Piff conjures up a lockdown show | Today's comedy on demand

Piff conjures up a lockdown show

Today's comedy on demand

Here's Chortle's daily round-up of new comedy to watch at home during lockdown.

This list, updated at around 3pm daily, covers subscription services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, iPlayer and NextUp, to podcasts and live streaming, is your essential guide to getting a daily dose of laughs.

You can search our listings for a more comprehensive list of online events using the blue box at the left or top of this page. Or if you're a promoter wanting to add an event, details are here.


Saturday September 26

PIFF THE MAGIC DRAGON: LIVE FROM LAS VEGAS: The British comedy magician, along with his trusty sidekick Mr Piffles and Las Vegas showgirl Jade Simon, performs a date of his interactive livestream show for UK audiences, after a string of dates in the US time zone. The new one-hour interactive show has been specifically created for online viewing, and airs from a studio he created in his Vegas garage. Piff, whose real name is John van der Put, said: 'I've spent the last six months building a TV studio in the garage and coming up with a bunch of magic that will destroy from a distance. It's finally ready. And the best part is I can visit my birthland and still be home in time for tea. As long as I have tea at 4am.' The show is at 7pm and tickets are available via www.piffthemagicdragon.com, priced £27.75.

SPICEWORLD ENTIRELY FROM MEMORY: A bunch of New York performers try to recreate the Spice Girls' seminal 1997 masterpiece without the aid of scripts, rehearsals, or sobriety in this Zoom event tonight. Fans of Comedians’ Cinema Club, the cult live show from the Edinburgh Fringe and elsewhere, will know the sort of thing to expect. The show starts at 1am UK time and tickets, which benefit the democracy charity Spread The Vote, are available here.

OLD SCHOOL: This 2003 comedy movie from Todd Phillips - who would go on to make The Hangover, Borat and Joker - stars Luke Wilson, Vince Vaughn, and Will Ferrell as depressed guys in their 30s who seek to re-live their college days by starting a fraternity. Reviews were mixed, though most critics said it had its moments, and it’s just landed on iPlayer.


Friday September 25

STAND UP FOR LIVE COMEDY: This new BBC Three series, filmed outdoors in six different cities with socially distanced audiences, aims to support grassroots comedy talent in light of the impact Covid-19 has had on the industry. Kicking off the series in Bristol, Jayde Adams introduces Mo Omar, who shares the pros and cons of being a Somalian refugee in Wales; Lauren Pattison, who extols the joys of being a Geordie, and Tom Lucy, who at 24 picks apart the complications of youth. It's on iPlayer now before a TV screening on BBC One on Monday. Chortle also went to the recording of the London episode - read our report on that here.

SNEAKERHEADS: There's no business like shoe business in this new Netflix comedy about sneaker aficionados in Los Angeles, starring Black-ish’s Allen Maldonado. Perhaps aimed a little too squarely at adherents of the subculture, six half-hour episodes have dropped today.

CASTIVAL: In this podcast, returning today, guests pitch their dream music festival, and so get to talk about their favourite bands and gig experiences along the way. It's hosted by Matt Hoss and stand-up Justin Moorhouse is the first guest in the new series. The last ten episodes, featuring the likes of Laura Lexx, Stuart Goldsmith and Dane Baptiste are also available on the website


Thursday September 24

MARK THOMAS: THE RED SHED: The comedian's show about the Wakefield Labour Club where he first started to perform in public and where his politics were forged during the miners' strike is being streamed from 7.30pm tonight, followed by a Q&A with Thomas. Tickets are available from Go Faster Stripe and you can read our review of the live show here.

HAPPY HOUR Q&A WITH Stewart Lee: Leicester Comedy Festival director Geoff Rowe talks to the influential comedian about his career and views on the state and future of the artform – a topic on which he's rarely reticent – in this interview at 8pm tonight. Proceeds go towards keeping the festival going in future and tickets are available here.

BLOODY FUNNY: A BLEED-IN NIGHT OF COMEDY: The annual comedy fundraiser for Bloody Good Period – a charity which delivers menstrual products to asylum seekers, refugees and those who can’t afford them – inevitably moves online for 2020. Jen Brister, Kerry Godliman, Athena Kugblenu, Suzi Ruffell, Jenny Bede and Karen Hobbs will be on Zoom from 8pm, and tickets are available here

THE SECRET'S OUT: Shagged, Married, Annoyed couple Chris and Rosie Ramsey are the first guests on this new podcast from YouTuber Alfie Deyes, based on his existing video series of the same name. It launches today on Apple Podcasts and more.


Wednesday September 23

ARMSTRONG AND MILLER: TIMEGHOST: The double act returns in the guise of cultural commentators Martin Bain-Jones and Craig Children to discuss the week's zeitgeist in a new series of their podcast. In today's episode, available on Acast they discuss Sasha Swire’s new tell-all memoir, Carole Baskin’s performance on Dancing With The Stars and Peter Crouch. Timeghost is the first time the comedy duo have collaborated on a major project in over a decade.

