The best of the week's live comedy

The week's best live comedy...

Sunday November 18

LONDON: Two and a bit years ago, Adam Kay presented an Edinburgh show entitled Fingering A Minor on the Piano, which gave little indication that the spoof ditties he had become known for would be interspersed with hilarious, moving and very human stories about his former life as a junior doctor, which inevitably had a political edge. It led to a book deal for his diaries, This Is Going To Hurt, which have topped the bestseller list for months and are set to be turned into a TV series. Now there’s a chance to see an updated version of the show that launched it all, with a matinee at 3pm and evening show at 7.30pm both with Mark Watson in support.

Monday November 19

LONDON: Connoisseurs of intricate wordplay are in for a treat at the Soho Theatre this week, as Glenn Moore brings his deft Edinburgh Comedy Award-nominated show Glenn Glenn Glenn, How Do You Like It, How Do You Like It to the Soho Theatre until Saturday.

BRIGHTON: American comic Ari Shaffir brings his hard-hitting Wandering Jew tour to the UK. He’s at the Komedia tonight, London’s Leicester Square Theatre on Wednesday and Thursday, and Manchester Dancehouse. Here is our review from this year’s Edinburgh Fringe, to give you an idea what to expect.

Tuesday November 20

LONDON: Tim Key heads a sterling line-up at The Victoria in Camden Town alongside his old mukker Tom Basden, co-writer of Plebs among much else, absurdist Lucy Pearman and the personal stand-up of Arnab Chanda.

LONDON: Thespian pretensions are an easy target, but Damien Warren-Smith hits them square on with his egotistical clown-inspired parody Garry Starr, who is ‘performing everything’ at the Soho Theatre for the rest of the week.

Wednesday November 21

CANTERBURY: The city’s Marlowe Theatre hosts another of its occasional, and always enticing, Alternative Comedy Shows with multi-award-winner John Kearns alongside Rosie Jones, Suzi Ruffell and much-tipped comedy duo Moon.

Thursday November 22

LONDON: The Winterville festival on Clapham Common hosts a stand-up show tonight, with the diverse talents of Fin Taylor, Harriet Dyer, Jessica Fostekew, Kerry Godliman and Tony Law performing amid the other alternative entertainments on offer at the event.

LEICESTER: The Just the Tonic Comedy Club brings some wonderful absurdity to the Hanson Hall courtesy of Milton Jones and Tom Ward, plus some well-observed homely whimsy from Tom Wrigglesworth

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Published: 18 Nov 2018