Ben Williams

With the comedy boom still, well, booming, it’s only a matter of time before a cocky comedian upscales from arenas to football stadiums. Who will make the leap first? Peter Kay? Eddie Izzard? Michael McIntyre? Avant-garde comedy god Simon Munnery isn’t exactly the most likely suspect. But the 45-year-old Fringe veteran does have one advantage over his household name colleagues: his show’s already ‘stadium ready’. Nope, that doesn’t mean ‘Fylm’ is full of pyrotechnics, special effects or costume changes. In fact, Munnery isn’t on stage at all. He’s sat in the audience, with his face projected onto a screen and, of course, that’s all you’re staring at when you attend a stadium gig. ‘The camera amplifies the face the same way the microphone amplifies the voice,’ is Munnery’s theory, and using some lights and a piece of glass he’s able to switch the camera shot between his mug and the table he’s sat at.Anybody who saw last year’s ‘Fylm-Makker’ will know the format. ‘Fylm’ is effectively a sequel; a new hour of live animations, whimsical non-sequiturs and visual one-liners using Munnery’s technical toy. It’s the cardboard animations with David Shirgley-style drawings that get the biggest laughs, including puppy doctors/astronauts Snifflick and Woffles, a deleted scene from ‘Romeo and Juliet’ and a quick advert for Foster’s. The format hasn't progressed hugely from last year’s ‘Fylm-Makker’; it’s still far from slick and is a bit of a mish-mash of ideas. But slick isn’t Munnery’s s

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What is the Udderbelly Festival? Ever wondered what that giant purple cow grazing behind the London Eye is? It's the Udderbelly! Each summer the 400-seat temporary venue provides a vast array of entertainment, from outlandish cabaret to daytime children's shows and the biggest selection of comedy in London. Beside the big moo is a large outdoor bar and selection of upmarket food stalls which can be enjoyed without a ticket. Plus, next to the upturned cow is another temporary venue – the London Wonderground – a huge spiegel tent playing host to circus, cabaret and much more. What better way to spend the summer? When is the Udderbelly Festival? The Udderbelly Festival runs April 7-July 17 2016. The London Wonderground runs from May 5-September 25 2016. What sort of thing can I expect? People telling jokes and being funny, more or less. Pus lots of circus and cabaret acts. Don't believe us? Here's a highlights package from Time Out Live's opening gala in 2013. Tickets for this year's Udderbelly Festival are available online here or by phoning 08445 458252.To get to the Udderbelly Festival, take the Bakerloo, Northern or Jubilee line to Waterloo, take the south bank exit, follow signs to the Southbank Centre, turn left just before Hungerford Bridge and you'll see the Udderbelly on your left in Jubilee Gardens. Udderbelly Festival's address is: Jubilee Gardens, off Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX.

It’s been four years since your last tour. How long have you been working on the new show?‘Fifty-eight million years. It’s a show beyond time or place. It’s a culmination of generations of my whole family. [Laughs] No no, I’ve been fussing around with this bullshit for a couple of years, probably. But not in an intense way. I’m still messing around with it.’ Messing around how?‘I’ve written loads of stuff, and part of the game is trying to remember it and seeing what comes out on a particular night. I haul my arse around the world with my falling-apart box of mismatched Lego pieces and build a new thing every night. I don’t want to know what it’s going to be every night. If I did know I wouldn’t do it. I can’t do that, I don’t work that way. I have a lot of broken biscuits and every night we make a cake.’ Do you enjoy the actual writing part?‘Oh, I do I do I do. I wrote this show slightly differently. I used to write and then just tour it without really trying the material first. This time I wrote it over a longer period and tried out bits, and now it means I’ve got loads more stuff. But then, I have listened to records of those try-out gigs, and that’s painful.’ Listening to your own voice is painful?‘Oh, it’s very hard. Listening to yourself tell the same story a dozen different ways? I hate that! And that’s the real work. Argh, I just want to make the cakes and fling them out of the window, I don’t want 
to remake the fucking cake! I just want everybody to love my cake imm