SLAUGHTERHOUSE RULEZ: This 2018 horror-comedy reuniting Simon Pegg and Nick Frost has today landed on Netflix. Directed by Crispian Mills, the movie is set in an elite Eton-style boarding school where children are groomed for greatness. But fracking on nearby woodland opens a mysterious sinkhole and unleashes an ‘unspeakable horror’, meaning pupils, teachers and the matron must battle for survival.

ALWAYS BE COMEDY: Taskmaster's 'Little' Alex Horne headlines tonight's Zoom show from the London comedy club, alongside the quirky Josh Pugh and entertaining Sikisa. James Gill, as always, MCs. The show's at 8pm and tickets, priced £5.50, are available here.

Tuesday September

STORYTIME WITH SILCOX: Comedian and increasingly regular TV face Mark Silcox today launches a new storytelling series, based on Aesop’s Fables but updated updated for 2020. Tales such as The Tortoise and The Hare, The Frog & The Ox, The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing will be accompanied by original illustrations from Lise Richardson. The first two episodes premiere on the YouTube channel of producers Turtle Canyon Comedy from 4pm today, with a new episode every school day until October 2. The makers say: ' It’s perfect for adults lacking morals and children who don’t mind finding out where condoms go. The wholesome, hilarious content the world needs right now.'

JACK WHITEHALL: TRAVELS WITH MY FATHER: The comedian and his conservative dad Michael return to Netflixwith two more episodes of their travelogue, this time set during Jack's stand-up tour down under. Their escapades included a visit to an emu farm, handling snakes in the Outback, a visit a nudist beach - and a drag performance in Sydney, where Michael performed as The Queen... though he looked a little more like Dame Edna.

HEY, REMEMBER COMEDY? A number of Netflix remember their start in comedy, their favourite jokes, comics, previous jobs, and more in this 20-minute video, reminiscing about the days when there was such a thing as comedy clubs. Those taking part include Sarah Silverman, Steve Martin, Hannah Gadsby, David Letterman, Ellen Degeneres, Kevin Hart, Chris Rock, Tiffany Haddish.



Monday September 21

GRIEFCAST: The London Podcast Festival kicks off a week of live recordings tonight, while the latest episode of Cariad Lloyd's award-winning show abut death and loss will also be streamed as it happens. Her guests for this special episode will be fellow comedians Sara Pascoe, Athena Kugblenu and Darren Harriott, and it streams from 7.30pm. Tickets, priced £9.50, are available here

NOMINATED: Released to coincide with the Emmys last night, this short film revolves around an actor who is forced to take a Lyft to the ceremony, whereupon he becomes embroiled in his driver's personal life. It stars Finn Wittrock, from the Netflix series Ratched, and TJ Bowen. It has been released on YouTube by Funny Or Die.

PAPADOPOULOS AND SONS: This 2012 British comedy-drama film, written directed and even distributed by Marcus Markou has loaded on iPlayer. It revolves around a wealthy Greek immigrant who' loses it al when the banking crisis hits, and he's forced to start running a fish and chip shop.

THE PRINCESS BRIDE: The cult classic 1987 comedy fantasy film has returned to Amazon Prime today. Watch it here


Need more suggestions?

• Click here for those from the week starting September 13
• 
Click here for those from the week starting September 6
• 
Click here for those from the week starting August 30
• 
Click here for those from the week starting August 23
• 
Click here for those from the week starting August 16
• 
Click here for those from the week starting August 9
• 
Click here for those from the week starting August 2
• 
Click here for those from the week starting July 26
• Click here for those from the week starting July 19
• 
Click here for those from the week starting July 12
• 
Click here for those from the week starting July 5
• 
Click here for those from the week starting June 28
• Click here for those from the week starting June 21
• 
Click here for those from the week starting June 14
• 
Click here for those from the week starting June 7
• 
Click here for those from the week starting May 31
• 
Click here for those from the week starting May 24
• 
Click here for those from the week starting May 17
• 
Click here for those from the week starting May 10
• Click here for those from the week starting May 3
• Click here for those from the week starting April 26
• Click here for those from the week starting April 19
• 
Click here for those from the week starting April 12
• Click here for those from the week starting April 5
• Click here for those from the week starting March 29
• 
Click here for those from the week starting March 22
• Click here for those from the week starting March 15

NOTE: Sometimes links and videos of live events expire after the event. All were valid at the time of publication

Published: 26 Sep 2020

Live comedy picks

We see you are using AdBlocker software. Chortle relies on advertisers to fund this website so it’s free for you, so we would ask that you disable it for this site. Our ads are non-intrusive and relevant. Help keep Chortle viable.