More Comedy News
-
Great Entertainment Amplified
Posted on Mon 22 Apr
-
UK comedy festival inks naming rights deal with Cobra Beer
Posted on Tue 02 Apr
-
The Rep announces eight finalists for the Victoria Wood Playwriting Prize for Comedy
Posted on Thu 28 Mar
Laughter is certainly the best medicine - even if you’re not ill! Why not get your ribs well and truly tickled over the next few weeks by attending one or more of the following laughter-fests...
JACKIE FABULOUS
A former lawyer and one-time America’s Got Talent semi-finalist, New York-born Jacqueline J Champagnie - aka Jackie Fabulous - is on a mission to entertain, encourage and empower her audiences.
She stops off in the Midlands this month as part of her first-ever UK tour.
The Glee Club, Birmingham, Tuesday 30 April
ANDY PARSONS
With complimentary reviews including such observations as “What he lacks in hair, he more than makes up for in originality,” Andy Parsons is a sharp and topical comedian who’s well known from TV shows Mock The Week and Live At The Apollo.
Andy’s big bag of jokes includes: “If you’ve been affected by any of the issues raised in tonight’s episode of EastEnders, they must have been acting better than they usually do.”
Palace Theatre, Redditch, Wednesday 1 May; The Regal, Tenbury Wells, Thursday 2 May; Evesham Town Hall, Thursday 23 May
RUSSELL KANE
Past publicity blurb for this fella said it all: “Strap in for some super-speed sunderings and inconvenient sociology in a show of self-soiling merriment that will leave you with rickets.”
In short, Russell Kane is a very funny man - and it’s not just his publicist who thinks so. Russell has been drawing a crowd since bursting onto the scene 20 years ago, serving up liberal doses of humour at a frenetic pace.
The London-born comedian visits the Midlands with latest touring show HyperActive.
Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Thursday 2 May; Swan Theatre, Worcester, Tuesday 14 May; Crewe Lyceum Theatre, Saturday 14 September; Stafford Gatehouse Theatre, Sunday 15 September; Birmingham Hippodrome, Friday 15 November; Victoria Hall, Stoke-on-Trent, Saturday 8 March 2025; Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Sunday 27 April 2025
PETER KAY
Peter Kay has the magical ability to endear himself to just about everybody. Gregarious in nature and bringing to the stage bucketloads of northern-style charisma, he peddles a line in comedy which is bold and biting but never cruel.
“It’s good to get back to what I love doing best,” he says, in talking about his return to stand-up comedy. “And if there’s ever a time people need a laugh, it’s now.”
Returning to the circuit after taking a 12-year break, he’s offering tickets to his shows at the same starting price as the previous time he went out on tour, way back in 2010.
Utilita Arena Birmingham, Friday 3 May; Friday 9 August; Monday 7 October; Friday 15 November; Friday 6 December; Friday 24 January 2025; Saturday 7 June 2025; Friday 5 December 2025
CHRIS MCCAUSLAND
“A long time ago, when I’d only just started out as a comedian,” recalls scouse funnyman Chris McCausland, “I walked out on stage and was telling a joke to break the ice about being blind, when somebody in the audience shouted out, pantomime style, ‘We’re behind you!’ It was very funny!”
Chris has the eye condition retinitis pigmentosa. “It’s been referred to in different ways across the years,” he says, “from the rather dull and generic-sounding macular degeneration to the cool and groovy inverse cone-rod dystrophy!”
A touring comedian since the mid-noughties, Chris has also appeared on a host of television panel games and in series including EastEnders and Moving On.
He visits the Midlands with latest show Yonks!.
Walsall Arena, Friday 3 May; The Alexandra, Birmingham, Sunday 26 January; Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Thursday 30 January
RIA LINA
The challenge of emerging from a global pandemic, the new normal, divorce, dating in a new digital world, motherhood, and what it really means to be a woman today are among the subjects that comedian and scientist Ria Lina puts under her microscope in debut touring show Riawakening.
Jokes include: “I wanted to do a show about feminism. But my husband wouldn’t let me.”
The Edge Arts Centre, Much Wenlock, South Shropshire, Saturday 4 May; Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Wednesday 29 May; Huntingdon Hall, Worcester, Thursday 30 May
JAKE LAMBERT
Hailed a ‘joke machine’ by one national newspaper, Jake Lambert is a relatively new kid on the comedy block who’s made a big splash online (his videos have gained more than 150 million views).
