The best of the week's live comedy

The best of the week's live comedy, picked from the 5,105 events Chortle currently has listed. Use our search panel to check our full listings by date and region.

Sunday November 26

LONDON: Absolute Radio Live returns to The London Palladium for radio’s biggest comedy night. Host Frank Skinner will be joined by Jack Dee, Jon Richardson, Rob Beckett, Maisie Adam, Sophie Duker and Babatunde Aléshé to raise money for Teenage Cancer Trust. Just a smattering of tickets are left here

Monday November 27

NEWCASTLE: Kevin James Thornton has built up 1.6million followers on TikTok with his videos using Auto-Tune to tell stories and now comes to the UK for a run of dates, Although he's swapped a couple of planned British gigs for smaller venues, including tonight's at The Stand, originally planned for the Tyne Theatre and Opera House. Kevin James Thornton tour dates

LONDON: Today's top benefit, Hopefully A Few Laughs, raises money for the PDA Society for those suffering from an autism spectrum disorder. Appearing at Earth in Hackney are Fern Brady, Kevin Eldon, Rich Fulcher, Rose Matafeo, Sam Campbell, Daniel Kitson, Ian Smith, Ania Magliano and Celya AB,

Tuesday November 28

LONDON: And today Phil Wang, Fern Brady (again). Rob Beckett (again)Rosie Jones, Sikisa, Ivo Graham, Maisie Adam, Phil Wang raise money for MS research at the Some Nerve! Benefit the Indigo venue within the O2. LONDON:Comedy Store stalwart Alistair Barrie records his Woke In Progress show at the Comedy Store tonight - with guests Chris McCausland and Maria Shehata offering support for his brand of well-informed topical comedy.

Wednesday November 29

LONDON: It's the final of the British Comedian Of The Year competition, with its £10,001 prize purse usually the biggest in stand-up. That's enough to attract old hands as well as promising newcomers. Previous winners have included Jeff Innocent and Dan Tiernan… and a new king or queen will be revealed at the Comedy Store tonight. In the running are Alistair Williams, Ben Silver, Gerry K, Jack Hester, Jenny Hart, Maureen Younger, Mike Cox, Nick Everritt, Wilson Milton, with the gig compered by Ninia Benjamin

LONDON: Garry Starr - the alter-ego of physical comedian Damien Warren-Smith - starts a mammoth month-long residency at the Southwark Playhouse's Borough outpost tonight. The premise of Garry Starr Performs Everything is that Starr has been dismissed from the Royal Shakespeare Company due to "artistic differences", and is now determined to defy his critics by performing every single genre of theatre in under 60 minutes, thus saving the performing arts from their inevitable extinction.

Thursday November 30

LONDON: Krystal Evans brings her successful Edinburgh Fringe storytelling show, The Hottest Girl At Burn Camp, to Soho Theatre for three nights. It tells of her upbringing by a chaotic single mum, and of the house fire that led to the injuries alluded to in the title. Review.

LONDON: Yet another charity fundraiser? Why not. A benefit for Palestine at the Big Belly Comedy Club in Vauxhall features Darius Davies, Sharon Wanjohi, Tadiwa Mahlunge and Josephine Lacey. Profits go to humanitarian aid group Baitulmaal, and the Palestine Children's Relief Fund.

Friday December 1

LEEDS: The House Of Fun Comedy Club at the Original Oak has an appealing line-up tonight with compelling storyteller Glenn Wool, cheekily conspiratorial Stephen Bailey and the super-charming Katie Mulgrew.

Saturday December 2

LONDON: Pandemonium, Armando Iannucci's scornful account of the government response to the Covid pandemic makes its much-awaited debut at Soho Theatre tonight, where its sold-out run extends until January 13. It is described as 'a funny, wild ongoing history play about how our great leaders grappled first with the pandemic and then with each other'. The cast includes This Country vicar Paul Chahidi and Cranford's Debra Gillett.

LONDON: Top-drawer stuff at the Union Chapel in Islington with Harry Hill, 2022 Edinburgh Comedy Award winner Sam Campbell, telly's Lou Sanders and Nina Conti.

MANCHESTER: The advertising standards people won't have any problem with a show entitled A Lovely Time with Amy Gledhill & Friends. The delightful host will welcome fast-rising comics Adam Flood, Celya AB and Josh Pugh to the stage of the Manchester Fairfield Social Club

LETCHWORTH: The Best in Comedy gig at the Broadway, theatre also lives up to its name, with a splendid line-up featuring Ivo Graham, Felicity Ward, Glenn Moore and Matt Richardson.

Published: 26 Nov 2023