The week's best live comedy

The best of the week's live comedy, picked from the 6,557 events Chortle currently has listed. Use our search panel to check our full listings by date and region.

Sunday December 8

BRIGHTON: Sara Pascoe headlines the ongoing Live At Christmas touring gig, with a varying line-up of always-excellent supporting comedians wherever she goes. They hit the Theatre Royal tonight, then the Rose Theatre in Kingston on Monday, Leicester Athena on Tuesday, Cheltenham Town Hall on Wednesday, Birmingham Town Hall on Thursday, Warwick Arts Centre on Friday and Liverpool Olympia on Saturday. Sara ​Pascoe tour dates

LONDON: It's the final of the Leicester Square Theatre New Comedian of the Year competition with Abbie Edwards, Eli Hart, Gabrielle MacPherson, Ibs Sesay, Jack Henry, John Pape, Laura Walsh, Lianna Holston, Mark Moloney, Monica Hsueh, Rob Moriarty, Rohan Sharma, Sascha LO and Tevin Everett all competing for the honours. Tickets.

Monday December 9

BRENTWOOD: Jack Whitehall – whose Christmas special dropped on Amazon's Prime Video last week – is back with his father Michael for some more on-stage, cross-generational squabbling. And what could be more festive than that? There are just a few dates at the moment, but listed here.

LONDON: Daniel Kitson comperes a strong line-up including Ian Smith, Phil Ellis, Rob Auton, Alistair Barrie, Amy Gledhill, Ania Magliano, Kyrah Gray and Micky Overman at the Union Chapel tonight. Called Hopefully A Few Laughs, the gig is in aid of the PDA Society for those with Pathological Demand Avoidance, a condition on the autism spectrum.

LONDON: Chortle gave Rachel Kaly's Hospital Hour five stars at the Edinburgh Fringe this year for making her trauma so funny. She had to quit her festival run early, but she's at the Moth Club in Hackney tonight for a one-off.

LONDON: Chrimbo Bimbo, Tim Key's annual stockingful of festive fun, has the first of four performances at Wilton's Music Hall in the East End tonight.

Tuesday December 10

LONDON: Quite what will happen when Adam Riches and John Kearns take on the guise of perennial Yuletide favourites Michael Ball and Alfie Boe is anyone's guess. But it's got to be worth a trip to Soho Theatre – where they are playing until the new year – to find out.

Wednesday December 11

LONDON: Kate Norris made quite the impression with her Edinburgh Fringe debut, Farm Fatale, in August, with the comic portraying an unpredictable, lascivious version of herself. And with songs, too. She's at the Soho Theatre for four nights. Review

Thursday December 12

HERTFORD: A big gig at the Corn Exchange features the incisive Marcus Brigstocke, foolishly sauvant Ian Smith, sharply self-deprecating Jonny Pelham and deadpan Matt Bragg. Tickets

Friday December 13

LONDON: Robin Ince's Lessons and Carols for Curious People, mixing comedy, music and fascinating insights into the scientific world returns for the first of four seasonal gigs at Kings Place this weekend, with Hannah Platt, Joanna Neary, Peter Buckley-Hill and Josie Long joining curator Ince to provide the comedy component tonight. Full listings

Saturday December 14

NEWCASTLE: The team behind the Stand's pantomime are back with an hour alternative family comedy. Hannah Walker, Lee Kyle, Elaine Robertson and Kelly Rickard will be bringing the silliness today, tomorrow and the next two Saturday afternoons.

BRISTOL: Camp as Christmas becomes Camp At Christmas, the title of an LGBTQ+ comedy night at the 1532 Performing Arts Centre tonight featuring the varied talents of Dee Allum, Jen Brister, Sharon Wanjohi and Morgan Rees.

LONDON: Social media storms are rarely nuanced, but Alfie Brown offers such a considered response to finding himself at the eye of such an outrage in Open Hearted Human Enquiry, which began with an acclaimed run at he Edinburgh Fringe and wraps up at the Leicester Square Theatre tonight.

Published: 8 Dec 2024