‘I’ve lost so much money doing Weirdos shows,’ says Adam Larter, the unofficial head of the Weirdos Comedy Collective. ‘But I’ve had some of the best times.’ That pretty much sums up the Weirdos ethos. Since 2010, this scatty bunch of oddball comedians has been putting on increasingly ambitious and outlandish shows, purely for fun. It’s like they once read a book on how to become successful comedians and decided to do the complete opposite. But, despite their efforts, they have become a success. By sticking with their DIY, non-conformist comedy, the gang have produced some of the silliest, funniest and most innovative shows on the circuit, and built up a large, loyal following along the way. Earlier this year they crammed 400 people into the Leicester Square Theatre for their unofficial (and highly scurrilous) Harry Potter sequel, and their annual alt-panto – now in its fourth year – has become one of the highlights of the London comedy calendar. ‘No one is bank-rolling the Weirdos, we have no investors, no arts grants and no loans from rich parents’ From left to right: Joz Norris, Adam Larter and William Lee © Rob Greig But it hasn’t always been like that. ‘At the early gigs we’d bet on how many people would walk out during the interval,’ says Matthew Highton, a regular Weirdo and director of this year’s panto. ‘I’d say it was usually 50 to 80 percent. I think most of us do it because the projects are always interesting, exciting and the scale of them, now, is something we

Tim Minchin, Harry Hill, The Mighty Boosh, Sarah Millican – they all kickstarted their comedy careers with a Best Newcomer win at the Edinburgh Fringe. The latest name to join that list is Sofie Hagen. The softly-spoken Danish comic wowed with her show ‘Bubblewrap’, which lightly and honestly tackles her own insecurities, depression and mental health issues. At the award ceremony, when her name was announced, Hagen was ‘shaking so much, I thought I was going to fall,’ she says. ‘To be honest, I was just so thrilled to be nominated alongside such amazing comedians – who I’m also proud to call friends – that the actual award seemed like an extra bonus. That sounds awfully cheesy, but the whole process really humbled me. I’m not sure I’ve actually dealt with these feelings yet, Ben. You’ve opened Pandora’s Box now.’ Hagen’s now preparing for a victory lap in London, and here’s why you should catch her. It all starts with a key moment in Hagen’s life… …the day Brian McFadden left Westlife. It was a big deal for Hagen who, as a teenager, was possibly the world’s biggest fan of the Irish boyband. She was obsessed. ‘We would sleep outside their venues and hotels in Copenhagen,’ she recalls, ‘so we could meet them when they entered. Once a man offered us a place to sleep because he thought we were two homeless 13-year-olds. We went full-blown teenager-fit on him: “We are here to meet our future husbands, how dare you!” and he left, probably not convinced that we didn’t need help.’ Be

Dear Santa Do you take our internet search histories into account when drawing up the naughty list? If not, I would like a lightsaber. Alexi, Elephant & Castle Dear Alexi This is an interesting letter, and will perhaps be a test case for a new pamphlet, ‘Nice or Naughty in the Digital Age: Guidelines for the Modern Santa’ (©NorthPolePublications 2015). I am aware that a so-called ‘internet search history’ can nudge you over to the naughty end of the spectrum, and in your case, it looks like it’s in some kind of critical zone. According to one of my helpers, yours has, well, excuse the phrase, ‘lit up like a Christmas tree’. So I’m afraid your request for a lightsaber is denied. Dear Santa Er… just surprise me! I want what no one else has asked for this year. Danny, Penge Dear Danny You want what no one else has asked for? Well, I’ll tell you what no one’s asked: ‘How are you, Santa?’ Yes, there’s plenty of ‘Can I have an Xbox One, a plasma TV, a hoverboard, a Jason Statham duvet cover.’ But no ‘What would you like, Santa?’or ‘How are you doing?’ I have to be there, you know, I can’t just take a day off, even if I wanted to. Sometimes, I’d like to just take a moment and look out over the North Pole, all that isolation… the bleakness… the endless, solitary polar nights, and just think: What’s the point of it all? Why am I here? But I can’t because I’ve got to bring joy into your meaningless lives… so, you know… just saying. Bill Bailey © Rob Greig Dear Santa Can I have a water

