Banana and Bearcat return... and the rest of the week's live comedy picks

Our pick of the week's best live comedy

Sunday August 30

NEWCASTLE: Jason Manford plays the socially-distant Virgin Money Unity Arena, which used to be known as the Newcastle Racecourse in the Before Times. Jimmy Carr is there on Monday and Bill Bailey visits on Tuesday, before he reportedly heads into Strictly Come Dancing.

Monday August 31

LONDON: Mischief Theatre, the company behind The Play That Goes Wrong, takes over the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre for a movie night, improvising a full film based on a genre, location and title suggested by the audience. There are three shows, at 3pm, 6pm and 9pm.

LONDON: An excellent lineup at the Bussey Rooftop Bar in Peckham features two inventively funny Edinburgh Comedy Award winners, John Kearns and Tim Key, plus the wry, personable wit of Sarah Keyworth

Tuesday September 1

BRIGHTON: Key makes the short trip to the south coast today to join Kiri Pritchard-McLean and Mae Martin for a great ‘standup under the stars’ show at the open air theatre. Stars of the celestial type not guaranteed, especially for the 6.30pm show. The second performance is at 8.30pm. There’s another excellent line-up here tomorrow with Bridget Christie, John Robins and Suzi Ruffell; and again on Thursday with Ivo Graham, Shappi Khorsandi and Tim Vine.

Wednesday September 2

LONDON: Not all of the South Norwood Community Festival is going ahead, but the comedy survives! Talented circuit acts Lloyd Griffith, Sara Barron, Stephen Carlin, and Toussaint Douglass take to the stage at Stanley Hall.

Saturday September 5

LONDON: A couple of the capital’s longest-running comedy clubs emerge gingerly from lockdown tonight, with their first try of socially distanced gigs. In Balham, Banana Cabaret at the Bedford pub welcomes Stephen K Amos (pictured) Eleanor Tiernan and Tom Lucy; while at the Bearcat Club in Twickenham, Paul McCaffrey, Paul Thorne, Rudi Lickwood and Simon Evans rechristen the stage.

Published: 30 Aug 2020