The best of the week's live comedy

The best of the week's live comedy. Use Chortle's search panel to check out our full listings of more than 6,000 events by date and region.

Sunday September 5

SOUTHSEA: Jack Dee's rescheduled Off The Telly tour kicks off at the Kings Theatre tonight, with dates keeping him busy - and no doubt grumpy - until October next year. All the dates are here.

WOLVERHAMPTON: The Just The Tonic club is throwing one of its 'comedy shindigs' in West Park from 6pm, with a rock-solid bill comprising Hal Cruttenden, Jo Caulfield and Paul Sinha. Tickets are available here.

ELSTREE: Shaparak Khorsandi, Simon Brodkin, Esther Manito and Matt Richardson play the outdoor Comedy In The Forest gig at Home Town Glamping from 2pm.

Monday September 6

ONLINE: For the rest of the month, Daniel Kitson is presenting an audio-only work-in-progress gig every Monday to Thursday entitled Shenaniganagainagain. He told subscribers to his mailing list: 'Whilst these won't be the final, finished show – they will be pretty late stage work in progress, so you will get the full story.' Once it's finished, the comedian will release the show as on vinyl, CD and cassette - which has to be ordered by September 30 because… well because it's Daniel Kitson and 'limited edition' are his middle names. Each week's shows take place at a different time, to make it easier to listen to whatever part of the world you are in. This week it's at 6pm; then 11pm next week, noon the week after and back at 6pm for the week starting September 7. Tickets, available here are priced £5 with proceeds going to Calais-based charity Refugee Info Bus.

LONDON: The long-running Old Rope new material night moves to the spiritual home of stand-up, the Comedy Store. Tonight its regular host and organiser Tiff Stevenson introduces the works in progress of Alfie Brown, Geoff Norcott, Jen Brister, Loyiso Gola, Sarah Kendall and Sindhu Vee.

Tuesday September 7

LONDON: Uber and the Evening Standard are sponsoring a big stand-up night at the Underbelly Festival in Cavendish Square, just behind Oxford Street. Phil Wang headlines, very ably supported by the varied talents of Babatunde Aleshe, Evelyn Mok, Huge Davies and Jessica Fostekew. Wang's Philly Philly Wang Wang tour also continues in Chipping Norton on Thursday.

Wednesday September 8

LONDON: Phil Nichol takes time off from his West End role in Everyone's Talking About Jamie to launch a London version of the Cray Cray Cabaret that he's previously hosted in Edinburgh. And he's got quite the line-up for the first of the monthly gigs: Rich Hall, Jayde Adams, Huge Davies and Njambi McGrath alongside their house band David Tims & The Big-Ish.

MARGATE: Simon Amstell starts his new tour Spirit Hole, a typically soul-searching affair described as a 'blissful, spiritual, sensational exploration of love, sex, shame, mushrooms and more'. It winds up at the London Palladium on November 9 and all the dates are here.

POOLE: Britain's Got Talent finalist and racist-baiter Nabil Abdulrashid (who boasts more than 3,000 Ofcom complaints to his name) takes to the road with his new tour N.A.B.I.L. (Nobody Actually Believed I'd Last), which covers his life from growing up under military rule in Nigeria to falling into legal trouble as a teenager in London and more. Full tour dates are here

Thursday September 9

UPDATE:  Katherine Ryan's new tour show, Missus, was due to kick off today. But since publishing this round-up we have been told the start has been put back: Katherine Ryan tour dates. 

LONDON: Inventive Aussie character comedian Steen Raskopoulos unveils his new show, Business. Never. Stops, at the Soho Theatre until Saturday. No clues to the content, but expect eccentricity.

EAST GRINSTEAD: A top-drawer club night at the Dorset Arms, courtesy of Comedy Beats, offers the hugely experienced quartet of Adam Bloom, Christian Reilly, Jeff Innocent and Sean Percival.

Friday September 10

LONDON: Trevor Noah had the dubious honour of being one of the first comedians to cancel UK shows because of coronavirus. The Daily Show host - billed as the most successful African comic - finally makes it to London tonight and tomorrow as his Back To Abnormal tour hits the O2

LONDON: A fine line-up at the Hackney Comedy Experience at EartH boasts Harry Hill, Ardal O'Hanlon, Jessica Fostekew and Shaparak Khorsandi,

Saturday September 11

LIVERPOOL: St Luke's Bombed Out Church provides a dramatic backdrop for a variety-packed Laughterhouse Comedy gig featuring the puns of Gary Delaney, the bonkers storytelling of Mick Miller and the daft prop comedy of Raymond & Mr Timpkins Revue all under the eye of host Chris Cairns,

Published: 5 Sep 2021