Hello all!
May is here and as ever there is a ridiculous amount of good comedy to be found in London. So what we've done here at London is Funny is pop it all in a pan, whack it on the hob and simply reduce it down to a top 20.
Ready?
• Wednesday, May 5. Knock2Bag's Notting Hill gig welcomes Arthur Smith, Tim Key, Ava Vidal, Carl Donnelly and Rufus Hound. The venue is the Tabernacle Centre.
• Wednesday, May 5.[/i] The Waterfront in Streatham plays host to Josh Howie, Joe Wilkinson and Felix Dexter. • Thursday, May 6. Are You Taking the Peace? is a fundraiser for peace-building charity International Alert, and Stewart Lee and Adam Buxton are among those performing at Bloomsbury Theatre. • Thursday, May 6. An election all-nighter takes place in Bethnal Green Working Men's Club with Josie Long via satellite link-up, Terry Saunders, Robin Ince and a shed load of extra nice touches. • Various dates. The mighty Udderbelly (the giant purple upside-down cow on the South Bank, no really) is open for business and has plenty of good stuff on, in particular Adam Bloom on May 22 and the totally brilliant Alun Cochrane on May 20. • Friday, May 7. Ed Byrne, Richard Herring, Tim Key and Andy Zaltzman perform at the gorgeous Bush Hall in Shepherd's Bush. • Saturday, May 8. Invisible Dot's typically excellent Live at the Chapel in Islington has done it again – Arthur Smith, Mark Watson, Tom Basden, Angelos and Sean Hughes. Wallop. • Monday, May 10. Lady Garden and Friends is another hardy perennial, tonight featuring Pappy's, Ginger and Black and much more for just a fiver, at the splendid Wilmington Arms in Farringdon. • Thursday, May 13. The Fix presents the peerless Stewart Lee and returning musical comic of the 80s Boothby Graffoe in a tiny wee Camden Head pub in Camden. • Various dates. Notable at the Bloomsbury Theatre this month are the truly memorable Terry Alderton with his 'voices' on May 21 and brilliant stand-up Micky Flanagan on May 24. Gratuitous ad break! Don't forget to sign up to LiF's weekly newletter with booking alerts, competitions, previews and more! See our home page. • Friday/Saturday, May 14/15. The ever-reliable Just the Tonic at Leicester Square Theatre welcomes Ian Cognito, Andrew Bird, Jack Whitehall and Paul Tonkinson. • Friday, May 14. At Famous For Comedy in Camden tonight you can see the super-relaxed Alun Cochrane and rising star Seann Walsh among others. The venue is Highlight Comedy Club. • Mondays, May 17, 24, 31. Dan Atkinson, Lloyd Langford and former BBC 6Music DJ Jon Richardson's charmingly titled Git continues to take shape in The Compass pub in Islington. • Tuesday, May 18. Lovely little pub club in Mayfair Upstairs at the Mason's is five years old and celebrates with Robin Ince, Stewart Lee, Tom Craine and much more. • Various dates. The Soho Theatre plays host to Carl Donnelly on May 21 and 22, the all-conquering and ridiculously talented US duo Pajama Men are back for another run of shows as well as untouchable satirist Andy Zaltzman. • Sunday, May 23. Richard Herring's monthly club at the Lyric Theatre in Hammersmith features Pappy's and his old mucker Stewart Lee. • Tuesday, May 25. Musical comedian James Sherwood's musical comedy night that features non-musical comedians doing musical comedy is a bit of a riot. Check it out in Cafe Koha in Covent Garden. • Thursday, May 27. Comedy at the Doggett's pub by the Thames is hosted by the possibly insane Bob Slayer and tonight is headlined by the possibly insane Phil Nichol. • Saturday, May 29. Amused Moose Soho (the venue is Moonlighting) plays host to the excellent Tom Wrigglesworth and gag machine Gary Delaney among others. • Sunday, May 30. The annual Laughing Horse New Act of the Year contest comes to a head at the Dogstar in Brixton once again. Tomorrow's stars today and all that. So there you go! Check back here every Monday for the coming week's recommended gigs, and in a month's time for the pick of London's comedy in June.. Enjoy ...
