The comedy week ahead

The comedy week ahead...

Sunday January 3

TV A revamped version of Eddie Izzard’s Force Majeure stand-up show hits London’s West End later this month, but now here’s the chance to see the original, which took in 27 countries during its mammoth 2013/2014 tour. Dave, 10pm

LIVE IN NEWCASTLE: The Stand is hosting a benefit for victims of the floods that have hit the North West of England, and with a good local line-up for a good cause: Seymour Mace, Gavin Webster, John Scott, Nicola Mantalios-Lovett and host Matt Reed.

Monday January 4

LIVE IN LONDON: There’s some sharp-edged character comedy beneath the easy charm of Aussie performer Anne Edmonds, who arrives for a two-week stint in the Soho Theatre off the back of a strong run at the Melbourne Comedy Festival last year. Click here for our review.

Tuesday January 5

LIVE IN LONDON: His nomination for the Edinburgh Comedy Award last year came as something of a surprise. But only because Seymour Mace isn’t an ‘industry’ comedian; his funniness isn’t in doubt. Now the London cognoscenti will get a chance to see the daft Geordie, with a run at the Soho Theatre until the 16th.

TV: Channel 4 expands its Big Fat Quiz format to cover… well, everything. Taking part in the Big Fat Quiz of Everything are Jonathan Ross, Chelsea Peretti, Jack Whitehall, Mel Giedroyc, Richard Ayoade and Noel Fielding, 9pm

Thursday January 7

TV: Sports panel show A League Of Their Own returns to Sky 1 with regulars James Corden, Jamie Redknapp, Freddie Flintoff and Jack Whitehall, plus guests including David Walliams in this series opener. 9pm

TV: Andy Samberg’s fast and funny US cop comedy Brooklyn Nine-Nine returns for a new series, the third, on E4, starting with a double-bill. And the first episode introduces a new captain into this strange New York precinct. 9pm.

TV: Birds of a Feather returns for its third series starring Pauline Quirke, Linda Robson and Lesley Joseph as the original Essex girls. ITV, 8.30pm

LIVE IN LONDON: Billy Connolly starts his 12-night run at the Hammersmith Apollo - around 40,000 tickets which was apparently enough to make him the bestselling comic of 2015, based on advance ticket sales alone.

LIVE IN LONDON: A very strong bill at the Laughing Boy comedy club in the City’s Turntable bar tonight: superior down-his-nose camp from Tom Allen; grumpy social comment from Romesh Ranganathan and theatrically ranty newcomer Phil Jerrod do the business…

LIVE IN NOTTINGHAM: Ross Noble launches the Just The Tonic 2016 season, along with Paul McCarthy and former Edinburgh Comedy Award winner John Kearns.

Friday January 8

LIVE IN LEICESTER: Blatter-botherer Lee Nelson is to host the annual preview show launching Dave's Leicester Comedy Festival at the De Montfort Hall tonight. This curtain-raiser also features Sofie Hagen, Tom Little, Nish Kumar, Jen Brister, Kai Humphries and George Rigden. And the festival itself runs from February 3 to 21.

LIVE IN LEICESTER: The Beatles had their rooftop gig. Now Nick Helm gets his chance; headlining the Sabotage night at the Kensington Roof Gardens with his faux-aggressive patter.

Saturday January 9

LIVE IN BROMSGROVE: Prince of puns Gary Delaney starts a tour that keeps him busy right through to June. His philosophy is that a good joke should be ‘like a drunk Glaswegian, short and punchy’ - so expect an aural assault. Full schedule.

LIVE IN LONDON: Austentatious are to perform a special cross-dressing version of their show, in which they ad lib a new full-length Jane Austen-style drama, for charity. Performers Cariad Lloyd, Rachel Parris, Andrew Hunter Murray, Joseph Morpurgo, Amy Cooke-Hodgson, Graham Dickson and Charlotte Gittins will switch their bonnets and breeches in aid of the Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund at the Leicester Square Theatre.

LIVE IN BATH: Livewire improvisers The Noise Next Door headline the Komedia, alongside the hapless stories of Carl Donnelly and the powerhouse stand-up of Suzi Ruffel.

LIVE IN ABERDEEN: Smart, sarcastic and self-deprecating, rising star Nish Kumar brings his knowingly-titled tour show Long Word... Long Word... Blah Blah Blah... I'm so Clever to the Lemon Tree.

Published: 3 Jan 2016