The comedy week ahead

The comedy week ahead…

Sunday September 6

RADIO: Sketch troupe Absolutely make a welcome return for a full radio series. Gordon Kennedy, Morwenna Banks, Pete Baikie, Moray Hunter and John Sparkes take to Radio 4 from 7.15pm.

Monday September 7

LIVE IN LONDON: Australian comic Corey White – winner of the best newcomer award at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival earlier this year – starts a six-night run of his show The Cane Toad Effect, an autobiographical story with a brutal twist at every turn that remains remarkably upbeat. Also at the Soho Theatre all week is Zoe Coombs Marr with her creation Dave, a parody of an inept, blokeish stand-up… though sadly both shows overlap, so you may want to make two trips.

Tuesday September 8

LIVE IN LONDON: Laugh Our London presents an excellent selection of acts just returned from the Edinburgh Fringe with festival stalwart Simon Munnery, stupidly inventive Spencer Jones as The Herbert, innovative Luke McQueen, sweaty one-man sketch performer Goose and talented character comic Lolly Adefope. And all for £7 on the door of The Old Queens Head in Islington.

LIVE IN LONDON: There’s a rare chance to see Tim Vine in an intimate pub venue at new club Linde Boom Boom, held in the Dutch bar on the edge of Chinatown – cosmopolitan! – De Hems.

TV: Dave Gorman returns for a third series of his PowerPoint-driven stand-up show Modern Life is Goodish on Dave. A new episode at 10pm is followed by a repeat from the first run.

Wednesday September 9

LIVE IN BRISTOL: Mark Thomas hits the road with his new show Trespass, starting with four nights at the Tobacco Factory. Trespass carries on from where Mark's previous show 100 Acts of Minor Dissent left off. Angered that the government have sold off the majority of our communal spaces, from playing fields to public rights of way, he uses his strong sense of mischief to to try to open up our cities. Full tour dates.

LIVE IN CARDIFF: Kevin Bridges’s latest tour A Whole Different Story visits St David’s Hall for two nights.

Thursday September 10

TV: Sky Arts’ physical comedy season continues with Rotters, a slapstick Heist story starring Frank Skinner as an antiques dealer (pictured). The motley crew who try to rob him are played by three of the last four Edinburgh Comedy Award winners - Phil Burgers (aka Dr Brown), John Kearns and Sam Simmons plus Lolly Adefope and Daniel Simonsen. They also have to deal with a meddlesome traffic warden played by Pat Cahill. Sky Arts, 9pm.

Friday September 11

LIVE IN LONDON: The lastest Bush Hall Presents brings a triumvirate of Class Act to Shepherds Bush: Alun Cochrane, Paul Sinha and Stewart Lee.

LIVE IN LONDON: The Royal Albert Hall kicks off a series of late-night comedy gigs in its Elgar Room, with newly-crowned Edinburgh Comedy Award best newcomer Sofie Hagen, Holly Walsh and Ray Peacock.

LIVE IN CARDIFF: A very strong club line-up at the Glee this weekend with the very capable, and funny, quartet of Andre Vincent, David Hadingham, Jarred Christmas and Larry Dean.

LIVE IN STIRLING: Provocative Australian Brendon Burns comes to the Tolbooth for an international Gilded Balloon comedy night, which also includes Canadian Chris Betts and Scottish acts Janey Godley and Raymond Mearns.

TV: Alan Carr returns for a new series of Chatty Man, with guests including Tom Hardy talking about playing both Kray twins in the new movie Legend.

Saturday September 12

LIVE IN LONDON: Richard Herring completes his marathon effort of performing all his solo shows in a row at the Leicester Square Theatre, in lieu of going to the Edinburgh Fringe, by unveiling his latest: Happy Now?

Published: 6 Sep 2015