The most popular comedy shows in London

Erstwhile Daily Show legend Trevor Noah returns to London for a comparitively ‘intimate’ string of dates at the Apollo after playing The O2 last time in 2023. We’re promised the South African stand-up will be performing all new material: this may even be the show’s name, although the poster for these dates features Noah standing in front of the postcode for the Apollo (W6 9QH) which would be a fun name. He’s only got the odd North American date scheduled for the rest of the year, so expect this run to be fairly significant to him. We don’t know exactly what’s on offer, but expect humourous storytelling with a politicial edge.

A new high-concept show from the wondrous Kieran Hodgson. Having made shows exploring his relationship with Scotland (Big in Scotland) and the EU (’75), now he turns his sights on the US. In it, Hodgson explores how the country he was fascinated with as a child stacked up to the real thing when he auditioned for Hollywood, and what actual Americans thought of the accent he’d always assumed was flawless (spoiler: he has a small role in The Flash and his accent isn’t bad).

In his latest dizzyingly high concept show, avant comedy legend Stewart Lee bemoans his irrelevance – something he’s been been bemoaning for decades, often with zeitgeisty results – in a new show in which he promises to unleash a new, callously offensive stage persona to compete with the likes of Ricky Gervais and Dave Chappelle. The Man-Wulf is, apparently, ‘a tough-talking werewolf comedian from the dark forests of the subconscious who hates humanity’. Expect nuclear levels of irony. 

The Emmy-winning US comedy legend – and longterm Curb Your Enthusiasm co-star – calls in at the Southbank Centre as part of a short tour of England and Europe. We’re promised laughs aplenty and ‘a smattering of manners’, with the versatile veteran offering a mix of physical humour, goofy anecdotes and more political stuff. 

Neon Nights is the gorgeous Soho Theatre Walthamstow’s monthly showcase spectactular and typiclaly features a big name headliner with stars ion various degrees of rising in support.  Upcoming shows include Phil Wang (June 27) with Catherine Bohart as host and Olga Koch, Jin Hao Li, Josh Pugh and Fatiha El-Ghorri supporting. On July 25 it’s Sam Campbell with Ania Magliano as host and support from Desiree Burch, Jessica Fostekew, Slim and Urooj Ashfaq. On Sep 26 it’s Bridget Christie with Kemah Bob as host plus Sindhu Vee, Jen Brister, Rhys James and Amy Gledhill.

As far as feelgood events go, it doesn’t get much more pure than top-tier stand-up comedy that raises money for those in need. This comedy night at Islington’s beautiful Union Chapel is presented by No Direction Home – a stand-up comedy programme by Counterpoints Arts which mentors comics from refugee and migrant backgrounds. The line-up is still to be announced, but you can expect big laughs, fresh voices and fascinating stories. All proceeds will go to communities in Congo, Ethiopia and Sudan, and you can add a pre-show dinner to your booking at Margins Café, based at the Chapel, which works with people who face homelessness and crisis. 

15 acts compete in this heat of the 2013 Laughing Horse New Act of the Year competition, plus MC Lewis Bryan.