In London, Dublin, York, Norwich and South Shields

Sunday July 24

LIVE IN LONDON: One of the best days at Just For Laughs London with your choice of fretful Mark Watson, compelling storyteller Glenn Wool or puppet-human double act Sammy J & Randy.

Monday July 25:

LIVE IN YORK: Sammy J and Randy move up to the Great Yorkshire Fringe, where they stay for the next two nights, too. Other highlights this week include Richard Herring (Tuesday); Alexis Dubus and his French alter-ego Marcel Lucont (Wednesday); and Henning Wehn (Thursday to Saturday).

Tuesday July 26

LIVE IN LONDON: The  Greenwich Comedy Festival kicks off in the historic environs of the National Maritime Museum, with Adam Buxton’s special Bug devoted to David Bowie (Review) tonight. Other top-flight comics appearing over the rest of the week – the festival ends on Sunday – include Jason Manford, Sara Pascoe,  Milton Jones, James Acaster, Rob Delaney and Nina Conti. Website.

LIVE IN LONDON: Aisling Bea, Brendon Burns and John-Luke Roberts are among the acts raising money for the PBH Free Fringe, the organisation that transformed the Edinburgh festival, at Paper Dress Vintage in Hackney.  

RADIO: Stephen Fry plays spoof undercover investigative reporter David Lander in an always welcome rerun of Delve Special. This is the first ever episode, originally broadcast in 1984, which probes irregularities over plans to site a new London airport …. near Birmingham. Foreshadowing budget airlines loose definition of a city airport perhaps?

TV:  Sky Atlantic airs the new HBO comedy Vice Principals, starring Danny McBride from Eastbound & Down and Walton Goggins as two teachers who both have an eye on the top job at a suburban high school. Cameos over the nine-part series include Will Ferrell and Bill Murray. 21/35

Wednesday July 27

RADIO: Felicity Montagu and Olivia Nixon play mother and daughter in the new Radio 4 comedy-drama Guilt Trip, which shouldn’t be such a stretch since that’s their real-life relationship. The four-part series - which also stars Tim Key - tracks their strained relationship on a two-week sponsored walk along the Thames Path to raise money for the dead father's charity. Radio 4, 11.30am

Thursday July 28

LIVE IN DUBLIN: The Vodafone Comedy Festival takes over Iveagh Gardens for its tenth anniversary. David O’Doherty, Al Porter, Jason Byrne, Milton Jones and Stewart Francis are among those popping in over the next four days.

LIVE IN NORWICH: And there’s another comedy festival here, in the Chapelfield Gardens. It kicks off with finely-crafted John Moloney, crowd-pleaser Stephen K Amos, and classy Tom Stade, with the likes of Andy Parsons,  Phil Nichol and Andrew Maxwell popping in over the next few nights. Listings

RADIO: Comedian Simon Evans returns for a second series of Goes To Market, offering humorous lectures on four major stages of life, and the economics behind them.

Friday July 29

LIVE IN SOUTH SHIELDS Comic Jason Cook has set up a small comedy festival in South Shields in the run-up to Edinburgh. James Acaster, Nish Kumar and Joel Dommett are among the acts playing the Customs House – where he also runs a regular comedy club – from now until August 7. Website

Saturday July 30

LIVE IN SOUTHAMPTON: The Comedy Bar’s Big Gig offers a very strong line-up, with former Chortle Best Club Comic Paul Sinha, gifted storyteller Brett Goldstein and upbeat Tom Deacon, all compered by Safeword’s David Morgan.

• For full live comedy listings, use the pull-down menus at the top of the page to see what's on near you on any given day.

Published: 24 Jul 2016