Up The Creek acclaimed gig ends – and the rest of the week's best live comedy

The best of the week's live comedy, picked from the 7,565 events Chortle currently has listed. Use our search panel to check our full listings by date and region.

Sunday February 2

MANCHESTER: The Chortle Hotshots scheme starts here! We're giving five bursaries to five 2025 Edinburgh Fringe debutants, covering their registration fee and offering free adverts and more. They're being chosen at showcases around the country this month, starting at the A Lovely Time gig at Cultplex tonight. More info on future shows in Edinburgh, London, Birmingham and Bristol is here and Manchester tickets are here.

LONDON: The Sunday Special, Up The Creek's long-running playground for more experienced acts to try new things, comes to an end. It's possibly most notable for being one of the few places Daniel Kitson kept performing while otherwise moving away from stand-up and into more theatrical endeavours, so it's apt that he's compering this valedictory show that - of course – is long sold out.

Monday February 3

LONDON: A strong bill has been assembled for The Lily Foundation Comedy Gala, which helps fund research into mitochondrial diseases. Alan Davies – who later this year tours for the first time in a decade – tops a bill at the Comedy Store which also includes Kevin Day, John Moloney, Ian Stone and Elliot Steel.

Wednesday February 5

LEICESTER: The city's ever-sprawling comedy festival kicks off its busiest year yet, with 720 shows in 72 venues across Leicestershire in the next three weeks, ranging from unknowns trying out works in progress to big names such as Katherine Ryan, Stewart Lee, Milton Jones and Jenny Eclair. Check the full listings on the festival website

BRISTOL: Very well received at last year's Fringe – except by the handful of punters who fainted at some of the more graphic sections – Marjolein Robertson's O melded Shetland folklore with the comic's experiences with menstrual health. It's the second in a trilogy of personal shows – her first, Marj, is released as a YouTube special today – kicks off at the Hen and Chicken. Marjolein ​Robertson tour dates

EDINBURGH: It's the second of our Hotshot showcases – this time at the Monkey Barrel, where Scott Agnew introduces Amanda Hursy, Andrew Tubman, Blake AJ, Dean Coughlin, Dean T. Beirne, Kelly Rickard, Louis Utieyin, Mick McNeil, Robin Zetina, Ted Milligan and Will Davies. Tickets. Next stop, Top Secret in London on Monday.

Thursday February 6

MILTON KEYNES: A former banker, policy adviser, speechwriter and journalist, Eshaan Akbar's new stand-up tour – torturously titled I Can’t Get No Satisfakshaan – kicks off at the Stables tonight. Eshaan Akbar tour dates.

READING: Impressionist and character comedian Josh Berry looks at toxic masculinity in his new show, and considers more positive projections of what it means to be a man. The tour kicks off at Sub89 – home of the Just the Tonic Comedy Club – tonight. Josh ​Berry tour dates

Friday February 7

BASINGSTOKE: Dead Ringers star Jon Culshaw starts a tour of his parody show Imposter Syndrome at the Anvil. Jon ​Culshaw tour dates

LONDON: Eddie Kadi, who will be hosting the Mobo Awards later this month, kicks off his new stand-up tour, Let Me Land, at the Leicester Square Theatre. Eddie ​Kadi tour dates

Saturday February 8

LEICESTER: After a smattering of warm-up gigs, John Shuttleworth kicks off his latest tour Raise The Oof at De Montfort Hall, as part of the comedy festival. This is creator Graham Fellow's 40th year as the mild-mannered singer-songwriter, who boasts the longest-running sitcom on Radio 4, thanks to his series being spread out since 1993. John ​Shuttleworthtour dates

GLASGOW: The low-key Eric Rushton embarks on short tour of his show, Real One, with an afternoon performance at The Stand. It's rather vaguely described as featuring 'reflections on relationships, identity, and the absurdities of day-to-day existence', which doesn't rule out much… At last year's Edinburgh Fringe, Chortle reviewer Tim Harding praised his growing confidence in this show, built around a shaggy-dog story. Eric ​Rushton tour dates and review.

DUBLIN: Also, vaguely, about 'life's absurdities' Irish comic Neil Delamere performs his show Achilles Neil, at Vicar Street ahead of a UK tour starting later this month, focussing on the 'weaknesses that make us human'. He's been seen and heard on shows such as Live at the Apollo, QI, and The News Quiz – and most recently when he romped through Celebrity Chase, racking up a record-breaking 29 right answers over his episode. Neil ​Delamere tour dates

Published: 2 Feb 2025