Although visiting Shrewsbury and Birmingham as part of his first-ever national tour, the 33-year-old funnyman already has plenty of on-the-road experience under his belt - he’s previously been the support act for some of the UK’s best-loved comedians, including Jack Dee, Alan Carr and Romesh Ranganathan...
Indeed, Jake is touring this debut show - titled The Sunshine Kid - while also fitting in arena dates supporting Michael McIntyre.
Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Wednesday 8 May; The Glee Club, Birmingham, Wednesday 11 September
NICK HELM
British Comedy Award winner Nick Helm once again hits the road with another audience-pleasing mash-up of gags, stories, poems and songs.
Nick’s jokes include: “I needed a password eight characters long, so I picked Snow White And The Seven Dwarves.”
The gag won the Edinburgh Fringe award for best joke way back in 2011 - since which time Nick has come up with numerous other crackers!
Stafford Gatehouse Theatre, Thursday 9 May; Newhampton Arts Centre, Wolverhampton, Friday 10 May; The Glee Club, Birmingham, Saturday 11 May
LOU CONRAN
“I trained at the Oxford School of Speech & Drama many years ago,” reveals comedian Lou Conran, in providing readers with a flavour of who she is, “but I was told off for not taking acting too seriously; hence, me, now and this! I do TV warm-up, I do acting when I’m allowed, and I’m addicted to chillies, cheese and various other things beginning with the letter C.
“Oh, and I’m also one half of the award-nominated podcast Spit Or Swallow, which is flipping marvellous and you should listen to it immediately!”
Stafford Gatehouse Theatre, Saturday 11 May
TOM DAVIS
“I’ve always thought of myself as an underdog,” reveals Murder In Successville’s Tom Davis to beyondthejoke.com, “though not necessarily in a negative way. I think that’s what has made me. The bulk of my humour comes from constantly feeling like someone who’s had a little bit of a kicking.”
Having left school with no qualifications, Tom’s road to comedy success proved to be a long and winding one: “I’d been working on building sites for 20-odd years. I just wanted to do something for myself. I tried standup, and straight away I just thought “Wow! I feel like I’m actually quite good at something: making other people laugh.”
Birmingham Town Hall, Saturday 11 May
PAUL FOOT
Paul Foot’s routines involve him sharing with his audience the seemingly random and intriguingly surreal thoughts that make their way through his ever-busy mind...
By way of example, he told comedy.co.uk: “I’d like to do a TV show in which I enter an unsuspecting family’s house at dinner time, violently upturn tables, hurl all the crockery and food at the walls and scream ‘Oh how the tables have turned!’”
On that particular subject of television shows, Paul admits he doesn’t appear on anywhere near as many as some other comedians. “People know when a TV show needs me and the phone will ring. Quite often I’m in the bath, though, or smashing specially purchased greenhouses with a golf club in the garden.”
Newhampton Arts Centre, Wolverhampton, Wednesday 15 May
JESSICA FOSTEKEW
“I exist in real life but am also a comedian, actor and writer,” says Jessica Fostekew. “Since 2008 I’ve been throwing this job around like you would a walnut in a sock.” Realising herself to be a feminist “the very first time somebody said: You’re really funny for a woman”, Jessica gets her comedy inspiration from her life, her family and, er, witchcraft - although reassuringly reveals that the latter source provides only around one per cent of her material!
“I'm not a comedian in order to abuse people or to get laid,” Jessica wrote in the Huffington Post. “I want to make people laugh. I'm there to be judged on my jokes. I've had everything shouted at me, from “My tits are better than yours” to “When’s the raffle?" but it's never been meant to hurt me.”
Newhampton Arts Centre, Wolverhampton, Thursday 16 May
ASHLEY BLAKER
Comedian and dad-of-six Ashley Blaker’s touring show, Normal Schmormal, sees him focusing on a topic close to his heart.
The star of BBC Radio Four’s hit comedy, 6.5 Children, Ashley is presenting a show about the joys of being father to three youngsters with special needs.
