New Year’s Eve comedy in London

Good old The Boy with Tape on His Face: living proof that you can still be incredibly funny without uttering a word. The physical comedy sensation (aka New Zealand-born stand-up Sam Wills) wowed US audiences as part of America's Got Talent. Now, The Boy is back in London in June 2017 with his predictably titled show 'Tape Face', mixing mime, props and audience interaction to create beautiful visual punchlines and truly magicial moments. This is one show that really does speak for itself.

North London boozer with specialty beers, real ales, a seasonal menu, Sunday roasts and a top notch comedy night Downstairs at the King's Head.

This city has the biggest and best comedy scene in the world. But where to start? Here's Time Out's round-up of the top 20 comedy clubs and comedy nights in London that'll keep you laughing throughout the year. From the funniest local gigs, north and south, to Soho comedy nights and central hangouts, the capital has plenty of comedy to satisfy your laughter needs. RECOMMENDED: our complete guide to the best comedy in LondonThink we've missed a great comedy club or comedy night in London? Let us know in the comment box below.

Dubbed 'Comedy's Unofficial National Theatre', the Comedy Store is, without doubt, the daddy of all comedy clubs. During the 1980s the Comedy Store made its name as the home of 'alternative comedy': Alexei Sayle, Rik Mayall, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, Keith Allen and Arnold Brown were among the radical young comics who cut their teeth here, with the likes of Clive Anderson, Chris Barrie, Paul Merton and Ben Elton hot on their heels. Things haven't changed dramatically: seven nights a week you can see some of the best comedy anywhere on the planet. Apart from the corking bills every Thursday to Saturday, check out the brilliant Comedy Store Players (Wed and Sun) and the fantastic Cutting Edge Team (Tue), while the Gong Show (which gives would-be stand-ups a mic for as long as the audience allow) on the last Monday of every month is simply not to be missed.

As the unofficial comedy capital of the world, London's comedy circuit doesn't take a break. There are stand-up shows seven days a week, from early evening through to the small hours. To help you plan your week of witticisms, here's a nifty calendar of regular comedy shows in London.

Don’t be put off by the unremarkable drinks selection, or the clashing patterned carpets, gaudy booths and floral wallpaper. The real joy of drinking in the Bedford lies in stumbling across the improbably big and bonkers mock-Tudor ‘Shakesperean Globe Theatre’ at the rear of the pub, featuring black-painted wooden pillars so old they look like they could have been installed at the behest of Cardinal Wolsey and a cavernous domed ceiling so strewn with wooden heraldic shields and canvas hangings you feel like you’re in a ‘Game of Thrones’ battle tent. There’s free live music (of varying quality, which is all part of the fun) Monday to Thursday, and on Friday and Saturday nights, the Bedford plays host to brilliantly intimate comedy night Banana Cabaret. It also knows how to cater to Balham’s yummy-mummy crowd: babyccinos for 50p and monthly ‘family fun’ raves for parents and kids.

Improv gets a bad rap in this country, but anyone who dismisses the genre clearly hasn't seen Austentatious. This highly impressive troupe perform a completely improvised Jane Austen novel, complete with period dress and cello accompaniment, with marvellous results. Made up of Andrew Murray, Amy Cooke-Hodgson, Joseph Morpurgo, Cariad Lloyd, Graham Dickson and Rachel Parris, they're all hugely talented performers, able to keep the gag rate high and the made-up story rolicking along. Tremendous fun.

Time Out London and Doug Stanhope go way back. Since the brutally honest US stand-up started performing in London a decade ago we’ve stayed at his Arizona fun house, been on the road with him in California and seen his drunken, vitriloic rants dozens of times (both on stage and off). He’s a thrilling comic, and now the Massachusetts-born stand-up is back in London for the first time in three years. Ahead of his Hammersmith and Brixton shows, we asked Stanhope to pick his ten favourite fellow comedians. But it’s best to take some of his remarks with a pinch of salt… See more comedians’ favourite comedians