Plus Jerry Sadowitz, Neil Hamburger and Nick Helm in the week's best live comedy

The best of the week's live comedy, picked from the 4,848 events Chortle currently has listed. Use our search panel to check our full listings by date and region.

Sunday October 2

MANCHESTER: The Women In Comedy Festival, which kicked off last night, continues all week. Tonight’s recommendation is high-octane cabaret outfit Flat & The Curves at Twenty Twenty Two at 5.30pm - and look out for the likes of Isy Suttie, Esther Manito, Rachel Fairburn, Helen Bauer, Lily Phillips and many more across the week. Festival website

Wednesday October 5

TUNBRIDGE WELLS: Nick Helm begins a tour of his latest show, What Have We Become? - an hour of poetry and stand-up about his pandemic, seeking optimism through the self-loathing. Nick Helm tour dates.

Thursday October 6

GUILDFORD: Following a string of work-in-progress dates, Harry Hill kicks off his new Pedigree Fun tour at G Live. In his first tour since 2013’s Sausage Time, Hill promises an ‘all-singing, all-dancing, one-man-spectacular’ and the chance to meet his new baby elephant, Sarah, and Ian, The Information Worm. When the tour was announced last year, Hill said: ‘I hadn’t realised how much I missed performing live until lockdown stopped me from doing it. It’s great to be going back on stage and the good news is I am planning a very silly show.’ Harry Hill tour dates

LONDON: Neil Hamburger brings his uniquely grubby - and hilarious - comedy stylings to the UK for a short tour starting - and ending - with a couple of nights at the Bill Murray. Neil Hamburger tour dates and tickets

LONDON:The four-day Cheerful Earful comedy podcast festival kicks off at The Bedford in Balham with Sounds Deals with Max & Ivan and guest Rosie Holt plus Desert Island Dicks with guest John Robins. A few of the festival’s shows are at The Princess Victoria pub in Shepherds Bush, too… Festival website

Friday October 7

HAMILTON: Following THAT Edinburgh Fringe controversy, Jerry Sadowitz kicks off a ten-date tour of Scotland at the Town House, Hamilton. The controversial comic says, unconvincingly, that he will ‘do less hate-fuelled swearing’ in the show, Not For Anyone, and instead ‘focus more on faux liberal pish in order to appeal to the middle class and their disposable income and personalities’. Jerry Sadowitz tour dates and ticket links.

BIRMINGHAM: The city’s comedy festival kicks off with its Breaking Talent Award at the Glee with Richard Dadd, Tal Davies, Jules O'Brian, Lovell Smith and Hannah Weetman battling it out for the title.

Saturday October 8

LONDON: QI’s Alan Davies headlines an excellent line-up at Woolwich Works that also boasts Ivo Graham, Kerry Godliman, Leo Reich and Fatiha El-Ghorri.

Published: 2 Oct 2022