Top 5 comedy gigs of the week

Hello comedy fans!

Thank god it's warmed up. That was getting boring, no? *And you know what else is warming up right now?* The comedy circuit! And here are LondonisFunny.com's picks of the week ...

• Simon Amstell – the Invisible Dot (King's Cross)
The latest chapter in Amstell's career has seen him relaunch his stand-up career, as a self-deprecating, brutally honest sensitive boy – not the bitchy button-presser we used to see on telly. Still very funny. He's performing work-in-progress shows in King's Cross on Monday-Wednesday, this week and next.

• David Trent: Spontaneous Comedian (Soho Theatre)
A brilliant one-hour show by one of the "best newcomer" nominees at last year's Edinburgh Festival. This is the show that got multimedia mentalist Trent that nomination. Expect bombastic, video-based mischief. Tuesday-Saturday.

• Austentatious (Leicester Square Theatre)
One of the hits of 2012 continues its monthly residency at LST – it's an improvised Jane Austen novel, made up on the spot by some hugely talented improvisers on the basis of audience suggestions. Wednesday.

• Sketchtacular (Pleasance Theatre)
One for sketch comedy fans – the Pleasance in Islington is hosting a charity fundraiser for Kidney Research UK, and welcome some top sketch/character acts including The Boy With Tape On His Face, Idiots of Ants and Cariad Lloyd. (Thursday)

• The Comedy Store (Piccadilly)
A classic line-up at the Store – MC Alun Cochrane, the cutting and camp Hal Cruttenden, 5Live regular Ian Moore, brilliant comic-rapper Doc Brown (pictured) and more. (Thursday-Sunday).

As ever, full details of these listings, booking info, and loads more listings can be found at London is Funny's fabulous listings section.

Bye for now ...

Paul
Editor, London is Funny