LONDON: Kim Noble is a daring and challenging performer - 'comedian' seems too reductive a word to summarise his intense work. His latest piece, You're Not Alone, is a dark and typically provocative look at loneliness in the modern interconnected world, blending troubling real-life scenarios and a darkly wry humour, touching, too, on is father's Alzheimer's disease. The powerful show - which starts a month-long run at Soho Theatre tonight - will stay with you for a very long time. Review.

LIVE IN LONDON: Provocative comedy of a different flavour as in-your-face audience participation maestro Red Bastard starts a three-week residency in the suitably subterranean Vaults near Waterloo station.

LIVE IN LONDON: Jo Brand and friends Stewart Lee, Robin Ince and James Alderson perform a benefit in aid of Prader-Willi Syndrome Association UK at the Bloomsbury Theatre.

LIVE IN EXETER: Josie Long takes a step away from politics and into the personal with her latest show, Cara Josephine, which won plenty of deserved acclaim at Edinburgh last year. She hits the road, starting in Devon, following her recent successful run at the Soho Theatre in London. Schedule and review.

TV: Just before the general election campaign kicks off in earnest, Rory Bremner presents his Coalition Report, subtitled From Here To Austerity, trying to make sense of the current political situation with help from Matt Forde, Sara Pascoe and John Bird. BBC Two, 10pm

Wednesday February 4

LIVE IN LEICESTER: There's more comedy than you could shake a stick at over the next two and half weeks as Dave’s Leicester Comedy Festival kicks off. Opening night highlights include a launch show at Just The Tonic at Hansom Hall and an a benefit for local hospice charity LOROS at the Belmont hotel. For the rest of the festival's massive line-up, visit its website

LIVE IN SOUTHEND: Fresh from a visit to the States - where he secured a couple of coveted stand-up slots on the late night chat shows - Simon Amstell begins his tour of To Be Free, in which he grapples with the metaphysical paradox of wanting to live spontaneously and without consequence - while being acutely aware of how his every action is perceived. It's soul-searching, personal - and funny. Dates and review.

LIVE IN DORKING: Milton Jones also kicks off his tour, Milton Jones And The  Temple Of Daft. The silliness starts at the Dorking Halls and runs through to the summer. Dates

RADIO:  Aisling Bea  and Yasmine Akram return with a second series of their take on Ireland's ancient stories, Irish Micks & Legends. Nominated for the Chortle radio award in 2013, the show is billed as a 'comedic, highly irreverent storytelling of ancient Irish folklore’. Radio 4, 11pm

Thursday February 5

LIVE IN NORWICH: Another tour kicks off in East Anglia, with Count Arthur Strong hoping to capitalise on his BBC One exposure with his new show, Somebody Up There Licks Me. Expect malapropisms and madness as he tours through to May. Schedule

Friday February 6

LIVE IN MANCHESTER: There's a typically strong showing at the Comedy Store this weekend, with the astute observational comedy of Paul Tonkinson, musical high jinks with Rob Deering and grizzled storytelling from Dave Fulton.

Published: 1 Feb 2015