The best of the week's live comedy

The best of the week's live comedy.

Sunday March 11

GLASGOW: The city's busy comedy festival continue apace all week. Tonight's picks: Tales of rural life from farmer-turned comedian Jim Smith at the Stand at 6.30pm; or Brendon Burns raging about the crisis facing masculinity, at the Blackfriars Basement at 7.30pm.

Monday March 12

LONDON: 2018 Chortle Award nominee Joseph Morpurgo's new show Hammerhead - staged as a post-show Q&A after a boundary-smashing, nine-hour adaption of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, is as ambitious as his show-outwith-a-show, as he brilliantly shows the detrimental side of an all-consuming passion. This inventive and funny multimedia show begins a second week at the Soho Theatre tonight, after an initial run in January did so well.

LONDON: It's the final of the Funny Women Awards at the Duchess Theatre tonight. Competing for the title are Ashlee Bentley, Jodie Mitchell, Lily Phillips, Chloe Petts, Amy Mason, Louise Young, Thanyia Moor,e Maisie Adam, Susan Riddell, Megan Clair Shandley, Naomi Sheldon,Lou Conran, Gabby Killick

MANCHESTER: Kevin Bridges headlines a Shake With Laughter beenfit at the Comedy Store tonight, with a bill that also includes Paul Sinha, Mick Ferry ,Allyson June Smith, Caimh McDonnell and Delightful Sausage.

SOUTHAMPTON: It's the penultimate week of the Chortle Student Comedy Award heats. We've already found plenty of good new talent – and there's more to come at the Bridge Bar in Southampton Uni's student union tonight, the New Adelphi Theatre in Salford tomorrow and Bristol student union on Thursday.

Wednesday March 14

LONDON: Bridget Christie embarks on a keenly anticipated new tour at the 100 Club - with a bid to go mainstream. 'I think of it as my Chris de Burgh show,' she told the Guardian last month. 'I've tried to write something that lots of people might enjoy. I've never done that before.' She's hinted that the show will continue to portray the bafflement at the world and frustrations at the likes of Brexit, but also promises an air of positivity, After tonight's gig, Christie is at the Citizens Theatre in Glasgow on Friday and Saturday as part of the comedy festival and then all these dates, with the tour properly getting under way at the end of April.

LONDON: In his homeland, he's the host of South Africa's Got Talent. Now comic Tats Nkonzo plays the back room of a pub, the wonderful Bill Murray, as part of his European tour.

LONDON: Rob Schneider, the star of Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo and Grown Ups, starts a short UK tour at Leicester Square Theatre. He's then at Glasgow's Oran Mor tomorrow, the Birmingham Asylum on Friday, The Live Rooms in Chester on Saturday and The Wardrobe in Leeds on Sunday. Tickets

Thursday March 15

LONDON:Some of the best comics around are gathering for an Alternative Gala Party at the Soho Theatre, to help support the venue's work with new artists. Tim Key, Bridget Christie, talented Icelandic stand-up Ari Eldjárn, New Zealand's Rose Matafeo and oddball drag-clown Dina Martina are all on the bill. And then there's the afterparty across two floors with drinking, dancing and pop-up performances.

LONDON: There's an unbeatable line-up at the Comedy Store this weekend… which is still the place all the comics bring their A-game. The varied line-up is sharply mischievous Carey Marx, posho Ivo Graham, darkly funny Mark Nelson, louche Tom Stade, and dry, sly and affable Alun Cochrane as host.

EDINBURGH: Mat Ewins' cheerily silly multimedia romp Adventureman 7: The Return of Adventureman will be delighting the audience at the Rose Theatre tonight. And stick around for a work in progress from Richard Gadd after.

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Published: 11 Mar 2018