The week's best live comedy

The best of the week's live comedy.  Use Chortle's search panel to check out our full listings of almost 8,000 events by date and region.

Sunday July 25

LONDON: Mark Thomas performs his inspiring show about Britishness, 50 Things About Us, at the Bill Murray in Islington at 8pm… and you can double that up with a work in progress from Bridget Christie straight afterwards, at 9.45pm

Wednesday July 28

ST ALBANS: The people that brought you the Bristol Comedy Garden, the Brighton Comedy Garden and the Greenwich Comedy… Festival unveil their latest five-night venture in Verulamium Park, with an A-list line-up every show, beginning with Ed Gamble, Ivo Graham, Josh Widdicombe and Sarah Keyworth tonight. It'd even be with the half-hour trip out of St Pancras if you're a Londoner. Full listings and ticket links.

LONDON: The Comedy Store hosts a Stand Up For Palestine fundraiser featuring Mark Thomas Christian Reilly, Eleanor Tiernan,Prince Abdi and many more.

LONDON: Lively Suzi Ruffell brings her cheery show Dance Like Everyone's Watching to the Soho Theatre until Sunday. It's an upbeat offering, but she can't help but wonder:  are stand-ups at their best when they are miserable? 

Thursday July 29

NORWICH: Chapelfield Gardens hosts a Laugh In The Park festival from tonight - when the headliner is comedy ventriloquist Paul Zerdin - until Sunday, when it's Seann Walsh. Full listings

Friday July 30

LONDON: Ed Gamble and James Acaster present a live version of their hit podcast Off Menu in the esteemed surroundings of the Royal Festival Hall.

HULL: It's a line-up of predominantly positive comics at the Comedy Lounge tonight as Barbara Nice, Carl Hutchinson, Patrick Monahan and Jack Gleadow spread good cheer all around. 

Saturday July 31

LEAMINGTON SPA/COVENTRY: Inventively offbeat telly star Milton Jones doubles up at two  Just The Tonic gigs in the West Midlands. Tickets.

LONDON: Bush Hall Presents is back in Shepherds Bush, with a typically impressive line-up of Bridget Christie, Desiree Burch and Phil Wang. Tickets.

LONDON: And just down the road, there's a great bill at the London Comedy Allstars at London Wonderland in Earls Court, too, with  Jamali Maddix, Jarred Christmas, Rhys James and Sophie Duker. Tickets

LONDON: Soho Theatre is running a day of comedy events at Fellowship Square at Waltham Forest town hall - not far from where it's set to open a big new venue in Walthamstow's former EMD Cinema. Today there are events to participate in, including a Q&A about what it's like to be a professional comedian, from 11.30am; then a free gig with comedians from refugee or migrant backgrounds at 3pm; and a ticketed (£5) headline show at  7pm with Simon Amstell, Shappi Khorsandi and Thanyia Moore.

MILTON KEYNES: Provocateur Reginald D Hunter and off-kilter character turn Angelos Epithemiou, of Shooting Stars fame, play the outdoor Comedy Under The Sun gig at Marston Moretaine Forest Centre.

Published: 25 Jul 2021