The best of the week's 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 April 12

BIRMINGHAM: Glamorous 1940s-style socialite Lucy Darling - the alter-ego of Carisa Hendrix - is back on tour with her variety show, Simply Darling, kicking off at the town hall tonight. Lucy Darling tour dates

Monday April 13

BIRMINGHAM: Iranian-American comedian Max Amini comes to the Alexandra for two nights, with gigs at the Manchester Apollo and O2 in London later in the week. The comic built his audience through online crowd-work videos with his 2025 show, Randomly Selected, becoming the most popular new special on YouTube, with 17 million views. He also has a serious side and recently launched a drive to encourage Hollywood to speak out against the brutality of the Tehran regime.

LONDON: Jessie Nixon – one of the Chortle Hotshots of last year – brings her debut show Don't Make Me Regret This to the Soho Theatre for two nights. 'If you’re mentally ill, a lapsed catholic, queer, occasionally distraught, too smart for your own good or have ever cried in a changing room: this is for you,' says the blurb.

Tuesday April 14

PRESCOT: After a run of dates in London, James Acaster takes his 2026 tour on the road, starting with two nights at the Shakespeare North Playhouse. James Acaster tour dates

Wednesday April 15

LONDON: First For Funny is a comedy night curated by Channel 4 at the Roundhouse in Camden to showcase the best up-and-coming comedians. The acts they chose are: Ahir Shah, Andrew Mensah, Catherine Bohart, Eli Hart, Eric Rushton, Finlay Christie, Gbemi Oladipo, Harriet Dyer (pictured), Janine Harouni, John Tothill, Will Robbins, Britney, Kim Blythe, Maya Ricote, Samira Banks and Tom Towelling.

LONDON: Deadpan Sri Lankan comedian Vidura Bandara Rajapaksa returns with Paradise Gothic, exploring immigration, anarchism, radical Buddhism, and the absurdities of attempting to build a life within late-stage capitalism. A short tour starts at Hackney Empire tonight. Vidura Bandara Rajapaksa tour dates.

LONDON: Chapeau for the show name as Kyrah Gray talks about cracking expectations and the upbringing that shaped her, in Kyrahpractor, at Soho Theatre tonight and tomorrow.

BELFAST: Laura Ramoso is a German-Italian comedian best known for her live sketch specials and viral impressions on social media, where she has amassed more than 3.5 million followers with characters such as German Mom, Italian Dad and Chiara. She starts a UK and Ireland tour at Ulster Hall tonight. Laura Ramoso tour dates.

Friday April 17

LONDON: American comic John Mulaney brings his Mister Whatever tour to the UK and Ireland, starting with two nights at the London Palladium before taking in Bristol, Wolverhampton, Manchester, Glasgow and Dublin, though tickets are understandably very thin on the ground. The comic hosts the Netflix talk show Everybody’s Live With John Mulaney, has also starred in his own self-titled sitcom and recorded seven stand-up specials with the latest, Baby J, released on Netflix in 2023.

Published: 12 Apr 2026