Sketchy beasts Max and Ivan are one of the sharpest, slickest and downright impressive double-acts on the comedy circuit. The pair’s live shows are like mini Hollywood movies, with intricate plots, colourful characters and (low-budget) special effects. As they bring their latest offering, ‘The End’, to London, we asked Max and Ivan for their favourite fellow comedians. But, as they’re a sketch duo, they went in a different direction than other comics… ‘We bloody love straight stand-up, we do,’ they explained. ‘But cut us and we bleed sketch, character and musical comedy. It’s just what roasts our toast. So, with that in mind, here’s our top ten.’ See more comedians’ favourite comedians

London's comedy community love to embrace the festive season. Many regular comedy clubs offer Christmas party night packages – perfect for an office do – with food, stand-up and aftershow disco included. But if you're simply looking for a festive treat, London is overflowing with merry Christmas comedy gigs. Here are some recommendations. RECOMMENDED: Find more festive fun with our guide to Christmas in London

This review is from 2012. Farty Towels; Watery Fowls; Flowery Twats; the misspelling of Fawlty Towers's sign was a marvellous running gag. It was never spelt with a 'u', though, as it is in 'Faulty Towers the Dining Experience'. But despite being an unofficial tribute to John Cleese's legendary '70s sitcom, this interactive dinner-show – created by Australian company Interactive Theatre International –?captures the programme's spirit surprisingly well. Having ordered our drinks at the pricey bar, Basil Faulty (with a 'u', remember) calls each dining group to be seated. My scruffy clothes didn't go down well with the neurotic host. 'Haven't you heard of a shirt and tie?' he asked, disgusted, before directing us to table seven. Basil, Sybil and Manuel (Polly's 'got the night off', we're told) act as waiting staff, wandering between tables, interacting with guests, and performing longer set-pieces between courses which loosely recreate classic scenes from the series – pet rat, fire drill, goose-stepping etc. The trio are convincing impersonators, expertly nailing Cleese, Scales and Sachs's voices and mannerisms, and mingle seamlessly with the diners, making sure to involve each guest but never humiliate them. What's disappointing is the lack of a through-line. The skits are hardly linked, meaning the evening doesn't build to much of a conclusion. The food, too, isn't exactly haute cuisine. The soup was tasty, but the chicken and vegetables main course was bland and cheap. But I

This review for ‘The Illusionists’ is from 2015. In 2019 they will return with a new show, starring The Showman James More, The Unforgettable Enzo, The Manipulator Yu Ho-Jin, The Futurist Adam Trent, The Mentalist Chris Cox, The Trickster Paul Dabek and The Daredevil Jonathan Goodwin. Derren Brown’s ‘Miracle’, West End summer hit ‘Impossible’, TV boy wonder Dynamo’s 16-night stint at the Hammersmith Apollo… believe it or not, large-scale magic shows are making a serious comeback.The latest spectacle promising to amaze London is Broadway hit ‘The Illusionists’: a magic package show, featuring seven acts, all performing different conjuring genres. And it’s a cock-fest. All seven performers are male and, by its very nature, the show’s pretty hit-and-miss.Scottish mindreader Colin Cloud – aka ‘The Deductionist’ – opens the show (with a slightly-fudged numbers trick) and takes on the role of compere, introducing his fellow ‘Illusionists’. We see Andrew Basso, a torso-flexing escapologist with a messiah complex, reenact Houdini’s famous water tortune escape; mad-scientist magician Kevin James perform an exposed version of sawing someone in half; and ‘special guest’ Jamie Raven – off of ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ – impress with some nifty sleight-of-hand, all set to moody backing music.Strangely, it’s the less deceptive acts that are most entertaining. ‘Weapons Master’ Ben Blaque’s crossbow routine is all killer, no filler; he simply enters, flicks back his luscious hair, and then fires

A mix of music, comedy, liquor and spent dreams with Rich Hall and his talented band. Tremendous fun.

