The best of the week's live comedy

The best of the week's live comedy.

Sunday May 28

LONDON: Fancy some afternoon comedy? Incisive Sara Pascoe headlines a gig at Leicester Square Theatre in aid of The Walton Centre NHS Foundation, the UK's only dedicated neurosciences NHS Trust. Andrew Lawrence, David Trent and Eleanor Tiernan are among those also on the bill for the show, which kicks off at 4pm. And why not stick around for Austentatious, the improvised Jane Austen novel, at 7pm?

WELLS: The Wells Comedy Festival continues tonight with Stewart Lee, Nish Kumar Milton Jones, Kieran Hodgson and more..

Monday 29 May

LONDON: Forget cheery optimism and skinny jeans, says the Leicester Square Theatre about its Old Comedian of the Year competition. And now it's reached the final, with contestants Chris McGlade, Dave Gibson, Donna Scott, Gary Davis, Geoff Alderman, Fred Ferenczi, Jac Bevan, Javier Costales, Nick Elleray, Paul Warrick, President Obonjo, Rob Thomas vying for the title under the watchful eye of MC Lynn Ruth Miller, pictured..

Tuesday 30 May

LONDON: Last year, Chortle called John Robins's Edinburgh show 'an exemplary slice of comic rage'. Now he ramps up the misery with a post break-up show, which by its own blurb, features the comedian 'yelling into a well for 55 minute'. The Darkness of Robins is Edinburgh-bound this August, but tonight gets a run-out at the Udderbelly Festival on the South Bank.

BIRMINGHAM: Away from Brexit - but also inherently linked to it - the NHS is the biggest issue of this election. Phil Hammond - a comedian, GP and writer of Private Eye's Medicine Balls column - offers his unique insight on the health of the service at the MAC tonight, and at the Courthouse Arts Centre in Otley, West Yorkshire, tomorrow.

EDINBURGH: Tommy Sheppard, owner of The Stand comedy clubs, is campaigning to get re-elected as the SNP's MP for Edinburgh East - and he can call on his comedian chums to help swell his fighting fund.   Fred MacAulay, Jo Caulfield, Keir MacAllister, Mark Nelson, Jay Lafferty and host JoJo Sutherland rally with a fundraiser at his own gaff tonight.

Thursday June 1

LONDON: There's a strong line-up of alternative comedy at Strip Light Presents… at the Museum of Comedy. It features delightfully inventive weirdo Spencer Jones, macho character expert Adam Riches, playful-but-intense Alison Thea-Skot, super-jaunty Joz Norris and musical MC George Rigden.

 HOVE: Physical comedy supremoTrygve Wakenshaw brings his eccentric, Edinburgh Comedy Award-nominated show Nautilus to the Old Market for two nights as part of the Brighton Fringe. Read our review here

LEEDS: Luisa Omielan has just landed a BBC Three called  Politics For Bitches, in which she brings her uniquely sassy approach to the news of the day. Get a flavour of what that show might entail as she delivers a political set at The Wardrobe tonight.

Friday June 2

LONDON: When it comes to politics, Labour gets the best comedians. And a fundraiser tonight at the Seven Dials Club in Covent Garden has an appealing line-up of Norman Lovett, Hal Cruttenden and Sara Pascoe.

Saturday 3 June

LONDON: The brilliant, uniquely browbeaten poetry of Tim Key takes centre stage for the latest Live At The Chapel in Islington's Union Chapel, with a strong support bill that also features always entertaining telly favourite Joe Lycett. Tickets.

HARROGATE: The  Hyena Lounge offers four skilled circuit comics at the Harrogate Theatre tonight, with  Carey Marx, Gordon Southern, Pete Firman and Stephen Bailey all sure to bring the funnies.

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Published: 28 May 2017