The comedy week ahead

The comedy week ahead…

Sunday November 8

LIVE IN LONDON: It's the second day of the Chortle Comedy Book Festival at the magnificent art deco Hornsey Town Hall Arts Centre in Crouch End. It all kicks off at 3.30pm with Ab Fab's Helen Lederer introducing her award-nominated debut comic novel Losing It; at 5pm Phill Jupitus, Sara Pascoe and Robin Ince discuss what it takes mentally and practically to become a comedian with Off The Mic authors Deborah Frances-White and Marsha Shandur; at 6.15pm stand-up James Veitch takes on the internet scammers in Dot Con; at 7.30pm Nicholas Parsons shares some stories of the comic greats who have appeared on Just A Minute over its 900 episodes; and at 9pm Edinburgh best newcomer nominated The Story Beast entertains with his hilarious adult storytelling. Full details.

Monday November 9

TV: Stand-up showcase Live At The Apollo makes its move to BBC Two, with this first episode hosted by Alan Carr and featuring Francesca Martinez and Nish Kumar. 10pm

LIVE IN LONDON: A strong line-up at the Comedy Store raises money for the Operation Christmas Child charity. Highlights are the smart wit of Adam Bloom, the intensity of Nick Helm and the wry obeservations of Paul Tonkinson.

LIVE IN MANCHESTER: It's the 'world series' final of the Frog & Bucket's new act competition Beat The Frog tonight, coinciding with the Greater Manchester Comedy Festival. Dan Nightingale introduces Yuriko Kotani, Rob Mullholland, Karl Porter, MC Africa Zulu, Polish Rick, Daniel Soff, Donal Vaughn, Tayo Cousins and Rahul Kohli.

LIVE IN GLASGOW: Mischievously entertaining Tom Stade and brutally frank Scott Agnew head the line-up of a benefit gig for the Scottish Living Wage at the Stand tonight. Tickets are £7.85 – the hourly rate they were campaigning for (at least until last week when it was raised to £8.25, making a mess of their neat pricing).

Tuesday November 10

RADIO: Edinburgh Comedy Award nominated Liam Williams presents a new comic storytelling show, Ladhood, about his teenage misadventures. The four half-hour episodes delve into his memories of virginity loss, his first fight, a fantastic house party, and his outwitting of an entire teaching staff. The BBC say: 'This is the New Labour, post-mining, aspirational heartland, meeting 50 Cent and Generation Y ennui, represented in a bourgeois radio format - by one of Britain's most exciting comedians.' Radio 4, 11pm

Wednesday November 11

TV: Peep Show is back for its ninth and final series. Read more about it from Robert Webb and David Mitchell here – as if you need any convincing… Channel 4, 10pm

TV: As one sitcom ends, another starts as Johsn Widdicombe's self-titled offering begins on BBC Three. He co-stars in the six-part series alongside Beattie Edmondson and Elis James as his flatmates and Jack Dee as their irritating landlord – and he co-wrote it with fellow stand-up Tom Craine. 10.30pm

LIVE IN LONDON: Well this is quite the bill. Greg Davies, Russell Howard, Dara O Brain and Jack Whitehall are to take part in a major comedy benefit to raise funds to help the refugee crisis. Stand Up in Action at the Hammersmith Apollo will raise funds for ActionAid and the UN Refugee Agency. Jo Brand, Reginald D Hunter and Roisin Conaty are also on the bill. Tickets are available here.

LIVE IN LONDON: Meanwhile, in the more intimate setting of the Dogstar in Brixton, alternative comedy minds Adam Hess, John Kearns, Lolly Adefope and Joz Norris offer an offbeat night of stand-up and character comedy.

LIVE IN LONDON:Dawn French begins her four-week run of the autobiographical 30 Million Minutes at the Vaudeville Theatre tonight. Hereis a review from much earlier in her long tour.

LIVE IN HARROGATE: A great club night at the Sitting Room, expertly hosted by Dan Nightingale, boasts the entertaining anecdotes of Jason Cook, Markus Birman and Pete Johansson.

Thursday November 12

LIVE IN LONDON: Channel 4 sketch duo Cardinal Burns present their own club in London, with the bonkers surrealism of both Sam Simmons and Pat Cahill, plus the arid wit of awkwardness in the poetry of Tim Key.

Friday November 13

LIVE IN LONDON: It's Kevin Eldon! Plus an absurdist Edinburgh Comedy Award double bill of John Kearns and Bridget Christie, mocking his own life and patriarchy respectively. All compered by the sharp Nish Kumar at the Bush Hall in Shepherds Bush

ON DEMAND: Frank Skinner is returning to the chat show, hosting a new programme for the BBC iPlayer on which his guests talk about other programmes they are enjoying on the on-demand service.

Published: 8 Nov 2015