Hello!
Well, the comedy world and his wife will be up in Edinburgh for August, but there is still plenty of good comedy to be found in London. Here are LiF's top 20:
• Monday 2nd A few Edinburgh previews are lingering before the off later this week, with Rich Fulcher (Bob Fossil from the Boosh) in character as Eleanor the Tour Whore at the Hen and Chickens.
• Tuesday 3rd Edinburgh previews at the King's Head, Crouch End, from two splendid musical comics, Radio 4 regular James Sherwood and the legendary Ronnie Golden.
• Thursday 5th Two angry men of comedy, Robin Ince and Michael Legge, discuss the very nature of anger as part of the Camden Fringe, at Camden Roundhouse.
• Thursday/Friday 5th/6th Ardal O'Hanlon plays a rare gig in a small venue (Hen and Chickens, Islington) as he gears up for Edinburgh.
• Friday 6th Performing tonight at the Fix are top sketch duo Cardinal Burns, masterful stand-up John Gordillo, old-school entertainer Ray Presto, fop Tom Bell and guests.
• Saturday 7th The Boat Show on Tattershall Castle welcomes top Canadian comic Tom Stade, Portuguese comedy character Philberto and the excellent Gary Hutton.
• Sunday 8th Paul Merton appears as part of the legendary Comedy Store Players in Piccadilly.
• Tuesday 10th Another Camden Fringe show at Camden Head, a solo effort from LiF favourite Andrew O'Neill.
• Thursday 12th An intriguing show about the bizarre world of Uri Geller, and Nathan Penlington's obsession with Geller. Also in the Camden Fringe.
• Saturday 14th Craig Campbell, Kerry Godliman and The Thick of It's Will Smith play Up the Creek in Greenwich.
• Sunday 15th Circuit legend Nick Revell, Tony Cowards and Suzi Ruffell are among the guests at the King's Head in Crouch End.
• Wednesday 18th Some quality comic (Brett Goldstein, Spencer Brown and Matthew Osborn) play 99 Club Leicester Square.
• Saturday 21st The Funny Side in Covent Garden (the George) welcomes masterful stand-up Micky Flanagan, Chris Neill, Sol Bernstein and Craig Murray MC.
• Saturday 21st Will Smith, one-liner master Milton Jones and rising star Chris Martin play Just the Tonic in Leicester Square.
• Monday 23rd to Thursday 26th A solo show at the Camden Head by Robin Ince as part of the Camden Fringe, a celebration of the wonder of learning and the excitement of being inquisitive.
• Thursday 26th The Royal Variety Performance's Hal Cruttenden, Trevor Lock, Alistair Barrie and superb MC Brett Goldstein play 99 Club Leicester Square.
• Friday 27th to Saturday 11th September Hard-living American comic Doug Stanhope, of Charlie Brooker's Newswipe, enjoys a run at Leicester Square Theatre.
• Friday 27th The Banana Cabaret in Balham (at the Bedford) plays host to Matthew Osborn and the unforgettable Wes Zaharuk.
• Saturday 28th Playing 99 Club Islington are Nick Doody, Paddy Lennox, Aussie comic Duncan Edwards and MC Stan Stanley.
• Sunday 29th An early winner of the Edinburgh Comedy Award Jenny Eclair returns to stand-up prior to a new tour.
Full details and many more listings can be found at www.londonisfunny.com and bags and bags of interviews and tips on the Edinburgh Fringe Festival can be found at www.edinburghisfunny.com