“Between endless meetings, countless therapists, public humiliations, failed playdates, surreal monologues and occasional violence,” says the show’s publicity, “it’s certainly not what anyone would call a ‘normal’ household - but would Ashley want it any other way?”
Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), Birmingham, Thursday 16 May
ADAM ROWE
Adam Rowe well remembers the day he died in Stockport (on stage, of course).
“It was the day I got my A-Level results,” recalls the Liverpool-born comedian, “and I realised I wasn’t going to university for another year. I decided to rant about my day and not do my material. I died on my arse and got gonged off. Awful.”
Fortunately for Adam, most of his gigs bear no resemblance to that one. Blending an affable persona with a quick wit and clever material, he’s now well established on the UK comedy circuit and is definitely worth a look.
Albany Theatre, Coventry, Thursday 16 May
CLINTON BAPTISTE
Actor Alex Lowe enjoyed big success with comic creation Clinton Baptiste when the character first appeared more than 20 years ago in Peter Kay’s award-winning television series, Phoenix Nights.
A tacky and inept clairvoyant, medium & psychic, Baptiste was Kay’s brainchild but has since been fleshed-out further by the man who plays him.
Despite the serious amount of work he’s put into developing the character, Alex remains appreciative of Clinton’s origin: “The fact that he‘s from Phoenix Nights is great! It’s like having a head start, because I already feel four-nil up before I even get on stage, and I know the audience is going to laugh.”
Huntingdon Hall, Worcester, Thursday 16 May; Crewe Lyceum, Friday 7 June; Birmingham Town Hall, Friday 14 June; Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa, Wednesday 2 October
JO CAULFIELD
“I always question where my comedy’s coming from,” says Jo Caulfield, who’s appeared on much-loved TV shows Mock The Week and Have I Got News For You. “Is it coming from a good place and is it a worthwhile target? I’m rude, I swear and can be very harsh, but I’m not that crude. I tend not to do graphic sex stuff, because it doesn’t make me laugh. I always say I don’t do fluids, because I don’t find that funny. I also think it’s quite childish. I don’t think people are shocked by that kind of humour anymore. When comics think that they’re being shocking, I just want to say, ‘We’re not shocked; we’re just bored and find it distasteful.’”
Lichfield Garrick, Friday 17 May
RICH HALL
With much of his comedy focusing on making fun of life across the pond in his homeland, Rich Hall is best known for his creation of Otis Lee Crenshaw, a bourbon-swilling redneck jailbird from Tennessee whose many wives have all been named Brenda.
Publicity for this latest touring show, Shot From Cannons - a combination of ‘new rants, knife-edge observations and thrilling musical interludes’ - advises that although you’ll pay for the whole seat, you’ll only need the edge of it.
Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Wednesday 22 May; NewVic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Thursday 20 June
JULIAN CLARY
Following in the footsteps of comics such as Kenny Everett and Larry Grayson, Julian Clary peddles a line in ‘saucy postcard humour’ that disguises an intelligent sarcasm which digs fun at both himself and his audience.
The world of stand-up is undoubtedly where he’s enjoyed most success, seeming to thrive on the close contact with a live audience. By contrast, his forays into television haven’t always gone so well; indeed, a long-ago but infamous ‘fisting’ gag about a Conservative politician saw him blacklisted by TV producers for some considerable time.
He’s making a welcome return to the Midlands this month with brand-new offering A Fistful Of Clary. “Yes, it has a Western theme,” says Julian of the show. “It was only a matter of time before I eased myself into some chaps...”
Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Thursday 23 & Friday 24 May; The Alexandra, Birmingham, Sunday 26 May
HORATIO GOULD
Having enjoyed a sell-out success with his debut offering, Sweet Prince, at the Edinburgh Fringe, Horatio Gould is now taking the show to comedy venues across the country, including the Glee.
Running at a few minutes short of an hour, the set has been widely praised as a highly promising opening gambit from the 27-year-old comedian. Presenting himself as a beleaguered but defiant wannabe-alpha-but-sadly-beta male, Horatio has been described by UK comedy guide Chortle as ‘basically a white Romesh Ranganathan’.