Massachusetts-born comic Mike Birbiglia is a big fan of our city. He’s no stranger to it, either. Last year the 39-year-old stand-up screened his indie movie ‘Don’t Think Twice’ at the London Film Festival, and he’s performed his last two solo shows in our capital. ‘I feel like going on a 20 minute walk in London is to visit the greatest museum in the world,’ he tells me ahead of his next visit. ‘The city itself is a showstopper. And then the audiences, I find, are very hip to the kind of shows I do, which are Edinburgh Festival-type shows; narrative arcs, some quiet moments, personal.   Birbiglia has gained a large, loyal fanbase for his long-form storytelling shows, in which he’s incredibly candid about personal aspects of his life. ‘In some ways, I feel like all we – comedians – have to offer audiences is ourselves,’ he explains. ‘There are so many TV shows and movies and things, so I think when people go to see a live performer they want to connect with that person. I try to do that. Sometimes it works.’  So, after covering relationship woes and his occasionally life-threatening sleepwalking condition in his solo shows, what does ‘The New One’ hold? Well, it’s a secret. ‘I’ve been going out of my way to say almost nothing about this show,’ says Birbiglia. ‘With my favourite movies, the greatest gift I can give people is to tell them to not watch a trailer, don’t read a review, just go see it. I feel that way about this show.’ Ben Williams

Serious and silly. That’s what Tez Ilyas strives for in his solo shows. The Lancashire-born comic has been using stand-up to challenge assumptions about British Muslims since his first solo show, ‘TEZ Talks’ in 2015 and his latest offering, ‘Teztify’, is his most powerful hour yet. But while it does tackle important issues, the show’s also big on laughs and playfully cheeky.  ‘There’s no reason why I can’t talk about “Punish A Muslim Day” in one breath and cheeseboards in the next,’ says the 35-year-old stand-up. ‘I love playing with audiences expectations and emotions. That moment when an audience member’s face is in complete shock and then breaks out into a laugh – I live for that.’ ‘Teztify’ opens with a montage of news coverage about Islamophobia, which is then immediately punctured by a frivolous gag. There’s a point to the shifts in tone. ‘I wanted people to laugh at the absurdity of some of the things I go through as a young-ish British Muslim,’ explains Ilyas, ‘and I think subversive humour is a really good way of doing that.’ Indeed, with the recent rise in religious and racial hate crime and the US president banning travelers from predominantly Muslim countries, it feels like a more important time than ever to highlight these absurdities. But these issues have been ‘bubbling up over the last decade,’ says Ilyas. ‘I think I was one of the few people unsurprised by Brexit or Trump. It’s really good for people to know what I’m going through sometimes. If we all underst

Unless you’ve given up social media for lent, chances are Rachel Parris has popped into your timeline recently. The Leicester-born comic has been on the circuit for over a decade, performing sharp-witted musical comedy and improvising faux-Jane Austen novels as part of Austentatious. But it’s Parris’s recent segments on ‘The Mash Report’ that have really rocketed her profile. Her topical how-to guides – presented in a smiley, no-nonsense fashion – have taken on subjects like sexual harassment, public apologies and, err, Piers Morgan. They’ve racked up millions of views online. ‘The day the first video went viral was insane,’ says Parris of her social success. ‘My phone sounded like a broken doorbell for a few hours.’ The first series of ‘The Mash Report’, which aired last year, was well received. But the recently broadcast second series made far more of an impact, especially for Parris. What changed? ‘The Mash team, and the Beeb, decided to give me more to say, essentially,’ she says. ‘We worked together to develop larger segments that were more pointed and political.’ Their work paid off. ‘The Mash Report’ will be back for another series, and Parris’s live shows are selling fast – a big tour is now on sale from September. Unlike her ‘Mash Report’ slices, Parris’s live shows are packed with songs. But her new satirical status is a ‘useful challenge,’ she says. ‘It’s given me a push, and injecting more politics into my work is my new goal for this year. I'm enjoying it!’ Ben W

Another series of RHLSTP ('RHLSTP') – Richard Herring's superb, interview-based podcast – records at the Leicester Square Theatre. Guests for this run include Julian Clary, Limmy, Sara Pascoe and Katy Brand. The question is, though, would those stars rather have a hand made out of ham or an armpit that dispenses suncream?

Can you believe Al Murray has now spent 20 years as one of the finest comedy character creations in the country, the Pub Landlord? After battling Farage in South Thanet, Murray's headlng to the Underbelly Festival with his new show, 'Let's Go Backwards Together'. The Pub Landlord's a national treasure, and one never short of an opinion of topical issues, so expect some gags on the Brexit fall-out. And remember, punters: please take your glasses back to the bar…

One of our favourite little clubs in London, this ace Angel gig consistently has superb line-ups of alt-comedy talent.  Gravel-voiced comedy force Nick Helm headlines this wonderful club, with support from The Actor Kevin Eldon, and others.

