The best of the week's live comedy

The best of the week's live comedy.

Sunday February 18

NEWCASTLE: If you're a fan of Chris Morris's Brass Eye, you'll want to head to The Stand for Oxide Ghosts, a show featuring unseen material from groundbreaking satire from the personal archive of director Michael Cumming. It starts at 5pm. And if you're not a fan of Brass Eye… why the hell not?

LEICESTER: The city's comedy festival continues this week, and tonight's pick is Michael Legge's justified fury, combined with a heartfelt tribute to his dog, Jerk. At Firebug at 6.30pm.

RICHMOND:  Colin Hoult brings his mad theatrical alter-ego Anna Mann to the Orange Theatre to explain her possibly misguided ideas of  How We Stop the Fascists. Review

Monday February 19

ABERDEEN: Rich Hall's wonderfully entertaining mix of comedy and country music visits Scotland this week. Folks will be having their hoedown at the Tivoli Theatre tonight, Inverness's Eden Court Theatre tomorrow, Lerwick on Wednesday, Findhorn on Thursday, The Queens Hall in Edinburgh on Friday, Stirling on Saturday and Arbroath next Sunday, Tickets.

Tuesday February 20

LONDON: Tommy Cockles, the music hall great you might remember from the Fast Show, hosts an evening at the 100 Club in Oxford Street that also features pub bore Billy Bleach, dangerous criminal Tony Beckton, unpublished Yorkshire poet Geoffrey Allerton and prog rocker Brian Pern… all of whom bear some relation to Simon Day. The night also features Paul Putner as Frankie Tan and  stand-up from Barry From Watford and Jeff Innocent

Wednesday February 21

LONDON: There's a double recording of two of the best indie comedy podcast around -  Pappy's Flatshare Slamdown and Do The Right Thing - at the Phoenix just off Oxford Circus tonight.

Thursday February 22

COVENTRY: The Chortle Student Comedy Award hits the road again! Ian Boldsworth performs a rare live gig to compere our opening heat at Warwick University's student union. Too many big-name comics to mention  have come through the competition… who will we find this year? Non-students welcome.

LEICESTER: Angela Barnes, the host of Radio 4 Extra's Newsjack, embarks on a tour of her latest show Fortitude at the Cookie, as part of the Leicester Comedy Festival. More dates here.

OAKHAM: It may be England's smallest county, but there's a big bill in Rutland tonight at one-line-monger Gary Delaney is joined by jaunty Justin Moorhouse and top observationists Scott Bennett and Andrew Ryan at the Grainhouse.

Friday February 23

LONDON: London's first ever East European comedy festival is on, with comedians from 15 nations taking part: Bosnia, Croatia, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Malta, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Turkey. Tonight is the first English language show, taking place at the Seven Dials club in Covent Garden at 8pm.

LONDON: There's always a great bill at Bush Hall Presents in West London, and so it is tonight, too: with Cats Do Countdown's resident scruff  Joe Wilkinson, the frustrated, modest hopes of John Kearns, astute social – and personal – commentator Sara Pascoe and the dynamic Suzi Ruffell.

CARDIFF: Independent comedy DVD label Go Faster Stripe is holding its third annual comedy festival at the Chapter Arts Centre tonight and tomorrow. Ben Moor,  John-Luke Roberts, Simon Munnery, Rachel Fairburn and Alfie Brown will all be taping their shows for future release, and tickets are all a risk-free 'pay what you decide', with a bucket passed around for donations after each show. Listings.

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Published: 18 Feb 2018