The week's best live comedy

The best of the week's live comedy, picked from the 7,076 events Chortle currently has listed. Use our search panel to check our full listings by date and region.

Monday February 17

SALFORD: Distinctive comedy musician Jazz Emu is on a short tour with a full live band, The Cosmique Perfectión. The premise of Knight Fever - which is on at the Lowry tonight – is that he's preparing for the Royal Variety Show in the hope of securing himself a much-deserved knighthood. Jazz Emu tour dates.

OXFORD: A top-drawer line-up for the Helen and Douglas House Comedy Gala in aid of terminally ill children at the New Theatre. The Masked Singer's Joel Dommett heads a bill that includes Angela Barnes, Jake Lambert, Jen Brister, Josh Pugh, Matt Richardson, Stephen Bailey

Tuesday February 18

LONDON: Rosie Jones, Geoff Norcott, Hal Cruttenden, Iain Stirling, Nick Helm and Ria Lina are among those raising money for Cornwall Hospice Care at a Laugh Till It Hurts benefit at the Comedy Store tonight.

LONDON: Harry Hill is at the historic Wilton's Music Hall with 'New Bits & Greatest Hits', which, as titles go, is pretty self-explanatory, before picking up a UK tour starting in Colchester later this month. Harry Hill tour dates.

Wednesday February 19

BIRMINGHAM: It's the penultimate showcase for our potential Hotshots – promising acts heading to the Edinburgh Fringe trying to impress and win one of the Chortle bursaries. Barbara Nice hosts Adam Hopkins, Becky Umbers, Daniel McKeon, Aiden Lonergan, Hasan Al-Habib, Kayleigh Jones, Liam Tuley, Molly Mole, Tim Biglowe, and Katherine Kenway. Tickets.

Thursday February 20

LONDON: Ed Gamble heads an impressive line-up at the latest show in Chelsea's historic Cadogan Hall. He's backed by Tom Davis off the telly, Felicity Ward who stars in the Australian version of The Office, Nabil Abdulrashid and Sharon Wanjohi.

NEWCASTLE: New Zealand comedy star Melanie Bracewell embarks on a UK tour, with a masterpiece of comedy storytelling, elevating her quest for her lost AirPods into an epic adventure, funny and rewarding at every turn. Attack Of The Melanie Bracewell tour dates and review.

Friday February 21

LONDON: A chunk of tours start today, including musical duo Jonny And The Baptists (Jonny Donahoe and Paddy Gervers) who ditch their instruments for a fully theatrical production in The Happiness Index, which begins at ArtsDepot in Finchley. The description reads: 'Addressing themes of grief and resilience, the show draws heavily from the performers’ personal experiences, including Paddy’s ongoing struggle with depression and the impact of austerity on accessing mental health support'. The tour comes as Gervers, usually the guitarist of the pair, Paddy prepares for arm surgery in April. Jonny And The Baptists tour dates.

SUNDERLAND: Comedian Lee Kyle, pictured, has been throwing messages in bottles into the sea, lots of them, asking people to reply. Here's the show about what they said – as well as revealing 'so much more about himself than he is strictly comfortable with'. Lee Kyle tour dates

LEICESTER: Chelsea Birkby kicks off a short debut tour of This is Life, Cheeky Cheeky at the Leicester Comedy Festival. It's described as 'a smart, silly, surprising show about lust for life, and also - ass' from a comic with bipolar disorder who has done a lot of things to overcome despair Chelsea Birkby tour dates and review

SOLIHULL: Former Britain's Got Talent finalist Nabil Abdulrashid – as also seen on the likes of Live at the Apollo and Have I Got News For You – begins his new tour, Urban Battuta, at The Core. Nabil Abdulrashid tour dates

Saturday February 22

LEICESTER: As the city's comedy festival draws to a close, it crowns its Comedian Of The Year. Thanyia Moore hosts the show at the Y Theatre, with Andy Fox, Ant Dewson, Archit Goenka, Hannah Lawrence, James Ellis, June Tuesday, Louise Atkinson and Lucas Jefcoate vying for the title.

Published: 16 Feb 2025