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...  

JAMALI MADDIX

One-time Chortle Student Comedian of the Year Jamali Maddix has been hailed for his frank yet ironic take on everyday racism and his willingness to tackle the hot-potato subject of terrorism. 

He visits the Midlands numerous times across the next couple of months with his brand-new touring show, Aston.

The Glee Club, Birmingham, Thurs 5 June

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RHYS DARBY

According to Jim Carrey, who knows a thing or two about being a popular funnyman, Rhys Darby - aka band manager Murray Hewitt from Flight Of The Conchords - is “just absolutely brilliant. He’s got that Peter Sellers madness inside him”. 

Rhys’ shows tend to combine surreal musings, hilarious stories from his life, and a healthy dollop of nonsense and fantasy. Jokes include: “My girlfriend recently told me that she’s into self-harming. So for her birthday, I got her a hammer and said ‘knock yourself out’.”

Birmingham Town Hall, Thursday 5 June

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JONNY COLE

“It’s difficult for me to put my brand of comedy into an industry-standard soundbite,” says local comedian Jonny Cole. “There are a lot of people who love Black Country humour and who’d love to go into a rough & ready Black Country pub just to listen to the banter - and that’s exactly what I do. I’ve absorbed Black Country humour the whole of my life. I take it out of that pub - where people wouldn’t dare go, in case they got their teeth knocked out - and I put it into a safe, controlled environment where they can enjoy it.”

Rugeley Rose Theatre, Friday 6 & Saturday 7 June; The Albany Theatre, Coventry, Wednesday 11 June; Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire, Thursday 12 June; Katie Fitzgerald’s, Stourbridge, Friday 13 June; Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton, Saturday 14 June; Sutton Coldfield Town Hall, Wednesday 18 June; Stafford Gatehouse Theatre, Thursday 19 June; Huntingdon Hall, Worcester, Saturday 21 June; Wombourne Civic, Friday 4 July; Walsall Arena, Friday 11 July; Stafford Gatehouse Theatre, Thursday 25 September; Lichfield Garrick, Saturday 18 October; Halesowen Town Hall, Tuesday 21 October; Walsall Arena & Arts Centre, Wednesday 22 October; Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton, Thursday 23 October

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​SHAPARAK KHORSANDI

A regular contributor to radio and television programmes, Iranian-born comedian Shaparak Khorsandi describes herself as a ‘spit and sawdust’ stand-up comic, happily pulling on her wellies and trudging through muddy fields to perform at any and every music festival that boasts a comedy tent.
She visits the region this month with latest show Scatterbrain. 

Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Thursday 12 June

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JASON MANFORD

Becoming successful in comedy is no walk in the park, as Jason Manford knows. And the former One Show presenter has some sage advice for wannabe comedians: “Don’t take any of my work!... I would also say to people, compare yourself to yourself. Don’t think, ‘Why has that guy got that?’ or ‘Why is Michael McIntyre doing so well?’ or ‘I’m really funny, so why is so-and-so doing that gig, not me?’ You know what, just don’t worry about it. If you’re doing better now than you were six months ago, then you’re doing well.”

Stafford Gatehouse Theatre, Wednesday 11 June; Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Thursday 12 June; Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa, Tuesday 30 September; The Civic at The Halls Wolverhampton, Saturday 11 October; Walsall Arena, Thursday 6 November 

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ANDY HAMILTON

“A lot of comedy shows are confessional, aren’t they?” says Outnumbered writer and long-established standup comedian Andy Hamilton, in talking to Cambridge Independent. “People get up and talk about their struggles with their demons. But I don’t really have any demons. I mean, maybe I should get some, and then I could do jokes about them!”

Andy is visiting the region with a show that’s been described as an intimate evening of comic reflection, reminiscence and revelation. 

The second half of the evening will feature a Q&A session with the audience.

The Roses, Tewkesbury, Sunday 15 June 

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SARAH PASCOE

Comedy actor, sketch performer, improviser and writer Sara Pascoe put her best foot forward into the realm of stand-up comedy back in 2007. Only a year later, she was voted runner-up in the Funny Women competition and third in the So You Think You’re Funny? contest. Since that time, she’s continued to develop both her act and her CV, with roles in The Thick Of It and Being Human sitting alongside her stand-up work. Jokes include: “Why did the chicken commit suicide? To get to the other side.” This Halesowen gig is a work in progress but Sara will return later in the year with a ‘proper’ tour.

Halesowen Town Hall, Tuesday 17 June

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GREG DAVIES

If you recognise funnyman Greg Davies from the telly but can’t quite recall from which programme, it could well be The Inbetweeners you’re thinking of - Greg played psychotic head of sixth form Mr Gilbert. 
He’s also received much acclaim as co-host on TV game show Taskmaster and comedy sitcom, The Cleaner. 

As well as being funny, Greg’s other claim to fame is his height - he’s six feet eight inches tall in his stockinged feet; feet, by the way, which are a whopping size 13! A big man with an ever-growing reputation, he’s here touring his first stand-up show in seven years.

bp pulse LIVE, Birmingham, Wednesday 18 June

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LARRY DEAN

When it comes to garnering praise, Larry Dean has done pretty well. Indeed, no less a luminary than Michael McIntyre has waxed lyrical about him, while critics across the board have been quick to acknowledge the award-winning Glaswegian’s many and varied talents.

Larry’s physical comedy has been likened to that of Billy Connolly in his prime, while he also boasts an impressive line in voice mimicry and an unerring capacity to be splendidly daft.

Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Friday 20 June

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REGINALD D HUNTER

One of the most popular comedians currently working the comedy circuit, Reginald D Hunter’s no-nonsense style and hugely amusing perspectives on the differences between the UK and his homeland of the US have struck a real chord with his audiences. “I felt like an outsider in America when I was growing up, and I feel like an outsider in Britain now. The difference is that feeling like an outsider in Britain seems... normal. There are people who’ve lived here all their lives who feel like outsiders, but one of the things I love about Britain is that it makes room for what y’all like to call ‘the eccentric’. I mean, hell, Britain makes a warm and comfortable space for mother****ers who just like staring at trains! I think that’s very evolved.” 

Huntingdon Hall, Worcester, Thursday 26 June; The Castle & Falcon, Birmingham, Saturday 5 July

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DARA Ó BRIAIN

Charismatic, fast-talking and very, very funny, Dara Ó’Briain is a familiar face on the telly thanks to shows like Mock The Week and Have I Got News For You.

Jokes include: “If we were truly created by God, why do we occasionally bite the insides of our mouths?” and “Even though you’re still allowed to smoke in your own house, do you have to stub it out when a burglar breaks in, as your house is now his workplace?” Dara stops off in the region with his new touring show, Re:Creation.

Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Wednesday 17 September; Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Wednesday 5 - Thursday 6 November

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ROB BECKETT

First tickling the nation’s funny bone in 2009, Rob Beckett’s TV work includes 8 Out Of 10 Cats and Celebrity Juice. A high-tempo comedian who’s been described by one newspaper as ‘a little short of a revelation’, Rob claims his relationship with comedy began as a youngster... 

“I was the middle child and desperate for attention,” he explains, “so I decided to try and get it by making my friends and family chuckle - or better still, belly laugh.”

Gags include, “You know you're working-class when your TV’s bigger than your bookcase,” and “My girlfriend worries about me cheating on a night out. I say to her, ‘Why would I have a burger when I’ve got steak at home?’ The only problem is, when you’re drunk, burgers are well nice.”

Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Thurs 20 - Sat 22 November

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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 more than 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.

Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Friday 5 & Saturday 6 December   

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