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The top ten comedy shows this spring

Our critics' pick of the season's must-see comedy shows in London

Comedy interviews

More comedy interviews

The best comedy in London

There's an overwhelming number of comedy shows to choose from in London. Our advice? Buy tickets to any of the ten shows we recommend and you'll have a cracking time.

  • Udderbelly

    1. Udderbelly Festival

    Apr 5-Jul 8, Udderbelly

    Is it a cop-out to count a three-month festival as just one event? Yes. Definitely. But there are so many superb comedy shows on offer here that this list could be entirely made up of Udderbelly gigs. Look out for our Udderbelly guide in the near future, but meanwhile we suggest you book for The Boy with Tape on His Face, Isy Suttie, The Joy of Sketch, Sean Hughes, Freeze!, Andrew Maxwell… we could go on.

  • Doug Stanhope
    Buy tickets

    2. Doug Stanhope

    Apr 21, Hammersmith Apollo

    He bangs on about how much he hates our good city, but this vitriolic American comedy genius just can’t stop returning to London town. 2012 sees him embark on a 33-date UK tour, culminating in a return to the Hammersmith Apollo. Expect the hard-drinking US comic to lay down radical home truths, bust taboos and possibly apply for dual-citizenship.
    Read our Doug Stanhope interview

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    3. Greg Proops

    Mar 20-24 & 27 and Jun 15-16, Soho Theatre and Udderbelly

    Is there anything in comedy that Greg Proops hasn't done? The 'Whose Line Is It Anyway?' star has performed improv, sketch and stand-up, been in countless sitcoms, on chat shows and radio programmes, and even voiced a 'Star Wars' character (pod-racer commentator 'Fode' in 'Episode I: The Phantom Menace'). He's back in London for some intimate stand-up gigs at the Soho Theatre in Mar and Udderbelly in Jun. Plus he records his excellent 'Smartest Man in the World' podcast on Mar 27.
    Read our Greg Proops interview

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    4. Simon Amstell - Numb

    Jun 8-9, Shepherd's Bush Empire

    Anyone who has seen Amstell’s stand-up will know he’s far less condescending and bitchy on stage than his quizmaster persona. In fact, the former ‘Never Mind the Buzzcocks’ host is vulnerable, challenging and deeply honest as a comic, and superbly funny too. An anxiety-ridden soul, the ‘Grandma’s House’ writer/star is philosophical and neurotic, always entertaining, and his trademark sarcasm pokes through regularly to tremendous effect. Amstell set himself high standards with previous tour ‘Do Nothing’, but reports from recent warm-up gigs say that 'Numb' is shaping up to be just as good.

  • hannibal buress
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    5. Hannibal Buress - My Name is Hannibal: The Hannibal Montanabal Experience

    May 1-12, Soho Theatre

    This slick, New York-based comic was a huge hit at the Edinburgh Fringe last year, where he was nominated for Best Newcomer at the Foster's Edinburgh Comedy Awards. A n ex-'Saturday Night Live' writer and former member of the writing team on Tina Fey's superb '30 Rock', Buress's stand-up is smooth, confident and razor-sharp.

  • 6. James Acaster - Amongst Other Things

    May 18-19, Soho Theatre

    Whimsical, low-key and very funny, Kettering's James Acaster is a talent to watch. Having supported Milton Jones and Josie Long on tour, this mild-mannered stand-up brought his debut solo show to the Edinburgh Fringe last year and received a smattering of well-deserved four and five-star reviews. He's a true delight.
    Read our James Acaster comedy profile

  • Pete Firman

    7. Pete Firman - Jiggery Pokery

    Apr 12 and Jun 1, Bloomsbury Theatre and Udderbelly

    Thought magic was old-school hack? Think again. Middlesbrough-born magical maestro Pete Firman has just finished wowing prime-time Saturday night audiences on BBC One's 'The Magicians' and now finds himself playing to much bigger crowds. His infectious mix of friendly banter, astonishing tricks and cheeky innuendos is a real winner. If you've yet to get on board the Firman train, now's the time.
    Read our Pete Firman interview

  • Barry & Stuart

    8. Barry & Stuart - Show & Tell

    Jun 23, Bloomsbury Theatre

    Everyone knows the first rule of magic is never to expose the secret. Macabre Scottish duo Barry & Stuart trash that rule with ‘Show & Tell’: an hour of top-notch illusions followed by revealing the secrets behind every trick they've just performed. Whereas the solutions to magic tricks are often disappointingly ugly or simple, the key to this show is that the methods are just as fascinating as the tricks themselves, and the audience are even taught a skill or two. Equally, those who prefer not to know the secrets can leave during the interval, mystified at the astonishing feats they’ve just witnessed.

  • 9. Jon Richardson - Funny Magnet

    Apr 16-21, Leicester Square Theatre

    The sublimely brilliant Mr Richardson has had a huge year. Now a regular team captain on '8 Out of 10 Cats', he's also the new host of Channel 4's 'Stand Up for the Week' and has a best-selling book in the shops. Playing six nights at the Leicester Square Theatre, this OCD-ridden grumpster is always a delight.
    Read our Jon Richardson interview

  • Sarah Millican
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    10. Sarah Millican - Thoroughly Modern Millican

    Mar 30-31, Hammersmith Apollo

    Kicking off the season is wonderfully filthy Geordie Sarah Millican, with extra dates of her 'Thoroughly Modern Millican' tour. Her November gigs sold out in double-quick time, and with a new BBC series about to begin these tickets are most probably already scarce, so don't hang about.
    Read our Sarah Millican interview

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