Smart stand-up Nish Kumar is quickly establishing himself as one of the country's leading political comic. His latest show – now playing a late-night run at the Soho Theatre – is his second to be nominated for the Edinburgh Comedy Award in as many years, and another triumph of a show. The former 'Newsjack' host balances weighty, political topics – Brexit and the rise of nationalism – alongside sillier subjects, like being envious of Coldplay's drummer, say. Kumar just keeps getting better and better.

'Grumpy Old Women' star and 'Splash' contestant Jenny Eclair is back on the road with a brand new show. The first female comic to ever win an Edinburgh Award is tackling (and embracing) middle age in her latest offering. 

‘It’s going quite well,’ says Bill Bailey, 30 minutes into his new show. ‘I think I’ll do my joke.’ Yep, Bailey is on typically bewildered form in ‘Limboland’, which has landed in the West End for a Christmas run after a year of touring. The closest the 51-year-old comic gets to a one-liner is a lengthy, meandering gag that starts ‘Lionel Richie walks into a bar…’ But quickfire jokes aren’t Bailey’s style, of course, and his trademark fanciful musings and musical deconstructions are out in force. ‘We’re in a strange time of extremes,’ he explains at the top of the show, before launching into a wonderfully playful routine about the post-election political landscape and the Labour Party’s current ‘experimental album’. As the show title suggests, Bailey feels caught in the middle; the long-time lefty’s not quite sure what to think or who to believe in. From there, the grumblingly upbeat comic moves into jokes about typical British feelings or trying to explain Skype to his octogenarian father; and in the second half, there are more long-form stories as he explores what it actually means to be ‘happy’. It’s Bailey’s beautiful turns of phrase and imaginative similes that bring each tale to life. There’s a whimsical poetry to every sentence; each observation is filtered through his fluffy brain like he’s in one long, extended daydream. But it’s when he gets behind an instrument that the musically-dexterous comic is at his best. Remixes of iPhone ringtones, German death metal covers

O cómico de stand-up Jimmy Carr estreia-se ao vivo em Portugal a 16 de Março de 2019.  O britânico sobe ao palco do Cinema São Jorge, pelas 19.00, no âmbito da chamada "The Best Of, Gold, Ultimate, Greatest Hits Tour".  Ao contrário da maior parte das bandas de rock dos anos 70, não são muitos os humoristas com suficiente material para uma digressão de greatest hits. Mas Jimmy Carr tem um catálogo tão vasto e recheado de piadas arriscadas e bem afiadas que se pode dar ao luxo de escolher as melhores para estas datas. É uma presença regular na televisão britânica e um dos comediantes mais atarefados do país: sempre em digressão, sempre a escrever e ainda assim com tempo para apresentar uma série de programas na televisão, como 8 Out of 10 Cats ou The Big Fat Quiz of the Year. Além disso, o seu riso de cano entupido reconhece-se a um quilómetro de distância. Os bilhetes já se encontram à venda e vão dos 35 aos 40 euros.  + Silly season: o Inimigo Público de Nuno Saraiva em exposição

Ever thought of taking a winter trip to the seaside? Nope, us neither. The newly reopened Dreamland amusement park in Margate obviously doesn’t know the meaning of ‘out-of-season’, because it’s opening up for Christmas with ‘The Frosted Fairground’. It looks like it should be a hit, too – we went along on Saturday; the town was deserted but the park was packed. Plus it’s free (sorta)! Entry costs nothing, while the attractions are all pay-per-ride. There’s a little festive market, Christmassy shows, lots of comforting food and drink options and, of course, Santa’s Grotto, so you can meet the big guy himself. The park itself is a treat. Dreamland dates back to the 1870s and was due to be turned into a housing development, but thanks to a campaign by locals, it reopened earlier this after 11 years out of action. They’ve gone with a retro theme and committed to it: the vintage fairground rides play (Yuletide) hits from the ’50s and ’60s, and indoors there are old-school pinball machines and a roller disco.    Just opened is the refurbished Scenic Railway roller coaster. It’s officially a Grade II-listed structure and the oldest coaster in the UK. When it was originally built, a brakeman would sit aboard the train to stop it manually, and the coaster still uses that ‘technology’ today. It gives the famous Coney Island Cyclone a run for its money (it’s certainly a lot more comfortable). While London has plenty of its own festive fairgrounds, none of them can beat Dreamland’s for

