The best of the week's live comedy

The best of the week's live comedy, picked from the 6,435 events Chortle currently has listed. Use our search panel to check our full listings by date and region.

Sunday November 1

LIVERPOOL: Hot Water comedy club's search for the breakthrough act of the year reaches its climax with Tabish Akbar, Liam Alexander, Tom McSharry, Charlie Lewis and Dawn Bailey competing for the crown.

HARROGATE: Hometown girl Maisie Adam fronts Frank's Fund Comedy Gala, bringing the town's comedy festival to an end with a matinee and evening show at Harrogate Theatre.

Monday November 2

LONDON: Leicester Square Theatre hosts The Buffoonery, a comedy fundraiser for orangutans, featuring the likes of Stewart Lee, Marcus Brigstocke, Chloe Petts, Elliot Steel, Alexandra Haddow and Edinburgh's best newcomer Marty Gleeson.

LONDON: The Alternative Comedy Memorial Society (ACMS) returns for more oddball fun at The Phoenix pub near Oxford Circus, featuring Adele Cliff, Joz Norris, Juliette Burton, Lulu Popplewell, Thom Tuck, Tom Mayhew and many more.

LONDON: Questors Theatre in Ealing is running a three-day fundraising comedy festival, with Dominic Holland and Hal Cruttenden today; Marcus Brigstocke and Shazia Mirza tomorrow; and Ed Byrne and Sally-Anne Hayward on Wednesday.

MANCHESTER: The annual Beat The Frog new act hunt will crown its winner at the Frog and Bucket. In the running are Selam Amare, Tom Barker, Yovan Chamroo, Ellie Cox, Kieran Dee, Onojie Idemudia, Abi Mohanty, Matty Ross, Gaj San, Sam Strachan and Chris Watts

Tuesday November 3

LONDON: Delightfully charming Aussie comedian Josh Thomas –  known for his TV series Please Like Me – begins a run of his stand-up Jiggle, Jiggle at Soho's Underbelly Boulevard, running through to Sunday.

Wednesday November 4

BIRMINGHAM: Musical comedian Rachel Parris starts her Songbook tour at the Old Rep, a collection of her greatest hits. And audiences are encouraged to come ready to sing along - 'a cappella may be included', the blurb advises/warns. Rachel Parris tour dates.

ABERDEEN: A new run of the Big Comedy Roadshow features Chloe Petts, Ian Smith, Jay Lafferty, Ayo Adenekan and Samira Banks. After tonight's stop at the Tivoli Theatre, the Gilded Balloon production heads to Dumfries Theatre Royal tomorrow, Portobello Town Hall on Friday and Arbroath's Webster Memorial Theatre on Saturday.

PLYMOUTH: National treasure Bill Bailey starts his new tour, Vaudevillian, at the Arena with an olde-timey pitch promising 'a celebration of comedy, songs, and multifarious skills… to amuse and amaze a broad audience… and transport from the tribulations of daily life.' The tour includes a long West End residency at the Theatre Royal Haymarket from December 16 to February 6, and a one-off at London's O2 on November 22. Bill Bailey tour dates.

LONDON: The second of the Hackney Empire's contemporary variety shows, Live At The Empire, features Bridget Christie, Elis James, John Tothill, Julia Masli and Nina Conti

Saturday November 7

LIVERPOOL: Red Richardson starts his second tour, Premium Economy, at Hot Water comedy club. His last, Bugatti Live, has racked up" more than 1.1million views on YouTube. Red Richardson tour dates.

LONDON: Grace Campbell's The Lady Is A Tramp tour hits the London Palladium. Tickets

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Published: 1 Nov 2026