Our entirely unbiased pick of the 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.

Sunday July 9

LONDON: Chortle's Fast Fringe returns to Leicester Square Theatre, featuring 30 Edinburgh-bound comedy and variety acts performing very brief extracts from their show in one manically fast-paced showcase. Arthur Smith hosts the following - deep breath – Showstoppers, Flat & The Curves, Bojangles, Ian Smith, Fiona Allen, Sikisa, Lorna Rose Treen, Alison Spittle, John Robertson, Elliot Steel, Benji Waterstones, JJ Whitehead, Sachin Kumarendra, 'rockstar magician' Arron Jones, Vix Leyton, John Tothill, William Thompson, Aaron Simmons, Annabel Marlow, Charlie Vero-Martin, Public: The Musical, Bronwyn Sweeney, Lachlan Werner, Sasha Ellen, Matty Hutson, Lindsey Santoro, Liz Guterbock, Rosie Sings, Mamoun Elagab, Josh Weller and Crizards. Phew! Tickets

Monday July 10

LONDON: It's probably hard to explain Conner O’Malley if you haven't seen his insane, chaotic, messy online videos that make fun of the internet and all who inhabit it in a savvy but strange way. Now experience his peculiar mind first-hand as he brings his Research and Development Comedy to the Soho Theatre for a week, promising to showcase 'new technologies, including sustainable comedy technology that will innovate the global digital comedy makerspace with new videos, stand up, and much much more.'

Wednesday July 12

LONDON: It's the final of the Chortle Student Comedy Award at Up The Creek in Greenwich. Mark Watson introduces 10 of the best of the next generation of student comics hoping to follow in the footsteps of previous winners and finalists such as Joe Lycett, Chris Ramsay, Simon Bird and Jamali Maddix. Our 2023 finalists are Alex Knipe, Hannah Yarwood, Ivo Pope, Josh Adkins, Muhsin Yesilada, Daniel Petrie, Emmerson Young, Katie Carrig, Michael McKenzie  and Riki Msindo  Tickets.

THORINGTON: Another night of comedy under the stars at this delightful outdoor theatre in the Suffolk woodlands features Shooting Stars' Angelos Epithemiou and classy stand-up from Hal Cruttenden

Thursday July 13

LONDON: There's an appealing line-up at the 'Show Called Thursday' at the VFD venue in Dalston, including vivacious Amy Gledhill, cynical Olga Koch and the harsh Erika Ehler.

Saturday July 15

NOTTINGHAM: Just The Tonic has an appealing bill at Metronome tonight, headlined by Chaser Paul Sinha and backed by the off-kilter Peter Brush and whimsical Tom Wrigglesworth

Published: 9 Jul 2023