The week's best live comedy

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

Sunday August 13

LONDON: Micky Flanagan has a performance of his latest stand-up show, If Ever We Needed It…, at the West End's Lyric Theatre before picking up the UK tour next month. Tickets

LONDON: Sara Pascoe brings her show Success Story to the Regents Park Open Air theatre, telling how she reappriased what 'success' meant after undergoing IVF.

Tuesday August 15

LONDON: In Greece Lightning, 'overzealous idiot' Garry Starr attempts to perform all of Greek mythology in an hour of joyful anarchy. It's at the Soho Theatre until Saturday – and read our four-and-a-half star review from last year's Edinburgh Fringe here.

EDINBURGH: It's the Tartan Ribbon Comedy Benefit, Pleasance's big annual fundraiser for Waverley Care, Scotland's HIV and Hepatitis C charity. The confirmed line-up includes Nick Mohammed as Mr Swallow, Ivo Graham, Catherine Cohen, Andy Parsons, Shaparak Khorsandi, Janine Harouni, Daniel Foxx and Garrett Millerick, who hosts. It's in the Grand at 7.30pm.

EDINBURGH: And in an unfortunate bit of scheduling, it clashes with Underbelly's Big Brain-Tumour Benefit at 7.15pm in McEwan Hall. No line-up at the time of writing, but last year's included John Bishop, Phil Wang and Maisie Adam.

Wednesday August 16

THORINGTON: The season of al fresco comedy in the Suffolk woodlands continues with professional 'prick' Rosie Jones – as seen on last month's Channel 4 documentary about all the ableist abuse she receives – and the wildly surreal Tony Law/

Friday August 18

LONDON: The always-dependable Bush Hall Presents… delivers again, with a great line-up headlined by telly regular Maisie Adam and featuring insightful ranter Andrew Maxwell, straight-talking Jessica Fostekew and fast-rising Fatiha El-Ghorri. Tickets

Saturday August 19

MAIDENHEAD: Comedian turned unlikely viral vessel for  controversial ideas road-tests his new show, Bipolarisation, at the Norden Farm Centre For The Arts. But surely none of his theories is as bonkers as the idea it's OK to charge £33 for a work in progress… even when you're famous… Russell Brand tour dates

Published: 13 Aug 2023