  Nathan James Page     1. Top deck, front right Is there a better feeling than seeing an approaching double-decker with an empty top window? Not likely. No question: the best seat on the bus (or BSOTB) is directly above the driver. It has everything: panoramic views of London, a handy ledge for your rucksack or Morrisons bags, and the satisfying feeling of being king of the bus. Occasionally, it even comes with its own citrus-fresh scent, thanks to discarded orange peel or an empty Lucozade bottle. Luxury. 2. Bottom deck, front left When BSOTB isn't available (it is a popular choice, after all), the next priority is the 'passenger seat': just left of the bus's boss, on a raised perch. It provides a real insight into the life of a London bus driver. Watch them navigate the narrow streets, witness them argue with fare-dodgers, behold as they affectionately honk their horn at fellow drivers - it's like a Channel 4 documentary without the ad breaks. Plus the seat comes with that helpful sheet of glass, which acts as a great guard against sneeze lurgies from boarding passengers.   3. Top deck, back middle One for the thrillseekers! Top, back middle (TBM) offers maximum g-force as it drags you along bus lanes and throws you around corners. It's a risky move: on a busy day, you could end up sandwiched between a Dutch tourist and a man stacking three cat baskets. It's also where you're most likely to hear tinny hip hop played through a phone speaker. But on an empty bus, those fu

It feels like only yesterday that we talked to Noel Fielding – the pointy-faced half of the Mighty Boosh – about his first ever solo tour, ‘An Evening with Noel Fielding’. But, hey, it was a whole year ago! Time, eh? Time…  Since then, Fielding’s toured the show across the country (he’s currently on the second leg), schlepped across Australia and recorded the show for DVD, which is released tomorrow.  It’s a fun show, mixing surreal stand-up, animation, sketches and silly songs. Missed it? Catch ‘An Evening with Noel Fielding’ in Bromley, Wimbledon and Croydon this week, or watch it from the comfort of your own home on DVD or digital download. Need a taste? Here’s an exclusive clip from ‘An Evening with Noel Fielding’, in which we meet the dark side of the moon… ‘An Evening with Noel Fielding’ is released on DVD and Blu-Ray tomorrow and is available as a digital download now. Or buy tickets for the show live in Bromley, Wimbledon or Croydon. Want even more Noel Fielding? Read our interview

‘You can achieve anything you want in life… Well, be realistic about it. Set your goals low so that you might be able to achieve them.’ The wise words of Kurupt FM’s MC Grindah, there. Well, the Kurupt crew’s ambition is no longer so low. The team behind Brentford’s premier pirate radio station (and BBC Three’s ace mockumentary series ‘People Just Do Nothing’) are taking over Koko, presenting their ‘Champagne Steam Rooms’ night (remember, from the end of series two?) live in Camden. All the crew’ll be there – Grindah, DJ Beats, Decoy and Steven ‘Steves’ Green – to lay down some old-school garage beats and grime vibes. So crack out your finest Moschino shirt, your cleanest Nike cap and get ready to feel like you’re in a low-budget UKG video from 1998. Who knows, maybe even Beats will *SPOILER ALERT* accidentally propose to Roche all over again? Tickets for Kurupt FM’s Champagne Steam Rooms are on sale now – buy them here Watch a clip of ‘People Just Do Nothing’

