The week's live comedy,,,

The best of the week's live comedy.

Sunday June 3

LONDON: It's the final of the Leicester Square Theatre's Old Comedian Of The Year competition at 3pm this afternoon (well, these doddery types don't like to be up late). MC Lynn Ruth Miller will introduce sets from Ada Campe, Cerys Nelmes, Chantal Feduchin-Pate, Colin Chadwick, Jane Hill, Jules Oliver, Oh Standfast, Paul Merryck, Rob Deb, Ryan Cull, Stylophobia and Terence Frisby. And reigning champ Nick Elleray will headline while judges deliberate.

NOTTINGHAM: Prime provocateur Doug Stanhope makes one of his regular trips to the UK this week, kicking off with the Belgrave Rooms tonight. Stops in Cardiff, London's Brixton Academy and Glasgow follow over the rest of the week, with Newcastle, Leeds, Birmingham, Dublin, Manchester, the Hammersmith Apollo and Bath to follow. Dates and tickets

MANCHESTER: In a rare visit to the UK, Iranian-American comedian K-von (Kevan Moezzi) plays the Frog & Bucket tonight. He's previously supported fellow Persian Maz Jobrani of the Axis of Evil comedy group on tour.

Monday June 4

READING: Griff Rhys Jones, Henning Wehn, Jess Robinson, Phil Hammond, Phill Jupitus and Lloyd Langford play the Hexagon in The Big Comedy Bash, a fundraiser for the Slapstick Festival of vintage comedy held in Bristol every year.

LONDON: American comic Rory Scovel has won praise for the way he keeps his audience on their toes, with his unpredictable absurdity… and he's at the Soho Theatre all week.

LONDON:  Spencer Jones, John Kearns, Tom Ward, Jordan Brookes, Michael Stranney (who performs in character as naive Irishman Daniel Du and MC Mae Martin play a benefit gig at the Bull Murray in Islington for a charity called Serve, which fights child poverty. Stranney is heading to Mozambique to work with the charity nexyt month.

BRIGHTON: The idiots of the Alternative Comedy Memorial Society (ACMS) arrive at the seaside, with George Egg, Greg McHugh, Joanna Neary, Laura Lexx, Michael Legge, Thom Tuck, Tom Bell, William Andrews and John-Luke Roberts among the oddballs performing at Komedia tonight.

Tuesday June 5

LONDON: The Gits and Shiggles Comedy Club celebrates his 7th birthday at the Half Moon in Putney with perennial prankster Simon Brodkin, master anecdotalist Glenn Wool, compelling storyteller Brett Goldstein, Russian stand-up Olga Koch and the affable Barry Ferns.

Wednesday June 6

LONDON: The Laugh Till It Hurts in aid of MacMillan Cancer Support boasts a packed line-up of comics, any one of whom is a headliner in their own right. Playing the Leicester Square Theatre are Ellie Taylor, Kevin Day,Marcel Lucont, Mark Dolan, Paul Foot, Paul Sinha, Scott Capurro and Terry Alderton. Phew!

LONDON: Not necessarily our cup of tea, but her 2.7million Twitter followers would disagree… Miranda Sings, the self-obsessed and talentless YouTube star- and alter-ego of American comic Colleen Ballinger - plays Indigo at The O2 tonight before heading across the Irish Sea for date in Dublin, Cork and Belfast.

Thursday June 7

LICHFIELD: A nice taste of variety ay the Funhouse comedy club in the George hotel, with Tom Binns' phoney psychic (aren't they all?) Ian D Montfort, daffy prop duo The Raymond & Mr Timpkins Revue, and stand-up Barry Dodd. The main acts are doubling up with the Ashby-de-la-Zouch Lyric Rooms tonight, too.

Friday June 8

LONDON: America's A-grade storytelling comic Mike Birbiglia performs the first of three nights of his show, The New One, at Leicester Square Theatre. It's is about fatherhood and when it's the right time to settle down and have children. He also tells the story of happened when he checked out Amsterdam's red light district and returns to the subject of his sleepwalking. here is our review of the show for last year's Just For Laughs festival in Montreal.

Saturday June 9

LONDON: Stamptown Comedy Night is a raucous collection of weird and wonderful acts, well befitting the 11.30pm start time at Soho Theatre. Curated by livewire duo Zach & Viggo, tonight's bill includes lf Lyons, John Kearns, Lolly Adefope, Mae Martin and Spencer Jones.

SWANSEA: David Baddiel's moving and funny show about his mother and dementia-ridden father, My Family Not The Sitcom, reaches the Grand Theatre.

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Published: 3 Jun 2018