The best of the week's live comedy

The best of the week's live comedy.

Sunday March 4

LONDON: Here's a unique – and very long – show of the type that the comedy world occasionally pulls off so brilliantly. The 50 Greatest Films in 50 Sketches is a marathon show running down a poll of fans' favourite movies in a series of sketches featuring a cast of dozens. Among them are Sara Pascoe, Tony Law, Max and Ivan, Pippa Evans, Kieran Hodgson, Goose, Adam Riches, Late Night Gimp Fight, Gein's Family Giftshop, and definitely too many more to mention. It's at Mirth Marvel and Maud in Walthamstow and runs from 4pm to (about!) 10pm.

Monday March 5

PORTSMOUTH: Excitingly, Flight Of The Conchords start their long-awaited comeback UK tour at the Guildhall tonight, with Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie recording one of their later shows for a Netflix release. Tickets are rare for the whole tour, but you may be one of the lucky ones...

SALFORD: Under the guiding eye of Amusical hosts Jayde Adams and Kiri Pritchard-McLean, comedians sing hits from their favourite West End and Broadway shows. Tonight Brennan Reece, Harriet Dyer and Lou Conran give it the old razzle-dazzle at the New Adelphi Theatre, part of Salford Uni.

Tuesday March 6

LONDON: The Chortle Student Comedy Award continues apace, with a new batch from the next generation of stand-ups going through their paces at the Griff Inn Bar and Kitchen, BLSA Building, Newark Street, E1 2AT. We are at the The Trent House in Newcastle tomorrow and Derwent College in York on Thursday.

LONDON: A great and varied line-up at Gits and Shiggles at the Half Moon in Putney includes offbeat comic thinker Adam Hess, ebullient James Loveridge, dirty and avuncular Mike Wilmot, and weirdo Paul Foot

Wednesday March 7

LONDON: There's a varied bill at a one-off fundraiser for homelessness charity Shelter at the Shepherds Bush Empire tonight featuring Seann Walsh, Mo Gilligan Shappi Khorsandi, Joe Wilkinson, Paul Chowdhry, Lolly Adefope and MC Russell Kane. And it's only £15, so that's just over £2 a comedian… while aiding a sadly necessary cause. Tickets

Thursday March 8

GLASGOW: With more than 100,000 tickets across 500 shows in 54 venues, the 16th annual Glasgow International Comedy Festival is the biggest yet. The likes of Limmy, Fred MacAulay, Mark Steel, Shappi Khorsandi, Tom Allen, Richard Herring, Phill Jupitus, Janey Godley and Richard Gadd are all passing through. And it kicks off tonight with Katherine Ryan's great tour Glitter Room at the Pavilion Theatre, along with a dozen more gigs. Website

LONDON: Hilarious wastrel Seann Walsh brings his One For The Road show to the Leicester Square Theatre for two nights.

LONDON: Experimentia, a new showcase for the weird and wonderful on the circuit, begins a residency at London's Live Comedy - the new club in the former home of the Comedy Store and the 99 Club in Leicester Square. On the bill tonight are Alison Thea-Skot Fern Brady, Holly Burn, John-Luke Roberts and Amy Howerska, whose brainchild this new night is.

SHEFFIELD: Tom Binns presents a double bill of his always-entertaining characters at the Leadmill, with spiritual charlatan Ian D Montford and hapless hospital radio DJ Ivan Brackenbury providing guaranteed laughs.

Saturday March 10

PORTSMOUTH: There's a mammoth comedy festival in the Guildhall all day both today and tomorrow, with more stand-up than you can possibly hope for. Today's line-up for the Big Mouth event includes Alistair McGowan, Jan Ravens, Noise Next Door, Norman Lovett, Russell Kane, Zoe Lyons and a lot, lot more.

READING: An on-form Suzi Ruffell kicks off her Keeping It Classy tour at the South Street Arts Centre, discussing with honesty and verve her Micky Flanagan-style social mobility from working-class roots to a more middle-class present. Published: 4 Mar 2018