A tight 5: August 27

LIVE At The Apollo is to return for six more episodes and a Christmas special, to be recorded at the London venue in October, Names of the stand-ups taking part in the 12th series have not yet been released, but free tickets are available here.

Ricky Gervais has a No. 3 album. The soundtrack to David Brent's Life On The Road entered this week's official charts behind Frank Ocean and Dolly Parton, it was revealed last night.

TWONKEY, the surreal storytelling alter ego of musician Paul Vickers, has been awarded the Malcolm Hardee Award for comic originality at the Edinburgh Fringe. Becky Fury won the cunning stunt award for advertising that she was a Last Minute comedy finalist – a competition run by clubs of that name and nothing to do with Edinburgh Comedy Award sponsor lastminute.com ; and the seven-month star of Come Look At The Baby. was named 'act most likely to make a million quid', despite initially having been nominated in the originality category.

NATIONAL LAMPOON is to to release its first album in 35 years. Are There Any Triggers Here Tonight? has been recorded by Tony Hendra, a veteran of the American sketch team, and The Final Edition Radio Hour. Released on September 9, the album is set at a comedy night in a small Ohio college where the sensitive audience get increasingly angry the material they hear. Preorder.

ZOE LYONS, Suzi Ruffell, Barbara Nice and Jayde Adams are to perform at a benefit gig for LGBT equality charity Stonewall in London next month. The all-female line-up at the Barbican Centre on September 27, also features Isma Almas, Maureen Younger and Sarah Keyworth. 

Published: 27 Aug 2016