John Bishop announces 'work in progress' shows

...in 2,000-seat venues with £27 tickets

Time was when a big-name comedian working up new material might drop in unannounced at a local comedy club,

But John Bishop has announced a new run of ‘work in progress’ shows that take in some of the biggest theatres in Britain, with tickets costing almost £30.

He will be playing 30 UK cities between September and December, usually with three-night residencies in most locations.

Promoters call the tour a ‘run of intimate dates’ – although it includes such venues as Newcastle City Hall, Dunfermline Alhambra or Sheffield City Hall – all of which have capacities of more than 2,000.

Ticket prices for most venues have not yet been revealed until the shows go on sale to Bishop’s fans at 10am tomorrow. But the Middlesbrough dates are priced £27.50 before fees.

Still even the large theatres are an order of magnitude smaller than the arenas he often plays; and his 2017/8 UK tour Winging It, played to more than 500,000 people.

And there are some more intimate theatres on his schedule, such as the 400-capacity Camberley Theatre or the 500-capacity art deco Electric Palace in Bridport.

Here's the UK schedule:

September 17-20: Camberley Theatre

September 24-27: Southampton NST City

October 2-4: Harrogate Theatre

October 9-11: Huntingdon Arts Centre

October 16-18: Bridport Electric Palace

November 1-2: Aberdeen Music Hall

November 6-7: Southsea Kings Theatre

November 13-15: Glasgow Pavilion Theatre

November 20: Newcastle City Hall

November 26-28: Dunfermline Alhambra

December 4-5: Middlesbrough Town Hall