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...  

 

MARK SIMMONS

A runner-up in the Top 10 Jokes of the Edinburgh Fringe competition in 2022 - “Did you know, if you get pregnant in the Amazon, it’s next-day delivery” - Mark Simmons went one better in 2024, emerging from the summertime get-together in the Scottish capital with the Funniest Joke award: “I was going to sail around the globe in the world’s smallest ship, but I bottled it.”

And there’s plenty more where those little gems came from, with Mark’s talent for one-liners knowing no bounds. 

Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Saturday 31 January; New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Monday 2 March; Lichfield Garrick, Thursday 2 April; Huntingdon Hall, Worcester, Thursday 7 May; Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Friday 8 May; Stafford Gatehouse, Thursday 17 September; The Glee Club, Birmingham, Thursday 26 November

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RICHARD BLACKWOOD

Richard Blackwood’s comedic style has been described as an amalgam of Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy and Chris Rock, combined with a healthy dose of Afro Caribbean and South London humour. 
Jokes include: “A little boy went up to his father and asked: ‘Dad, where did all of my intelligence come from?’ The father replied: ‘Well, son, you must have got it from your mother, coz I still have mine.’”

The Glee Club, Birmingham, Sunday 1 February; Stafford Gatehouse Theatre, Saturday 28 February

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MILTON JONES

With a style of humour that’s mainly based around puns and one-liners, Milton Jones has established himself as one of Britain’s most in-demand funnymen. “If my comedy is working well, I put a cartoon in people’s heads that surprises them,” explains Milton. “So you start off and they’re thinking one thing, then you surprise them by changing the ending as you go along. It’s not political or particularly edgy, it’s just daft.”

Gags include: “Militant feminists - I take my hat off to them. They don't like that,” and, “Recently on a flight to America, all the way across, my wife was going, ‘Why don't you get an upgrade, why don't you get an upgrade?’ It took a bit of time, but in the end I got a better wife.”

Artrix, Bromsgrove, Wednesday 4 February; Rugeley Rose Theatre, Thursday 5 February; Civic Centre, Stourport, Friday 6 February 

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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’s ever-so-nice persona conceals a caustic wit, a cutting cynicism and a generally bitchier side that serves her well as she takes a tongue-in-cheek look at the world around her. 

Her latest stand-up offering features ‘tales of juggling lovers, dodging societal expectations and thriving without kids’. 

Stafford Gatehouse Theatre, Friday 6 February; Stourbridge Town Hall, Thursday 12 February 

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LADIES OF LAUGHTER

Championing female comics who appeal to comedy lovers of all backgrounds is the name of the game whenever Ladies Of Laughter takes to the stage. 
This latest edition of the show features sets from five top-quality funny-women: Maureen Younger, Ola Labib, Esther Manito, Samira Bank and Shalaka Kurup.
The show’s line-up has been known to change at the last minute, but whoever turns up, an evening of high-quality comedy is pretty much a guarantee. 

Birmingham Hippodrome, Saturday 7 February

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OMID DJALILI

A fella who’s been referred to as “the thinking person’s Iranian comedian”, Omid Djalili is probably one of the most subversive comics currently doing the rounds on the UK comedy circuit.

“I’ve been breaking away from the Middle Eastern pigeonhole that you people [journalists] have unfairly put me in. I’m a citizen of the world, and I will not be defined by cultural stereotypes. I have a specific viewpoint, which many call ‘Djalili-esque’, and I think my material reflects that now. Would you like a carpet? Visit my website. I also sell fried chicken, mayonnaise, motorcycle insurance and viagra, very fine price.”

Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton, Sunday 8 February; Palace Theatre, Redditch, Friday 13 February; Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa, Friday 3 April

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DESIREE BURCH

The menopause may not be the most novel of subjects around which to build a stand-up show, but Desiree Burch is aiming to make it seem like it is, courtesy of a winning blend of ‘childlike wonder and crone-like wit’. 

Her show, titled The Golden Wrath, proved a big hit with Edinburgh Fringe audiences last summer. 

