The best of the week's live comedy

The best of the week's live comedy

Monday July 15

DARLINGTON: The Hilarity Bites chain of clubs hosts the final of its annual new act competition at the Hole in the Wall. Competing for the title this year are Evaldas Kerosas, Catherine Young, Jack Topher, Andrew Thompson, Catherine Burgis and Horatio Gould.

YORK: The 11-day Great Yorkshire Fringe kicks off for its fifth year, with a relatively quiet opening night comprising Edinburgh previews from Stephen Buchanan and Aaron Simmons, and the first heat of the event’s new comedian of the year competition. Browse all the shows on the festival website

LONDON: The Ealing Comedy Festival kicks off in a marquee erected in Walpole Park, with every line-up a winner. Tonight sees a rare set by QI’s Alan Davies, the underrated (except those in the know) Boothby Graffoe, empowering Luisa Omielan, and affable grouch Bob Mills. Here are the listings.

LONDON: Absolutely bonkers Australian comic Demi Lardner lands at Soho Theatre for a three-night run of Ditch Witch 800 en route to the Edinburgh Fringe. The joint winner of 2013’s So You Think You’re Funny? competition - how long ago that seems! - has already performed this show widely down under - read our review here.

RUSPER: It’s in West Sussex - in case you had to ask - but the village of 1,400 boasts a remarkably strong line-up in its Lamb Inn, with circuit stalwart  Dominic Holland (father of Spiderman star Tom), the smart-but-dumb Radio 4 comic Josh Howie, TV regular Zoe Lyons and longstanding compere Windsor.

Friday July 19

LONDON: Michelle Wolf plays the first of two long-sold-out gigs at the Leicester Square Theatre, showing why she’s become an increasingly influential voice in comedy since pissing off Donald Trump so royally with her uncompromising set at last year’s White House Correspondents Dinner. She’s also at the Birmingham Glee next Tuesday and the Salford Lowry on Wednesday.

SOUTHWOLD: The Latitude festival kicks off in earnest, with the Chortle Student Comedy Award finalists getting the comedy arena under way at 11am. Jason Manford, Katherine Ryan, Frank Skinner and Michelle Wolf are among the more established stars at the jam-packed weekend.

Saturday July 20

IVYBRIDGE: The Devon town hosts a full day of Edinburgh Fringe previews in the Watermark, featuring the likes of Desiree Burch, Joz Norris and Michael Legge, kicking off at 2pm. All-day tickets are £20.

YORK: The  Hyena Lounge Comedy Club offers a great line-up at the Great Yorkshire Fringe, with Angelos Epithemiou, Gary Delaney and Alex Boardman.

Published: 14 Jul 2019