May. The month of ribboned poles, bank holiday Mondays and comments like, “I had to put the fire on tonight, it were brass monkeys. I thought it was meant to be spring?”. Oh, and a truck load of comedy. Here you go.
Barking Tales, Zombie Shack, Wed 1 May, Donations if desired at the end.
The safe-space comedy night where it’s ok for comedians to share mental health stories as well as good natured laughs, This month with Sean Morley, Isma Almas, Ros Ballinger and of course your MC Harriet Dyer.
Comedy Night, Art of Tea, Wed 1 May, Free.
The monthly night in the cosy confines of Didsbury’s loose leaf emporium. With Bobby Murdoch, Nia Williams, Sarah Lloyd, Adam Anwar and MC Roland Gent.
Stewart Francis, The Lowry, Thu 2 May, £26.50
This seasoned Canadian stand up is a consummate master of the one liner. Here’s another couple of hours of carefully crafted gags with Into the Punset.
Micky P Kerr, The Lowry, Thu 2 May, £14 (£12 conc)
The as seen and roundly-liked on Britain’s Got Talent, musical comedian Kerr should have a few more bums on seats for this show of apparent revelations about his time on the show – that may or may not have been invented.
And so, another brilliant weekend of comedy from the city’s two dedicated comedy venues the Frog and Bucket and The Comedy Store.
As well as the weekly shows, the extra events at the Store this month include New Stuff where pro acts test out their fresh material under the watchful eye of compere Toby Hadoke all on Sun 12. Then on the afternoon of Saturday 18, it’s no swearing at Comedy Store for Kids. The following day, Sun 19, it’s seasoned local comic Alex Boardman with his pick of the New Comedians.
At the Frog, Sun 12 sees a return for the local act whose star just keeps rising Kiri Pritchard McLean with another run out for her latest solo show Victim, Complex.
On Sun 19 the wonderfully oddball Lou Sanders pays a visit with her acclaimed show Shame Pig. On Wed 22, the speaking half of Jay and Silent Bob and director Kevin Smith’s mate, Jason Mewes, shares some tales with us. And on Saturday 23, Jeddy Bear and Gary’s Picnic reworks the teddy bear’s picnic like you’ve never seen it before. Though still OK for the kids, of course.
Jess Robinson, The Lowry, Fri 3 May, £12 (£10 conc)
Robinson is a whirlwind of uncanny musical impersonations, that criss-cross each other in a dizzying tour de force of a show.
Dead Cat Comedy Club, Seven Bro7hers Brewery, Fri 3 May, £10
Back at the Brewery for another month, Dead Cat’s Red Redmond presents the fine line-up of Bethany Black, Sam Gore and Louise Young.
Comedy @ Chorlton Irish Club, Fri 3 May, £15 (£12 adv)
The Irish Club nearly disappeared into Manchester legend last month, so appreciate that it’s still here and head to its Rob Riley booked comedy night. With Jarlath Regan, Chris Washington, Steve Bennett and MC John Scott.
Suzi Ruffell, The Lowry, Sat 4 May, Currently sold out.
The Portsmouth stand up returned to the Edinburgh Fringe last year with this critically-lauded master class of comedy exploring her neurosis and worries: Nocturnal.
The Didsbury Comedy Club, Didsbury Cricket Club, £9; The Heatons Comedy Evening, The Heatons Sports Club, £9; Sun 5 May.
This month Matt Richardson and Jarlath Regan do a swap between the two gigs while Adam Beardsmore is in support and Danny McLoughlin emcees in Didsbury and Brandon Craig supports and Alun Cochrane comperes in Heaton Moor.
XSMalarkey, The Bread Shed, Every Tuesday, £5 (£3 members)
There are a few gaps in the line-up at the time of going to press for this lovely gig, but c’mon, you know it’s going to be good whoever is on the bill. What we do know is that beguiling storyteller Ben Pope is the headlining act on the first Tues 7 and wonderfully off the wall clown Paul Currie rounds off the month on Tues 28.
Adam Kay, The Lowry, Wed 8 May, £22
Combining laughs with truths about working as a junior doctor in the NHS, the This Is Going To Hurt book by the musical comedian Kay was a smash hit last year. Here he takes it on tour.
Trapdoor Comedy, Old Monkey, Wed 8 May, £5
The man who never seems to run short of energy, you’re in for a treat as it’s Rob Rouse at Trapdoor’s city centre gig this month.
Laughing Calves, TriBeCa, Thu 9 May, £2
The little sister gig to Laughing Cows all female lines-ups, Calves lets the newcomers have a go.
Matt Forde, The Lowry, Thu 9 May, £15
Political comedian Forde with his take on the shambles that is Brexit Through The Giftshop. Having interviewed some of the biggest names in politics, Forde knows his stuff. May as well give him a go at negotiating with the EU, too.
Bill Bailey, Manchester Arena, Fri 10 May, £40 – £50
Everyone’s favourite beardy weirdy Bailey regales with his trademark blend of surreal comedy and musical sounds with Larks In Transit.
Adam Riches, The Lowry, Sun 12 May, £12 (£10 conc)
Remarkably, this is Riches first tour despite having performed a solo show at the Fringe most years in the last twenty. So, in this he will be cherry picking the best of his in-your-face creations. No doubt ‘Sean Bean’ will make an appearance. Character comedy at its best.
Paul Merton’s Impro Chums, The Lowry, Sun 12 May, £24.50 – £26.50
Merton gathers his mates together for a knockabout to audience suggestion.
Kevin Smith and Ralph Garman, O2 Apollo, Sun 12 May, £35.95
A treat for Jay and Silent Bob fans this month as, while his mate Mewes chats in the cosy confines of the Frog later this month, Smith goes large with his podcast Babble On: Babble The *U*K On in the Apollo.
Justin Moorhouse, The Lowry, Mon 13 May, £5
Gorton’s finest and seasoned comic Moorhouse tries out new material with Scratch.
Andy Hamilton, The Lowry, Tues 14 May, £21.50-£23.50
An amusing evening of ‘reminiscence and revelation’ across Hamilton’s 40 odd years in comedy.
Emily Atack, The Lowry, Thu 16 May, £23.50
The Inbetweeners actor and inmate of last year’s I’m a Celebrity… with her debut solo show Talk Thirty To Me.
Larry Dean, The Dancehouse, Sat 18 May, £12
Edinburgh Fringe best newcomer and best show nominee with his acclaimed Bampot show where he shares his thoughts on ‘Scottishness, sodomites and self-esteem’.
Sofie Hagen, The Lowry, Sun 19 May, £17.50
Danish comedian with her Edinburgh Fringe Best Newcomer award-winning show Bubblewrap, plus readings from her new book Happy Fat.
Jerry Sadowitz, The Dancehouse, Thu 23 May, £22.50
The legendary Glaswegian comedic magician who pulls no punches. His latest work of close-up magic and curmudgeonly comment is Make Comedy GRATE Again!
Jason Manford, The Lowry, Sat 25 May, £31
The working-class Whalley Range boy done good with his show Muddle Class where he attempts to come to terms with his new found middle-class ways.
Richard Herring, The Lowry, Sat 25 May, £18.50
Herring’s interview podcast goes on the road with special guests Sarah Millican and Jimmy Cricket.
Dead Cat Comedy, Iconic Bar, Tue 28 May, Free
Red Redmond’s fine LGBT+ focused comedy night returns. Line-up to be confirmed.
By Marissa Burgess, Comedy Editor
