Benefit gig heads this week's picks of the best live comedy

The best of the week's live comedy, picked from the 5,038 events Chortle currently has listed. Use our search panel to check our full listings by date and region.

Sunday October 15

BIRMINGHAM: The Rep remembers Felix Dexter, who died ten years ago this week at the age of 52, with a fundraiser for the foundation set up in his name that helps underprivileged young people in the UK and St Kitts & Nevis, where he was born. The line-up includes former collaborators such as Paul Whitehouse and Simon Day alongside other stars, including Omid Djalii, Jeff Innocent and Rudi Lickwood.

Monday October 16

LONDON: Ahir Shah brings his Edinburgh Comedy Award-winning show Ends to the Soho Theatre, for a residency that lasts until late November. The highly acclaimed show (read our four-and-a-half-star Fringe review here) is wide-ranging, covering family, immigration, marriage, history, politics…. and beans.

LONDON: And for this week, you can make it a double bill with up-and-coming comic Ania Magliano's I Can't Believe You've Done This, full of gossipy stories about herself. Review.

Tuesday October 17

BRIGHTON: Deadpan American comic Tig Notaro, whose stand-up specials have been nominated for one Emmy and two Grammy awards, kicks off a short tour of the UK. Her last show, 2021’s Drawn, was the first HBO animated stand-up special. And the new one, Hello Again, involves stories from her new life – cancer-free, happily married, and the parent of twin boys. Tig Notaro tour dates

HAYES: Bluntly offensive Aussie songster Kevin Bloody Wilson starts his UK tour in Middlesex, if you like this sort of thing. Kevin Bloody Wilson tour dates

Wednesday October 18

LONDON: Bill Bailey heads Line Up For The NHS, a big gig at the Comedy Store raising money for Imperial Health Charity. The bill inlcudes Benji Waterstones , Ed Patrick, Ola Labib and Stefania Licari - all of whom work or have worked for the health service, plus a couple of comics who haven't

LONDON: & Friends is a new weekly night for Camden Comedy Club, with a headliner and their mates road testing new ideas and material. It kicks off with Felicity Ward introducing Eleanor Tiernan, Olga Koch and Amy Annette

Thursday October 19

LONDON: Reigning Chortle best newcomer Lorna Rose Treen brings her debut character hour to the Soho Theatre for a ten-night run, with late-night performances of the very sill Skin Pigeon at weekends, too. Review

Friday October 20

LONDON: Catastrophe's Rob Delaney and Britain's Got Talent winner Viggo Venn are joined by Sikisa, Jessica Fostekew and Paddy Young for a fine bill at the Clapham Grand.

Saturday October 21

DERBY: There's a strong bill at Just The Tonic at Annie's tonight with Adam Bloom – who literally wrote the book on stand-up – and Dan Tiernan, one of the best acts to emerge int he past couple of years, alongside experienced hand Steve Harris and Tom Toal.

Published: 15 Oct 2023