The week's best comedy gigs

The best of the week's live comedy, picked from the 4,187 events Chortle currently has listed.  Use our search panel to check our full listings by date and region.

Sunday October 23

CARDIFF: The Wales Millennium Centre hosts a 'Best Of Wales' comedy gala tonight, showcasing the principality's stand-up talent. It features Kiri Pritchard-McLean, Mike Bubbins, Tudur Owen, Robin Morgan, Anna Thomas, Carys Eleri, and Leroy Brito.

LONDON: Markus Birdman was one of those comedians who fell through the gaps of the Edinburgh Fringe, being an established middle-aged circuit act not deemed fresh enough to be the next big thing. But The Bearable Heaviness of Nearly Not Being is an impressive show, covering his health issues - so a tick in the 'big issues' box - but also dense with proper gags. Now he's doing an encore performance at the Backyard Comedy Club tonight.

SALFORD: Ahead of his UK tour, which was announced this week, Tim Key brings his acclaimed lockdown-inspired show Mulberry to the Lowry for four nights. Then it's at the Arcola in London from next Monday. Tim Key tour dates

Tuesday October 25

LONDON: In You Dress Funny, hosts Darren Harriott and Rachel Fairburn ask comedians to step out of their comfort zone and perform their set wearing clothing they wouldn’t normally wear. In tonight's instalment on the Tattershall Castle - a floating bar moored at Embankment - they are joined by Thanyia Moore, Carl Donnelly, Hatty Ashdown and Rich Wilson,

Wednesday October 26

BIRMINGHAM: There's a lovely line-up at the Glee for a Heart Research UK benefit tonight, including gregarious Barbara Nice, droll Carey Marx, pun king Gary Delaney and offbeat Josh Pugh and more.

Friday October 28

LONDON: Anything from the Weirdos collective of oddball comedy performers is an event, and The Envelopes is no exception. For this interactive Halloween show, every audience member was sent a package in the post in advance, to be used in the show. The cast includes Adam Larter, Ali Brice, Eleanor Morton, Helen Duff, Lulu Popplewell, Michael Brunström and Sam Nicorest and it runs at the Museum Of Comedy until Sunday.

LONDON: Following her outrageously memorable appearances on Friday Night Live at the weekend, Jordan Gray brings her bold and brash celebration of her transgenderism - and her talent - to the London Palladium. It's an incredible journey considering she was playing a converted shipping container in Edinburgh just two months ago. Tickets

LONDON: Also from Friday Night Live, Leo Reich, the epitome of privileged Gen Z self-obsession, performs his much-garlanded solo debut, Literally Who Cares?! at EartH in Hackney (where else?) tonight. (Tickets) And you can make it a double bill with his fellow Friday Night Live star Sam Campbell bringing his cheeky nonsense to the same stage afterwards. (Tickets)

STAMFORD: A strong bill in Lincolnshire as provocative Fin Taylor and off-kilter Tom Ward grace the stage of the Corn Exchange.

Published: 23 Oct 2022