The Glee Club, Birmingham, Thursday 12 February; Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Friday 13 February

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BRIDGET CHRISTIE

Christie’s star is most definitely in the ascendant, in part due to her hugely successful menopause-themed comedy drama The Change, which enjoyed excellent ratings when its second series was screened on Channel Four last spring. 

With a loyal and ever-expanding fan following, and a number of successful stand-up tours under her belt, she visits the region this month with Jacket Potato Pizza, the official publicity for which reads: ‘A kidney stone. A stray cat. An eye-themed fetish. Bridget Christie hits the road again with a brand-new show’.   

Birmingham Town Hall, Friday 13 February; Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa, Saturday 14 February

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CALLY BEATON

Comedian Sally Phillips is among Cally Beaton’s many and varied admirers. “She spins tales like Aisling Bea,” says Bridget Jones star Sally, “has the hair and strength of Pippi Longstocking, and the punk edge of Debbie Harry. Do I want a Cally Beaton rebrand? Hell yeah!” 

Cally is visiting the Midlands with Namaste Motherf*ckers, a show described by its publicity as ‘a quick-witted, unexpected and unapologetic insight into life in midlife’.

The Rep, Birmingham, Friday 13 February; Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Saturday 21 February; 

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RIA LINA

The state of the world, the eternal battle of the sexes - and the delight of throwing life up in the air after years of following the rules - are among the subjects that comedian and forensic scientist Ria Lina puts under her microscope in brand-new touring show Riabellion. Her 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, Sat 14 February

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SAM NICORESTI

Trans comedian Sam Nicoresti visits the region this month with a revamped version of breakout show Baby Doomer. Described by Sam’s official publicity as ‘a glistening diamond hour of stand-up’ (its running time has been extended to 105 minutes, including an interval, for this tour), the show made a massive impact in Edinburgh last summer. It then received a similarly positive audience reaction during three weeks of sold-out performances at London’s Soho Theatre in the autumn. Sam’s chosen subjects for the show include love, insanity, and the hunt for the perfect skirt suit... 

Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Friday 20 February; Centrala Arts Centre, Birmingham, Saturday 21 February

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HANNAH EAST

Brand-new skits, more wigs, celebrity send-ups and laugh-out-loud moments are promised by Hannah East when she visits the Midlands this month with her latest comedy offering, in which she takes a deep dive into the highs and lows of parenting. 

Hannah splits her professional life between stand-up and presenting. “After graduating, I competed on the TV show Gladiators,” explains Hannah. “During the semi-final stage, I was waiting for a scene to be filmed with [ex-footballer] Ian Wright when he told me to read Caroline Flack’s autocue. After doing this, he gave me some advice - I should go into presenting. The rest, as they say, is history!”

Walsall Arena & Arts Centre, Friday 20 February; Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa, Saturday 3 October; Glee Club, Birmingham, Thursday 15 October; Huntingdon Hall, Worcester, Friday 16 October; Kings Hall, Stoke-on-Trent, Sunday 15 November

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ALASDAIR BECKETT-KING

When, as a stand-up comedian, you find that no less a laughter merchant than Stewart Lee is hailing you a five-star example of ‘clockwork comedy perfection’, it’s reasonable to assume that you must be doing plenty right. And Alasdair Beckett-King most definitely is. 

Stewart’s glowing recommendation is no stand-alone tribute either, with critics and audience members alike routinely praising the self-described hedge-wizard and cat burglar... 

Alasdair - who also refers to himself as England’s most Scottish-looking man - visits the Midlands this month with latest show King Of Crumbs.

Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Saturday 21 February; Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Sunday 8 March; The Glee Club, Birmingham, Wednesday 25 March

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ROSS NOBLE

Geordie laughter merchant Ross Noble may not have hit the heights once expected of him, but he’s a hugely talented comedian nonetheless. Peddling a nice line in surreal and quirky stream-of-consciousness humour, he’s heading for the Midlands this month with latest touring show Cranium Of Curiosities. Examples of his comedy include “How come Miss Universe is only won by people from Earth?” and “I had to take the batteries out of the carbon monoxide detector. It was beeping all night.”

Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Thursday 26 February; Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Thursday 19 March

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AL MURRAY

“I love being a pub landlord,” says Al Murray. “It’s a truly great calling. You’re there to soothe troubled souls, pour balm on troubled waters, make people’s important moments in their lives extra special, and provide a range of snacks. What’s not to like?
”
Al is on tour this year with brand-new show All You Need Is Guv. 

The Alexandra, Birmingham, Saturday 28 February; Victoria Hall, Stoke-on-Trent, Saturday 16 May; Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Sunday 7 June; Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Thursday 1 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 Midlands with long-touring show Scatterbrain.

Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Sunday 1 March

       

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MATT FORDE

A one-time advisor to New Labour (he gave up his membership of the party when Jeremy Corbyn became leader), Nottingham-born Matt Forde is this month returning to the Midlands with Defying Calamity, a show in which he aims to ‘find positivity in life, despite all the evidence to the contrary in politics and his own health’ (Matt was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer in 2023 but is now disease-free). 

Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Wednesday 4 March; Huntingdon Hall, Worcester, Wednesday 15 April; Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Thursday 4 June 

SUE PERKINS

Here presenting her first stand-up show in more than a decade, Bake-Off, Taskmaster and Just A Minute star Sue Perkins is promising ‘a hilarious treatise on stigma, humiliation and misunderstanding’. 

In the process, she’s aiming to answer a tsunami of questions: what’s the fallout when your pituitary gland goes haywire on live TV? How do you convince the public you didn’t really fall onto that hoover attachment? And when intimate photos get splashed all over the internet, how do you switch the shame to dignity and joy?

Warwick Art Centre, Coventry, Saturday 14 March

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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 such as BBC’s Mock The Week and Live At The Apollo. 
Jokes include: “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.”
Andy’s currently performing his new touring show, Please #@!$ Off To Mars.

Lichfield Garrick, Sat 21 March; Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Thurs 26 March

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JEN BRISTER

As she attempted to establish herself on the circuit back in the early noughties, Jen Brister received a much-needed boost from a comedy legend. The occasion was the BBC New Act semi-finals in Brighton. The legend in question, Spike Milligan, who was one of the judges. Although Jen didn’t get through to the final, she did find out from the show’s producer that Spike had voted for her. “He’d also remarked that I had ‘a great pair of Bristols’,” she recalls. “So clearly he had great taste in comedy and, er, tits!”
Jen visits Birmingham this month with latest show Reactive.

Birmingham Town Hall, Friday 27 March; Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Friday 8 May

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DANIEL O'REILLY

Daniel O’Reilly reckons his life has resembled a rollercoaster ride - and he’s stopping off in the Midlands this month to tell his legion of fans all about it.
The London-born comic originally made his name over a decade ago as the character Dapper Laughs, but an ill-advised joke about rape put the brakes on what had seemed to be a promising career. 
The years which followed saw him battling a drug and alcohol addiction, and fighting hard to reestablish himself on the UK comedy scene.  
Now, having been sober for more than 1,000 days, Daniel is out on the road again. He’s performing his latest stand-up show, Let’s Have It, under his own name - and joking that he hopes he gets cancelled, as he could do with a bit of a break.

Walsall Arena, Sat 21 March; Swan Theatre, Worcester, Sat 2 May; Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Sat 26 September; Crewe Lyceum Theatre, Fri 2 October

     

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MARK WATSON

Well established on the UK comedy circuit, Mark Watson was born in Bristol to Welsh parents and initially delivered his act with a Welsh accent, claiming he felt “more comfortable talking in a voice that I didn’t quite recognise as my own”. 

“Comedy is certainly a time-consuming element of my life,” he admits, “but then while I’m out touring and on stage, there are people at home doing far less glamorous things. There have certainly been times when I’ve been very happy to say, ‘Of course I’d like to stay and help out with that plumbing crisis, but the Midlands awaits!’”

 Huntingdon Hall, Worcester, Saturday 16 May

 

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TOM STADE

Clever, controversial and Canadian pretty much sums up Tom Stade, a familiar face on television programmes including Live At The Apollo and Mock The Week. 

Having racked up 30 years on the comedy frontline, Tom is visiting the region with brand-new touring show Naughty By Nature.

Foxlowe Arts Centre, Leek, Staffs, Sunday 21 June 2026