Sarah goes on tour, and the rest of the week's best live comedy

The best of the week's live comedy.

Sunday January 7

LONDON: Omid Djalili gets to spend a week in his home town, with six nights of his long-running Schmuck For A Night tour at the Leicester Square Theatre. Read our review of a much earlier date here.

Monday January 8

LONDON: Laugh Out London has a sterling line-up at its gig in the Old Queen's Head in Islington. The Old Queen's headliners are Ahir Shah and Bridget Christie, with Eleanor Morton, Ian Smith and Maisie Adam all offering great support.

Wednesday January 10

HEXHAM: Lee Kyle isn't the only comedian without much of a profile to be embarking on his own tour… but he is the one trying hardest to turn that into an advantage. He admits that he has probably bitten off more than he can chew with his 30-plus dates, although many are around his native North East where punters might have seen him in the clubs. And even the show's title reflects that the ambition may overreach reality - it's called Folly, and plays Mr Ants tonight. Dates

Thursday January 11

MANCHESTER: Chris Rock begins his first UK tour in ten years at the Manchester Arena. The Total Blackout Tour has dates across the month, including one in Wembley's SSE Arena and two at the O2. Dates and tickets

Friday January 12

LEICESTER: It's the gala preview show for the forthcoming Leicester Comedy Festival at De Montfort Hall.Ed Byrne introduces Matt Richardson, Alasdair Beckett-King, Bilal Zafar, Tom Lucy, Sarah Keyworth, Chris Washington, Flo & Joan and Chris Norton Walker

BRIGHTON: The Komedia's Krater Comedy Club features smart self-analytical stand-up from TV Chaser Paul Sinha and finely engineered observational comedy from Paul Tonkinson this weekend, compered, as usual, by the quick-witted Stephen Grant (except for Sunday when Laura Lexx steps up to the plate)

Saturday January 13

LANCASTER: Sarah Millican will be spending 2018 on the road, kicking off her latest tour, Control Enthusiast, at The Duke tonight and with dates spreading out till December 6, when she plays Warrington. The title is how she likes to see herself, as opposed to a control freak, and she promises the usual mix of the homely and the filthy, with routines about farting in hospital pants, what can happen at a bra fitting and the benefits of casserole. Click here for the full schedule and ticket links.

LONDON: Chevy Chase will be discussing his long comedy career, which spans Saturday Night Live the National Lampoon films, Fletch, Caddyshack, Three Amigos and the TV series Community, at this Audience With at the Eventim Apollo. The star – who has a reputation for being difficult to work with, and famously fell out with Bill Murray on SNL – has just finished filming the Netflix-backed road movie The Last Laugh, playing a showbiz manager who reunites with a former client (Richard Dreyfuss) for a tour of classic stand-up venues. Get tickets to the Hammersmith show here

SOUTHAMPTON: The Comedy Bar's Big Gig lives up to its name at the Nuffield Theatre with prince of puns Gary Delaney, cynical Jo Caulfield, laid-back Nathan Caton, and likeable Love Island voiceover guy Iain Stirling.

• Search our full listings for comedy near you using the pull-down menus on the left of this page.

Published: 7 Jan 2018