Elis James, John Robins and the rest of the week's live comedy

The best of the week's live comedy.

Sunday October 21

SALFORD: Comedians and commercial digital indie radio DJs Elis James and John Robins embark on a short tour at the Lowry to promote their new book, The Holy Vible, with all the in-jokes you might expect from the cult radio show and podcast which spawned from it. They are at the Glasgow Tramway tomorrow and all the other dates are here.

Monday October 22

BIRMINGHAM: Following the launch of her BBC Three series Politics For Bitches, Luisa Omielan embarks on a UK tour of the same name, telling the heart-rending story of how her mother’s treatment within the NHS in her dying days has made her an unlikely political animal. She’s at the O2 Institute tonight, then the O2 Academies in Leeds, Newcastle, Sheffield and Oxford over the rest of the week.

LONDON: Mark Thomas starts a two-week run of his latest show, Check Up, at the Arcola Theatre, offering his diagnosis of the NHS as it celebrates its 70th birthday. As much documentary as it is comedy, Thomas’s show (reviewed here) sounds a cautionary note about the private companies moving in on the health service.

LONDON: LGBT comedians raise money for Stonewall at a benefit gig at the Comedy Store. But as much as it’s a good cause, come for the comedy of a strong line-up of Bethany Black, Heidi Regan, Jen Brister,Rosie Jones, Sarah Keyworth, Twayna Mayne, Zoe Lyons and Suzi Ruffell

Wednesday October 24

LONDON: The Backyard Comedy Club in Bethnal Green hosts Choose Laughs, a fundraiser for Help Refugees, featuring Dane Baptiste, Fern Brady, Lou Sanders, Phil Wang, Tony Law and Tiernan Douieb.

Thursday October 25

LONDON: Mark Watson hosts one of his ‘Wangabouts’ at the Crouch End ArtHouse tonight, with the Last Leg’s Adam Hills, top musical comic Christian Reilly, nutty Lou Sanders and very promising newcomer William Stone.

LONDON: Way back in 2008, Nick Helm wrote his last play for the Edinburgh Festival, a musical B-movie horror tribute entitled I Think, You Stink! Thought lost in the mists of time, it’s now being resurrected for a three-night pre-Halloween run at the Pleasance in Islington. Presented in Hypno-Vision.

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Published: 21 Oct 2018