London Stand Up And Sketch Comedy: 29 May-4 June

Rachel Holdsworth
By Rachel Holdsworth Last edited 154 months ago
London Stand Up And Sketch Comedy: 29 May-4 June

Our choice of where to find funny this week

Sunday: Stewart Lee and Young Ones producer Paul Jackson are putting a bunch of alternative comedians from 1981 on at the Royal Festival Hall (7pm, £19.50 / £17.50). Andrew Bailey, Arnold Brown, Frank Chickens (remember them from last year's subversion of the Fosters Comedy God vote), John Cooper Clarke, The Greatest Show on Legs, Norman Lovett, Chris Lynam, Kevin McAleer, Pauline Melville, The Oblivion Boys, Nigel Planer, Alexei Sayle and Arthur Smith are the comics creating a time warp.

Monday: Over the course of your life, you will spend seven years in the bathroom. Possibly. Alex Horne thinks so, and is basing this year's Edinburgh show on the 'fact' we spend so much time doing routine stuff. Get a preview at the lovely Canal Cafe Theatre (9.30pm, £6 / £5).

Tuesday: This should be brilliant - the Alternative Comedy Memorial Society at the New Red Lion. Featuring Josie Long, Bridget Christie, Thom Tuck, Nadia Kamil, John-Luke Roberts, Will Andrews, Alexis Dubus and Tom Bell, it's leftfield heaven (8pm, £8).

Wednesday: Shappi Khorsandi's working up a new set of her deceptively innocent comedy at the Soho Theatre, every Wednesday this month (9.45pm, £7.50).

Thursday: Former flatmates Tim Key and Tom Basden do their sporadic double-hander Freeze at Kings Place (8pm, £9.50). When even the official publicity describes it as 'ramshackle', you know what you're in for.

Friday: Today's the mid-point of John-Luke Roberts's trio of dates at the Soho Theatre (9.45pm, £13 / £11). It's last year's Edinburgh show so if you've already seen it, maybe keep scouring the listings for previews. If you haven't - go and be distracted by a murder.

Saturday: Top and tail the week with Stewart Lee, cos he's doing a benefit for the Evelina Children's Hospital at Bloomsbury Theatre (7.30pm, £17.50). But he's fighting for that audience 'fuck me, have you seen who's on?' factor with Chris Addison, Kevin Eldon, Tim Key, Sara Pascoe and Robin Ince.

Let us know about intelligent, alternative, friendly new comedy gigs, clubs and shows around Town: tips@londonist.com.

Photo by daveograve@ from the Londonist Flickr pool

Last Updated 28 May 2011