The week's best live comedy

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

Monday May 1

BRISTOL: Following a run at Soho Theatre in London, New York comedian Joe Pera, best known for his Adult Swim series, Joe Pera Talks With You, kicks off a short UK tour at Strange Brew. He's also visiting The Leadmill in Sheffield, the Glee Clubs in Birmingham and Glasgow, and the Manchester Academy before heading off.

LONDON: Leicester Square Theatre hosts the benefit gig Stand Up For Sikh Your Mind, in aid of the mental health charity. The bill boasts Eshaan Akbar, Kane Brown, Nabil Abdulrashid, Sukh Ojla,  Preet Singh, Tommy Sandhu, Aatif Nawaz

Tuesday May 2

LONDON: Phil Nichol presents the latest in his Cray Cray Cabaret nights with David Tims & His Big-Ish Band. This month's guests at the Comedy Store are Kerry Godliman, Mark Simmons and Audrey Heartburn.

Wednesday May 3

 LONDON: The stage adaptation of Radio 4's Dickensian comedy Bleak Expectations hits the West End. The gimmick is that for each of its 17 weeks, a different guest star will narrate the exploits of young Pip who - with sisters Pippa and Poppy plus best friend Harry Biscuit - attempts to escape the calculating clutches of the dastardly Mr Gently Benevolent, defeat the hideous Hardthrasher siblings, and deflect disaster. Nina Wadia takes the reins this week, with future narrators including Jack Dee, Lee Mack, Sally Phillips and Tom Allen, who starred in the BBC original. A full schedule is here and tickets are available here.

BRIGHTON: Genial Afrikaans oddball Schalk Bezuidenhout - a former support act for Trevor Noah – embarks on his first UK tour at the Komedia. Tomorrow he's at the Hen and Chickens in Bristol, following by the Birmingham Glee, Home in Manchester and a few nights at the Soho Theatre in London. It follows the stand-up special he recorded for Netflix's Only Jokes Allowed showcase of South African comics in 2022.

Friday May 5

BRIGHTON: The city's Fringe festival kicks off today with hundreds of comedy, theatre, cabaret and other events taking place over the forthcoming month.  Today's funniest highlights include the first of three nights of the comedy sci-fi blockbuster Police Cops In Space; Sian Davies's This Charming Man, 'an exploration of masculinity, gender and identity from a butch woman with an unhealthy obsession with The Smiths'; and Benji Waterstone's You Don't Have To Be Mad To Work Here, about his experiences as an NHS psychiatrist. Festival website

LONDON: The Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre hosts a fine night of stand-up with Bridget Christie, Mark Silcox, Sindhu Vee and Sophie Duker. Tickets

Saturday May 6

LONDON: Sod the Coronation… Micky Flanagan is performing his latest tour show  If Ever We Needed It… at the Ovo Arena Wembley with two shows at 2pm - just after Charlie gets his new hat - and 8pm. 

LONDON: And there's a big gig at the Union Chapel in Islington, headlined by the low-budget keyboard maestro David O'Doherty and also featuring Desiree Burch, John Robins and Daniel Foxx.

Sunday May 7

LONDON: The Bill Murray pub in Islington is hosting a bank holiday street Party with comedians including Rosie Jones, Viggo Venn, Sikisa, Huge Davies and Julia Masli performing on the roof, among other attractions. It follows a similar Party last year which attracted more than 4,000 people and raised £5,000. Organisers are asking those who want to attend to  RSVP through their website to keep track of numbers. Donations of cast or items for food banks - see what they're after here

Published: 30 Apr 2023