The best of the week's live comedy

The best of the week's live comedy.

Sunday May 21

CARDIFF: Lloyd Langford, Matt Rees and Scott Gibson join host Mark Olver for his regular Sunday night show The Gathering at the Glee, a more relaxed, experimental night than the usual weekend offering.

BRIGHTON: The Fringe continues all week (Website). Today's picks are Louise Reay's new satire about censorship, Hard Mode, at Komedia at 4.15pm and Madame Senorita's bizarre physical comedy at the Warren at 9.30pm.

Tuesday May 23

MANCHESTER: Following an LA fundraiser earlier in the month, it's the first UK benefit to raise money to cover the medical bills of comic Jim Tavare who is recovering from serious injuries sustained in a car crash earlier this year. Joe Lycett, John Thomson, Jo Caulfield, Alun Cochrane, Tom Wrigglesworth and Mick Ferry are on the bill at the Comedy Store.

Wednesday May 24

OXFORD: Adam Buxton pays tribute to the Thin White Duke with the David Bowie special of his Bug show, playing classic music videos – and mocking what the internet has to say about them. At the O2 Academy. And it's at the Birmingham O2 Institute tomorrow.

HITCHIN: They may be weirdos on the edge of society, but cult favourites Barry From Watford and Angelos Epithemiou – sad co-dependents in the Steptoe & Son vein – have started a spiritual movement to cure Britain. Get your fix at the Swan Inn tonight and Bristol's Colston Hall tomorrow. Review

Thursday May 25

LONDON: Richard Gadd revives his intense, soul-baring Edinburgh Comedy Award-winning show about masculinity at the the Battersea Arts Centre. Monkey See, Monkey Do runs (literally) until Saturday.

Friday May 26

LONDON: As his sitcom hits BBC One primetime, where it surely belongs, the befuddled Count Arthur Strong makes a return to his spiritual home of the London Palladium. Tickets

WELLS: The Somerset town gets spoiled for its annual comedy festival, taking place across three venues all weekend. This year's programme, put together by former Time Out comedy editor Ben Williams, includes shows from Stewart Lee, Milton Jones, Joe Lycett, Bridget Christie, James Acaster, Sara Pascoe and Richard Herring. The 'sold out' signs have – quite understandably – gone up on lots of them, but tickets are still available for others. Check out the website here.

WOLVERHAMPTON: A strong double bill from cusp-of-bigtime acts Adam Hess and Rhys James, mixing sharp and silly at the Slade Rooms tonight.

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Published: 21 May 2017