Pascoe, Key and FAGZ in the festive week ahead

The comedy week ahead.

Sunday December 13

LIVE IN LIVERPOOL: The city's Laughterhouse comedy club takes over the Philharmonic Hall for its biggest gig of the year. Irish powerhouse Tommy Tiernan headlines, plus there's the smarts of Paul Sinha, the wordplay of Gary Delaney, the dry wit of Alun Cochrane, the affability of Jason Cook and the empowering sarcasm of Katherine Ryan.

LIVE IN SHEFFIELD: Sheffield United FC hosts Giggle Aid, a benefit for the British Red Cross, with an varied circuit bill including Aisling Bea, Carl Donnelly, Dane Baptiste, Martin Mor, Tom Binns and host Sully O'Sullivan.

Monday December 14

LIVE IN BRIGHTON: Mark Steel tells an absolutely cracking story about his family tree in Who Do I Think I Am?, which he performs in the intimate Caroline Of Brunswick pub room tonight ahead of a 2016 tour.

LIVE IN LONDON: Sara Pascoe starts a week-and-a-half run of her Christmas Assembly at the Battersea Arts Centre, offering a host of new festive traditions such as the mouse choir, Father Crispin's Centipede, the chastity bucket and the Dead Sea Dolls. No, we've no idea what any of this means either…

LIVE IN LONDON: James Acaster hits the West End, as he brings his excellent Edinburgh Comedy Award-nominated show Represent to the Lyric Theatre for a one-off tonight.

Tuesday December 15

LIVE IN LONDON: Talking of Edinburgh Comedy Awards, Sofie Hagen took home the newcomer gong this August for her show Bubblewrap. It's an uplifting story of self-acceptance, though the unlikely prism of Westlife, and is on at the Soho Theatre from now until January 6.

Wednesday December 16

TV: John Thomson is back for a one of Christmas special of Legends Of Stand-Up & Bernard Righton, with his politically correct club comedian alter-ego introducing archive footage about the festive season from Les Dawson, Bill Hicks, Max Wall, Emo Phillips, The Multichords, Frankie Howerd, Bob Monkhouse, Tommy Cooper and Victoria Wood. Gold, 10pm

LIVE IN LONDON: Deadpan poet and comic Tim Key spends the rest of the week at the Arts Theatre, with his festive show charmingly titled Father Slutmas…

LIVE IN LONDON: Future megastar (if there's any justice) Spencer Jones joins an interesting bill at the Sabotage night at the Backyard Comedy Club. Also performing are Garrett Millerick, Katia Kvinge, Pat Cahill and Tez Ilyas

Thursday December 17

RADIO: Radio 4 Extra reruns the 2006 programme Great Lives, in which scrutineer Matthew Parris decides whether Morecambe and Wise are worthy of that description. Making the case is Penelope Keith who, of course, appeared in the duo's 1977 Christmas day show, seen by almost 29 million people, when she starred in the play what Ernie wrote, Cyrano de Bergerac. 6/30pm.

Friday December 18

LIVE IN LONDON: Laugh Out London host a Big Christmas Weekend tonight and tomorrow, raising money for Shelter. And just look who they've got coming to the derelict glamour of Grotto @ The HoHo Theatre. Tonight it's Harry Hill, Stewart Lee Henning When, LetLuce and Spencer Jones; tomorrow it's Isy Suttie, John Kearns, Rachel Parris and Rob Newman.

LIVE IN EDINBURGH: More cabaret than comedy, though there's a mordant wit to his intense sad-clown persona, Puddles Pity Party is at the Spiegeltent in St Andrews Square tonight and tomorrow.

Saturday December 19

LIVE IN LONDON: A sterling stand-up bill at Islington Assembly Hall boasts Mark Watson, Felicity Ward, Lloyd Griffith and Sean McLoughlin.

LIVE IN LONDON: Festive Funz And Gamez comez to the Soho Theatre, as Phil Ellis, Bonzo the Dog, Jim the Elf and Uncle Rick return with the sequel to the anarchic favourite, more of their boisterous games for children – and inappropriate jokes for adults. Stuff the panto, come here instead, twice daily until December 23.

Published: 13 Dec 2015