Yep, while you’re patiently waiting for a (possible) fifth season of ‘Arrested Development’ (and a movie, too? – that's the rumour, at least) you can look forward to seeing David Cross – aka Tobias Fünke – in London in 2016. We spoke to Cross recently about his new Netflix series, ‘W/ Bob & David’, which sees him reunite with his ‘Mr Show’ co-star, Bob Odenkirk, and we asked the 51-year-old comic what else he has planned. ‘I’m going to go on tour in North America at the end of January,’ he told us. ‘And then I’ll probably break it up with some European and Australian dates, so I will definitely be back [in London].’ Cross has spent a lot of time in our capital over the past few years, and he recently popped up at some small, cheap comedy clubs to test new material. But it’s been over a decade since he last performed a full-length stand-up in London. ‘The last time I did, like, a theatre show was Soho Theatre and that was quite a while ago,’ he said. ‘So this will be my first proper tour in quite a while. And I’ll be doing other places outside of London, so I’m sure I’ll hit a number of spots in the UK. No more £5-a-ticket shows, though. These are going to be proper £25-a–ticket shows – so start saving now. But it’ll be a better set; a polished, longer set – so it's a trade off.’ We happened to be at one of those £5-a-ticket comedy club gigs last year, and Cross was on sharp, loose form. He was staying in Shoreditch at the time, and opened his set by saying he ‘owed Williamsbu

Where better to poke fun at the mundanity of modern life than on Twitter? Comedy writer Aaron Gillies – better known as @TechnicallyRon – has built up a huge following mocking everyday tedium: internet ads, Daily Mail website comments, biased news coverage… His silly ‘facts’ about penguins and faux washing machine symbols have been retweeted thousands of times by his 47,000-plus followers, and now he’s extended his Twitter thoughts into a witty book: ‘Life-abet – An A to Z of Existence’. The book tackles humdrum modern life – from Netflix to nudity, landlord to lads – and features beautifully designed illustrations and charts.  To give you a taster, here’s an exclusive extract from the ‘P’ section that any Londoner will surely relate to… ‘Life-abet – An A to Z of Existence’ by Aaron Gillies is out now, published by Blink. <img id="e33c3314-a91c-6015-358c-6497919d9b22" data-caption="" data-credit="" data-width-class="100" type="image/jpeg" total="304704" loaded="304704" image_id="102943564" src="http://media.timeout.com/images/102943564/image.jpg" align="middle" class="photo lazy inline">       <img id="1cab3e28-ad13-a143-cc67-2a9f028ef8be" data-caption="" data-credit="" data-width-class="100" type="image/jpeg" total="471035" loaded="471035" image_id="102943566" src="http://media.timeout.com/images/102943566/image.jpg" align="none" class="photo lazy inline"> 7am. You’ve yet to inhale your coffee, your body is slowly rejecting you. Your eyes are glazed and your hair

What are you doing in 743 days' time? ‘I’ll be dead by then!’ we hear you cry.  Well, if you’re still breathing, you can pop Jimmy Carr’s ‘The Best Of, Gold, Ultimate, Greatest Hits Tour’ in your 2017 diary, as tickets have just gone on sale. (Although, Moleskine haven’t started making 2017 diaries yet, so that might be tricky…) The one-liner slinging TV favourite’s ‘best of’ tour actually kicks off in May next year, and his first London date is at the Hackney Empire in November 2016. But the tour’s so huge it lasts a whopping 18 months, with dates in Hammersmith (April 29 2017) and Brixton (June 24 2017) before finally landing at the Indigo2 on November 11 2017. Buy tickets to Jimmy Carr’s ‘The Best Of, Gold, Ultimate, Greatest Hits Tour’ Looking for more laughs? See other comedians on tour

The Dana Gould Hour Is that the guy from ‘Wayne’s World’? Er, that’s Dana Carvey. Dana Gould is a long-time US stand-up known for his smart routines and lightning-comic reflexes. And he hosts a podcast? Yep, the former ‘Simpsons’ writer is joined by his comedian friends – including regular guest Eddie Pepitone (aka ‘The Bitter Buddha’) – to hilariously pick apart the extremes of American culture. Such as… Could be serial killers. Could be Donald Trump. Anything goes, really. The only guarantee is that, at some point, the conversation will circle back to one of Gould’s obsessions: bad monster movies, Richard Nixon, ‘Planet of the Apes’ (the original, of course). Sounds super-nerdy. It kind of is. But Gould is so funny, and has such a good rapport with his guests, that the topic could be grouting the bathroom and you’d still be grinning from ear to ear. What else should I listen out for? Gould’s brill mini-essays on US pop culture. With wry commentary on everything from Bigfoot to the two teenagers who invented ‘Superman’ in the 1930s (and then sold the rights to DC Comics for just $130. D’oh.) Where can I listen? Head to www.danagould.com/dgh. Looking for more comedy podcast picks? See our favourite downloadable funnies at our ‘best comedy podcasts​’ page.

