October in London comedy and the Edinburgh Fringe transfer season is still very much ongoing: you can pretty see most of the best newcomer nominees this month, including winner Ayoade Bamgboye and nomninees Elouise Eftos and Toussaint Douglass. If you}re looking for some slightly bigger names, you won’t go wanting – it’s well worth getting down to Greenwich to see Mo Gillighan’s low key work-in-progress stint. Or if you like something a bit more mainstream, Ricky Gervais will be descending upon us for what feels like several hundred shows with his newie Mortality.
There are far, far too many one-off, multi-performer comedy nights in London for us to compile a single coherent page with our favouites on, which is entirely to London’s credit. So do check individual bills of comedy clubs online for that sort of thing. But if you’re looking for an individual comedian with a full headline show then this page is here to compile the Time Out editorial team’s top choices, often with our reviews from the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
The best comedy clubs in London.
The best new theatre shows to book for in London.
What is it? Nigerian standup Bamgboye took the best newcomer award at this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe with Swings and Roundabouts her debut show which charted her move to the UK in her twenties, and showcased her often disorientating mastery of accents. Critics praised her confidence, poise and original, outsider-ish eye on British culture.
Where is it? Soho Theatre.
What is it? This outrageous standup show – nominated for this year’s best newcomer award at the Edinburgh Fringe – is predicated on Elouise Eftos’s extreme hotness and our inabiity to resist it. Is it it a windup or does she believe it? The beauty is it doesn’t matter!
Where is it? Soho Theatre.
What is it? In this sweet debut Fringe hour, Lewisham-born-and-bred stand up Toussaint Douglass threatens us with 55 minutes of jokes about pigeons. That’s not quite what we get (maybe 15 minutes) but it’s a charming show that deservedly netted him the best newcomer award at this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Where is it? Soho Theatre.
What is it? Superstar comic Gilligan has never forgotten about Greewich’s beloved Up the Creek comedy club: even when in the middle of an arena tour, he still records his podcast there. And now he’s back for a lengthy stint of work in progress shows. They’re low key enough that at time of writing, there’s still decent availability across the run.
Where is it? Up the Creek.
What is it? Though Ricky Gervais is an infinitely more polarising figure than he was 10 or 20 years ago, his popularity remains undeniable, with a lengthy run of London dates split between the Palladium and Wembley Arena lined up. Honed by a tour that’s already run for over a year, new show Mortality promises to look at the absurdities of life and death.
Where is it? London Palladium and Wembley Arena.
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