Hailing Junior Simpson

...and the rest of the best live comedy this week

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 May 31

LONDON: Comedians are gathering at the Comedy Store this afternoon in celebration of Junior Simpson, who has been forced to retire from performing after a dementia diagnosis. Jason Manford, Milton Jones, Ninia Benjamin and Rich Hall are among those helping raise funds towards his long-term care in this sold-out gig.

DROITWICH SPA: The Rik Mayall Comedy Festival continues all week, including the My Bottom podcast doing a live recording at the Norbury Theatre at 5pm today with guest Helen Lederer – and the Talking Bottom podcast host a pub quiz at the Old Cock tavern at 8pm. Website

Monday June 1

LONDON: Scot Squad's chief Cameron Miekelson is in the capital to show the Met how it's done… Jack Docherty's sitcom alter-ego is at the Soho Theatre all week, looking back on his career righting wrongs, crushing crime, battling bams and never, ever apologising…

BRIGHTON: Let's hope the weather holds for a week of gigs at the open-air theatre in Dyke Road Park. Tonight's gig is headlined by John Bishop with the likes of Jeff Innocent, Harriet Kemsley, Catherine Bohart and Ed Byrne playing over the week. Listings

Tuesday June 2

LONDON: Sam Jay brings her Edinburgh Comedy Award-nominated show We The People to Soho Theatre for the rest of the week. In it, she addresses how a black queer woman who never felt truly a part of her country grapples with its certain demise…

LONDON: Questors Theatre in Ealing is hosting a fundraiser for Mahaba Café, which offers training and employment for young people with learning disabilities. The bill includes Shaparak Khorsandi, Terry Alderton and – as seen on Have I Got News For You – Bella Hull.

PORTSMOUTH: There's a good double-bill of smartly opinionated stand-ups at the Guildhall tonight in the forms of Ahir Shah and Garrett Millerick. Tickets

Wednesday June 3

LONDON: As seen on Last Comic Standing, The Mindy Project and The L Word: Generation Q, American comic Fortune Feimster comes to the Hackney Empire tonight (Tickets) and Vicar Street in Dublin tomorrow.

Thursday June 4

GOOLE: A hometown gig for News Quiz regular and twice Edinburgh-nominated comedian Ian Smith, as his Foot Spa Half Empty tour draws to an end. The final gigs are in Liverpool tomorrow and Barton-on-Humber on Saturday. Review

Friday June 5

LONDON: Nikki Glaser – acclaimed stand-up and first solo female host of the Golden Globes – swings into town with a gig at the Eventim Apollo Tickets ahead of two nights at the 3Olympia Theatre in Dublin.

LONDON: Cadogan Hall off Sloane Square holds another of its regular top-flight comedy nights, featuring Simon Amstell, Kerry Godliman, Toussaint Douglass, Kyrah Gray and Stephen Bailey.

SALFORD: The Greater Manchester Improv Festival returns for three days of shows and workshops based at The Kings Arms. The programme is here.

Saturday June 6

LONDON: American comics Gabriel Iglesias and Jo Koy come to The O2 for one night only. Tickets

GLASGOW: Scotland take on England in a Comedy Showdown at the Pavilion Theatre tonight. Representing the home side are Des McLean, Marc Jennings and Rosco McClelland. For the Auld Enemy, Bobby Davro, John Archer and Justin Moorhouse. The hardly impartial MC is Des Clarke, host of BBC Radio Scotland's Breaking The News.