The most popular comedy shows in London

Tim Minchin may be from Perth, Australia, but the piano playing comic has felt like one of our own even since his first shows over here way back in 2005. Not just a hugely popular comedian, he’s woven into the fabric of our country via his smash musical Matilda – which has been running in the West End for over a decade – while follow up Groundhog Day was no slouch. This ironically titled tour – his first since the pandemic – is effectively a look back at his lengthy career.

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. 

New York City cabaret legends Kiki and Herb are longtime friends of Soho Theatre, although it’s been a while since they all hung out together: the duo’s inaugural shows at Soho Theatre Walthamstow are also their first in this country for 18 years. Expect wit, emotion and virtuoso musicianship. And while you can probably take this with a pinch of salt, Kiki and Herb are Trying does come with a plot of sorts: the duo have been enjoying a state supported retirement since last we saw them, but suddenly the state pension cheques have dried out and the pair have been forced back to work and over to the UK, where they have resolved to play some shows and repair relations between our two countries.

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.

Brilliantly, often sickeningly funny anti-comic Patti Harrison has a new show entitled Don’t Ask that’ll be previewing at Soho Theatre Dean Street before hitting the Edinburgh Fringe. This is not that show: it’s a one off event for Soho Theatre Walthamstow and we have no real idea what it is actually involved (though presumably it’ll have some bearing on Don’t Ask). The actual show description is entirely nuts but to give you a flavour we’re told it will be a two hours ‘of what-is-not-legally-allowed-to-be-called-comedy-at-this-moment-but-in-the-future-will-be-called-comedy-and-definitely-will-not-be-called-porn’.

You might know Gregg Turkington better as failed, sweat-drenched anti-comedian Neil Hamburger. And you might recognise Tim Heidecker as the Tim half of hyper-influential absurdist duo Tim & Eric. Well forget all that, Gregg and Tim are here in their capacity as film critics for a few (mostly sold-out) nights at Soho Theatre Walthamstow. They’re not REALLY film critics of course. The On Cinema web series and podcast is a stomach-turning parody of pompous, uninteresting and uninformed critics (the type of which we definitely don’t employ at Time Out). Expect awful drawn-out anecdotes, incorrect trivia and an unshifting sense of awkwardness and unresolved tension. Five popcorns!

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