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.

Sunday August 10

LONDON: Toronto-born comedian Hassan Phillips got something of a boost when Drake sampled his stand-up for the outro of his track Small Town Fame. The stand-up now comes to the Backyard Comedy Club in Bethnal Green for an early and late show

Monday August 11

LONDON: What happens when a former Colgate exec’s wife leaves him? Does he let it get to him? Does he have some sort of breakdown? No. He embarks on a walk from London to New Zealand and then takes up stand-up comedy. Martin Fishback (aka Fegus Craig), is now single and ready to mingle – as he explains at the Soho Theatre tonight and tomorrow.

LONDON: Julio Torres, pictured, is a former Saturday Night Live writer who is also known for 2023 movie Problemista – his directorial debut in which he also starred opposite Tilda Swinton – and his six-part 2023 HBO series Fantasmas, which won him a Peabody Award. His new live show, Colour Theories, comes to Soho Theatre this week for its first-ever UK dates. It's a delightfully quirky, yet widely relatable, hour showing the world through an inventive new lens. Read our review of the show from the Melbourne International Comedy Festival here.

EDINBURGH: This year's Chortle Student Comedy Award reaches its climax, as seven promising up-and-coming stand-ups vie for the title. Mark Watson comperes Sofia Lambis, Robert Mac an Tuile, Anna Rae George, Anoushay Okhai, Fred Carver, Kwesi Sekyi and Kathy Rivett in this year's final at Pleasance Forth. Tickets

Tuesday August 12

EDINBURGH: At Monkey Barrel, Rhys James kicks off a short tour to launch his memoir, You’ll Like It When You Get There, all about dread and not wanting to do things. Rhys ​James tour dates.

Wednesday August 13

EDINBURGH: Tonight Underbelly hosts its Big Brain Tumour Benefit in McEwan Hall, the biggest venue on the Fringe. A-listers gather for the seventh annual benefit, set up after venue co-founder Ed Bartlam's son Alfie was diagnosed with a brain tumour.

Thursday August 14

LAVENHAM: It's the comedy night as part of a full week of events at the Suffolk town's big top theatre with deserves-to-be-more-famous Everyman stand-up Scott Bennett, deadpan Matt Bragg, Andrew Bird – who's supported many of the biggest names in comedy – and top MC Nina Gilligan. Tickets.

Friday August 15

DISS:A fine bill at the Corn Hall, with Radio 4 regular Marcus Brigstocke, Scott Bennett (again), the silly Will Duggan and well-established Andrew Bird.

Saturday August 16

NEWCASTLE: En route to the Edinburgh Fringe (and a date at the Glasgow Stand on Thursday), three Palestinian comics offer their unique take on life in the Middle East. Alaa Shehada from Jenin, Diana Sweity from Hebron and Hanna Shammas from Haifa all perform at The Stand, whose boss Tommy Shepherd said: 'All too often people have forgot the Palestinians have a thriving Mediterranean culture. This is what the Israeli government are trying to extinguish. We’re delighted to do our part in standing in solidarity with Palestinian artists and helping them reach an international audience.'

LONDON: Hackney Comedy Experience comes back down to Earth (the venue) with two excellent stand-ups: Harriet Kemsley, and Sam Campbell.

Published: 10 Aug 2025