The best UK live comedy for the rest of August

The best of live comedy coming this month, picked from the thousands of events Chortle currently has listed. Use our search panel to check our full listings by date and region.

Thursday August 11

LONDON: Bill Bailey returns to the Royal Opera House for the sort of musical performances that aren’t usually heard in these opulent surroundings… along with some wonderfully whimsical and curious comedy, too. He’s here tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday too. Tickets

Friday August 12

LONDON: Simon Amstell brings his hilarious introspection to the Hackney Comedy Experience, backed by the great bill of Jamali Maddix, Jen Brister and Stephen Bailey – all with their own very distinctive comedy styles. Tickets

CARDIFF: There’s a great weekend line-up at the Glee with Alun Cochrane, Fin Taylor, Matt Reed and Tom Toal all bringing their A games.

Sunday August 14

BRIGHTON: James Acaster is guest of honour at Down The Hatch, Komedia’s new off-the-wall comedy club. tonight.

Monday August 15

EDINBURGH: Time for the final of this year’s Chortle Student Comedy Award! Mark Watson again hosts this fantastic showcase of up-and-coming talent we’ve found at unis across the UK. This year's finalists are Sascha LO, Hasan Al-Habib, Ethan Willmer-Anderson, Henry Shannon, Alex Mason, Jin Hao Li, Jack Dearnley, Charlie Humphrey, Stepan Mysko von Schultze, Caitriona Dowden, Henry Whaley. Tickets are available here

Tuesday August 16

EDINBURGH: It’s the Tartan Ribbon benefit, one of the biggest line-ups of the Fringe raising money for Waverley Care hepatitis C and HIV charity. Tickets

Monday August 22

LONDON: Isy Suttie starts a six-night run of her new show Jackpot at the Soho Theatre ahead of a tour - her first in six years - kicking off next month. The premise is that she’s always searching for adventure in life, but now that she’s a mum with a partner who hates surprises (fellow comic Elis James), can she still find it? Isy Suttie tour dates.

LONDON: Suzi Ruffell is also at Soho, but just for three nights, as she warms up her new tour Snappy before it heads off around the country next month. The show, we are told, is’ all about settling down (but not settling), becoming a mother (without becoming mumsy) and still worrying about everything - of course she is - have you seen the news?’ Suzi Ruffell tour dates.

Tuesday August 23

EDINBURGH: The biggest show in Edinburgh just got bigger, moving to the McEwan Hall. Comedians take on wrestlers in aid of Comic Relief. There will be blood…

Thursday August 25

LONDON: There’s a good bill at the West End Comedy Club at the Covent Garden Social club, with the controlled mania of Phil Nichol and Felicity Ward and the insights of Britain’s Got Talent’s Nabil Abdulrashid and TV and radio regular Ria Lina Tickets.

Sunday August 28

EDINBURGH: It’s all over bar the shouting (and crying), and the David Johnson Emerging Talent award, presented tonight at a mixed-bill comedy, cabaret and variety show to celebrate the life of the maverick producer David Johnson who died in 2020. DJ was a fervent supporter of emerging and unique talent and his 'Fringe finds' included Graham Norton and Puppetry of the Penis. This celebration is at Assembly George Square at 6pm and will also feature the presentation of the new £11,000 emerging talent award set up in his honour.

Published: 7 Aug 2022