National Gallery to host stand-ups

The National Gallery is to become a comedy club, for one night only.

In the one-off gig, comics Kate Cheka, Alex Farrow and Jonathan Oldfield will perform stand-up routines inspired by paintings held in the London landmark. 

They will talk about works from theTrafalgar Square gallery's 20th-century collection–  including paintings by Paul Cézanne and Henri Rousseau – in the free event on July 24. 

The evening, part of the gallery's Friday Lates series, is organised by Verity Babbs, a comedian and presenter who created the Art Laughs initiative to make fine art accessible to wider audiences.

It started during lockdown as a series of interviews with comedians such as Jenny Eclair, Rosie Jones and Thanyia Moore about an artwork of their choice, and she has since staged live events at venues including the Tate Britain, Christie’s auction house and the London Art Fair.

The National Gallery show runs in Room 45 from 7.30pm to 8.30pm  and is open to all, though places are limited and allocated on the door. More details.

Published: 4 Jun 2026