Click for the full-sized map London’s a joke. Well, the tube map is, at least. One-liner slinging comedian Darren Walsh – who won channel Dave’s ‘Best Joke of the Fringe’ at this year’s Edinburgh Festival – has punned his way through the Underground map, exclusively for Time Out, to make – you guessed it – the London Punderground. The map includes such gems as ‘I arranged to meet a drug dealer here, but he was late ’n’ stoned’ and ‘They want to extend the Northern line, but I think this is Morden adequate.’ Walsh is known on the circuit for his quick-fire punnery. As well as his Edinburgh award, the 6' 8" comic won the 2014 Pun Championships and last year published a book of visual gags, ‘Cheep Laughs’. You can catch Darren Walsh’s debut solo show, ‘Punderbolt’, at the Museum of Comedy, Oct 19, 20 and 22. And for lots more silly wordplay, follow him on Twitter @DarrenWalshPuns.   Need more Pundon? Check out London's punniest shop names Or looking for more live comedy? See the best comedy shows in London this week

Jessie Cave   Eighteen months ago, twee comic Jessie Cave – who Potter fans might recognise as Ron Weasley’s love interest Lavender Brown – had a one-night stand with a fellow comedian. Now they have a nine-month-old son and are in a happy relationship. But that doesn’t stop Cave from obsessing over her boyfriend’s exes, stalking them on Instagram and over-analysing every time he doesn’t reply to a text within three minutes. Cave lays bare pretty much any worry a twentysomething has had about their relationship in her new show, ‘I Loved Her’, all with a mad, highly-strung urgency. It’s a manic exploration of romance in the age of social media, and how much you can really learn about someone through their cheery profile pictures and humble-brag statuses. At times it’s wince-inducing, but her frank oversharing, with its underlying darkness, is very funny. The DIY-comic also shares her millennial woes on Twitter, posting silly daily doodles which have become so popular they’ve now been published into a book, ‘Love Sick’. But, just for Time Out, Cave drew us a few specially… See ‘Jessie Cave: I Loved Her’ in London at Soho Theatre, Tue Oct 13-Sat Oct 17. Her book, ‘Love Sick’, is out now and she posts daily doodles on Twitter, @pindippycave. © Jessie Cave   © Jessie Cave   © Jessie Cave   © Jessie Cave © Jessie Cave   © Jessie Cave       © Jessie Cave        

Halloween’s still a few weeks away, but London’s thrill mecca, Thorpe Park, is already in a spooky mood. Fright Nights – the park’s super-popular annual scare fest – starts tonight, and offers all the big coasters after-dark (more about that here), and five live-action walkthrough horror mazes, with actors trying their best to make you jump out of your skin. We went along to last night’s press preview, and here’s what we made of the mazes (except for ‘Containment’, which was closed due to a power cut.) The Big Top maze at Thorpe Park's Fright Nights   Cabin in the Woods Fear factor 5/5 | Fun factor 5/5 | Creepiness 4/5 If you’re heading to Fright Nights, make this your first stop. ‘Cabin in the Woods’ – themed to Joss Whedon’s meta-horror movie – is easily the best of Thorpe’s mazes. With multiple routes through the smoke-filled cabin (and some secret rooms) each trip is slightly different. Plus, it had the best scare actors of the night. Blood-soaked hillbillies, sinister dentists, weird floating masks(?) – the actors put their all into scaring the bejebus out of us. And sweet mother of Jesus, it worked. The Big Top Fear factor 2/5 | Fun factor 4/5 | Creepiness 2/5 ‘The Big Top’s brand new this year, and it’s good fun, if not much more. It’s certainly inventive. The action – all themed to an abandoned carnival – takes place in three separate circus tents, plus a theatrical outdoor section (nice touch). It’s lacking in real frights, though. It’s not dark enough inside, so y