The best comedy this week

The best comedy this week.

Monday January 16

LIVE IN LONDON: There’s a strong bill at the Comedy Store tonight as Hal Cruttenden, Paul Chowdhry, Josh Howie, Ivo Graham, Sara Pascoe perform in a benefit for Al Grice, a  soldier serving with the Household Cavalry Regiment who was left in a coma following a serious motorbike accident in September.

Wednesday January 18

LIVE IN LONDON: Glenn Wool’s tales from a life lived to the full never fail to provide vicarious entertainment. He’s on at the Hippodrome in Leicester Square tonight alongside silly  Howard Read and cheekily affable Matt Reed.

LIVE IN LONDON: Shunning the usual faux-chumminess of comperes, aloof French character Marcel Lucont looks down his nose at his audience as he introduces Third Reich-themed songs from Frank Sanazi, utter insanity from Terry Alderton and more sensitive comic songwriting from Rachel Parris at his Cabaret Fantastique at the Prince Of Wales in Brixton.

Thursday January 19

TV: On the eve of armageddon - or the day man-baby Donald Trump gets his tiny finger on the nuclear button - Jack Dee’s HelpDesk returns to BBC Two for a US presidential inauguration special. Romesh Ranganathan and Gabby Logan join him. BBC Two, 10pm

TV: The backlash may have robbed the world of one of Carrie Fisher’s last roles, after Sky decided to drop its Urban Myths comedy in which Michael Jackson was played by the decidedly white Joseph Fiennes - but the rest of the series remains intact. Tonight’s opening episode tells the apocryphal story of Bob Dylan, who decides to play an impromptu visit to his friend and fellow musician Dave Stewart at home. But he gets the wrong house, and it turns out to be the home of Dave Stewart the plumber – and massive fan of Dylan's. Eddie Marsan stars as Dylan, Paul Ritter as Dave and Katherine Parkinson as his wife Ange. Sky Arts, 10pm

RADIO:  Gemma Whelan, from Game of Thrones, Upstart Crow and Uncle, starts a new comedy chat show in the guise of her upper-class socialite Chastity Butterworth. She and her faithful butler  Roger (Mike Wozniak) invite listeners to one of her legendary social soirées at her country house. Real-life guests in episode one are.Joe Lycett, Lady Colin Campbell and Charles Dance. Radio 4, 11pm

LIVE IN LONDON: The Sabotage Night at the Bill Murray in Islington offers a fine selection of comic from the more alternative end of the spectrum, with Emma Sidi, Fin Taylor, John Kearns, Sara Pascoe, Tony Law and the relatively sane compering of  Kiri Pritchard McLean.

LIVE IN EDINBURGH: Two very different styles of comedy are on offer at The Stand these days, from the slick, sometimes provocative, stand-up of Tom Stade to the befuddled silliness of Noel James. Top compere Bruce Devlin holds it all together.

Friday January 20

LIVE IN BIRMINGHAM: Glenn Wool - mentioned above - heads up the M40 for a weekend of gigs at the Glee Club, where he’s ably supported by the withering camp charm of Tom Allen as well as circuit stalwarts  Jarlath Regan and Mike Gunn.

Saturday January 21

LIVE IN BANBURY:  Zoe Lyons is a comedian at the top of her game, and in her new Little Misfit tour - which kicks off at the Mill Arts Centre tonight - she nails routines about her Catholic upbringing, Brexit, and national stereotypes. It’s an unstoppable force of punchy, hilarious stand-up.  Click here for all her dates.

LIVE IN LONDON: There's a big benefit at the Conway Hall in Central London raising funds for Brook - the sexual health and wellbeing charity for young people. The bill boasts Al Murray, Ed Byrne, Richard Herring and many more...

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Published: 15 Jan 2017