The Glee Club, Birmingham, Friday 24 May
ED GAMBLE
“I’m essentially a great guy delivering humour through your classic microphone/speaker combo,” says a tongue-in-cheek Ed Gamble in describing himself. “As well as being a stand-up comedian, I’m an actor and a writer - although, to be honest, I very rarely act, and ‘writing’ is a very lofty term for the absolute filth I’ve committed to paper in the past.”
Co-host (with James Acaster) of award-winning podcast Off Menu, a judge on Great British Menu, Taskmaster champion and host of Taskmaster The Podcast, Ed stops off in the Midlands this month with his brand-new touring show, Hot Diggity Dog.
Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Sunday 26 May; The Alexandra, Birmingham, Saturday 1 June; Victoria Hall, Stoke-on-Trent, Thursday 6 June; Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Saturday 16 November
RHOD GILBERT
Welsh funnyman Rhod Gilbert has acquired a huge and still-growing following thanks to a high-energy brand of grumpiness that marks him out as one of the top comedians of his generation.
He’s returning to the Midlands this month with Rhod Gilbert And The Giant Grapefruit, a show in which he’ll be discussing his recent battle against stage four head and neck cancer.
Rhod’s best-loved gags include: “In the Bible, God made it rain for 40 days and 40 nights. That’s a pretty good summer for Wales... That’s a hosepipe ban waiting to happen.” And “A spa hotel? It’s like a normal hotel, only in reception there’s a picture of a pebble.”
Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Friday 7 June; The Halls, Wolverhampton, Thursday 10 October; Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Thursday 17 - Friday 18 October; Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Friday 15 - Saturday 16 November
SALLY ANNE HAYWARD
If you’re a Sarah Millican, Russell Howard, Russell Kane, Hal Cruttenden or Suzi Ruffell fan and have attended some of their shows, there’s every chance that prior to the main event, you will have had your laughter muscles nicely lubricated for you by Sally-Anne Hayward.
A real comedian’s comedian, Sally-Anne is here standing in the full glare of the spotlight herself, her ever-so-nice persona concealing a caustic wit, cutting cynicism and generally bitchier side that serves her well as she takes a tongue-in-cheek look at modern life.
Stourbridge Town Hall, Saturday 15 June
VIGGO VENN
Viggo Venn hit the big time last summer when he became the 2023 winner of ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent, since which time he’s been basking in the glory of finally achieving his long-desired transformation from Norwegian clown to British comedian. The BGT judges were certainly effusive in their praise for the talented 34-year-old, with Bruno Toniolo hailing him one of the most memorable characters since Mr Bean and Simon Cowell declaring his act to be like nothing he’d ever seen before.
Viggo visits the Old Rep this month as part of his first-ever national tour.
Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Wednesday 26 June
ADAM KAY
After watching an Adam Kay performance, Stephen Fry declared, “This made me very, very happy.” Numerous sell-out years at the Edinburgh Fringe and tens of millions of YouTube hits later, former obstetrician and gynaecologist Adam is this month visiting the Midlands with brand-new offering Undoctored, a follow-on from previous smash-hit stage show This Is Going To Hurt.
Victoria Hall, Stoke-on-Trent, Thursday 3 October
CARL HUTCHINSON
Observational comedian Carl Hutchinson makes a welcome return with a show that covers all manner of common-or-garden topics. Prior to becoming a full-time stand-up, Carl was a maths teacher. “There are certainly comparisons between the two professions,” says the popular Geordie funnyman, “but the definite advantage with comedy is that if you have a bad gig, you can rest assured that you don’t have to see the same audience the next day at 10am!”
Carl visits the region with new show Today Years Old.
Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa, Sunday 13 October; Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Thursday 17 October; Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Saturday 9 November; Stafford Gatehouse Theatre, Sunday 24 November
MO GILLIGAN
London standup Mo Gilligan has enjoyed a meteoric rise to fame and fortune since first coming to wider public attention just a handful of years ago. It was back in December 2016 that Mo uploaded a video about grime MCs - since which time he’s found himself catapulted to celebrity status. Hired by Channel Four to front The Lateish Show and rewarded for his television work with a coveted Bafta gong, Mo admits that his life has started to feel just a little bit crazy. “I wake up in the morning and think, ‘This is nuts!’” admits the 35-year-old. “It’s what I’d always dreamt about, and now that it’s happened, I’m determined to make the most of it.”
Utilita Arena Birmingham, Saturday 30 November 2024