The best of the week's live comedy

The best of the week's live comedy, picked from the 6,894 events Chortle currently has listed.  Use our search panel to check our full listings by date and region.   

Sunday September 29

SOUTHPORT: The town's comedy festival gets under way in earnest, with fine stand-up from  Jo Caulfield and Hal Cruttenden in the marquee in Victoria Park. Jason Manford, Ben Elton and Jimeoin are among the acts passing through in the next two weeks. Southport Comedy Festival listings

Monday September 30

LONDON: Rose Matafeo begins a three-week run of her fast, funny and delightful new show On And On And On – an  insecure self-analysis of her relationship record – at the Arcola theatre tonight. Review.

LONDON: Rob Copland won the panel prize at this year's Edinburgh Comedy Award – as well as a five-star Chortle review – for his show about ADHD, Gimme (One With Everything) , which lands at the Soho Theatre for a week. It's unlucky that it clashes with another transferring hit of the Fringe, Josh Glanc's silly and award-nominated Family Man, which is also at Soho all week. You'll just have to make the trip twice.

Tuesday October 1

LONDON: The Cobo - Comedy Of Black Origin – brand of nationwide stand-up nights celebrates Nigerian Independence Day with a strong line-up at the Top Secret Comedy Club, starting at 6pm. Gbemi Oladipo, Michael Akadiri, Michael Odewale and Nabil Abdulrashid are on the bill.

LONDON:  Eggbox, a showcase of short films and script readings, comes to the Pleasance Islington, including the new film from the night's curators, Joz Norris and Miranda Holms, internet darlings  Sam O'Leary & Tom Lawrinson and  Sam Pilbeam & The Lovely Boys, starring Edinburgh Best Newcomer 2024 winner Joe Kent-Walters

Wednesday October 2

CAMBRIDGE: South African comedian Schalk Bezuidenhout, a support act for Trevor Noah on his arena tour, takes his stand-up show Keeping Up around the UK from today, pondering whether he's too old to keep up with the youth. Schalk Bezuidenhout tour dates

Thursday October 3

MANCHESTER: The Women In Comedy festival kicks off with almost 80 shows across the next couple of weeks. Read about a few of them here

DURHAM: Jason Byrne kicks off his latest tour, No Show, at the Gala Theatre. Expect another bout of riotous, freewheeling insanity, prompted by audience interactions. Jason Byrne tour dates.

LONDON:  Australian stand-up Monty Franklin, now based in LA, plays the only UK date on his Yeah Nah European Tour at the Leicester Square Theatre.

LONDON:  Another strong bill at the Comedy Store all this weekend boasts Catherine Bohart, Janine Harouni, Scott Bennett, Thanyia Moore and Thomas Green

Friday October 4

CORSHAM: Pierre Novellie starts a tour of his exquisitely observed and meticulously put-together 2023 Edinburgh show, Why Are You Laughing, which also probes his autism diagnosis, as explored more deeply in his recent book, Why Can't I Just Enjoy Things?. This fine show is on the road until late November. Pierre Novellie tour dates.

LONDON: Ben Norris, Sarah Kendall and Tim FitzHigham perform the first comedy gig on a Thames Clipper, which departs Embankment Pier at 6.30pm.

HEMEL HEMPSTEAD: Joey Page kicks off his debut, if sporadic, tour, Nice One, having supported the likes of Lloyd Griffith, Laura Smyth, Mark Simmons and  Rob Beckett. Joey Page tour dates

Saturday October 5

LONDON: The monthly comedy spectacle at the stunning gothic Union Chapel returns with headliner Phil Wang joined by Tom Rosenthal, Lou Sanders and newcomer Rohan Sharma plus the always entertaining Ian Smith as host. Tickets

Published: 29 Sep 2024