Top things to do in London: week of 16 March (comedy heavy)

Comedy week. The new-material grind is in full swing because everyone's prepping their Edinburgh hour, and that means the rooms are stacked with names you'd normally pay £35 to see in a theatre.

Tuesday — the unmissable

Soho Theatre's new-material night on Tuesday. I say this every other week but it's because it's actually true. The acts try stuff that's half-cooked, half of it lands, half doesn't, and you get to feel smug when bits show up on Live at the Apollo six months later. £18 and you'll see four or five people who are about to be huge.

If you can't get a ticket (it sells out by Sunday usually), the Bill Murray in Angel runs a similar format on Tuesdays for a tenner less. The room is smaller, the air is worse, the comedy is often better.

Wednesday — character / sketch night

Wednesday is sketch night at Soho Upstairs. It's hit and miss. When it's good it's the funniest thing in London. When it's bad it's three people in waistcoats doing a bit about Pret. I'd go this week — the lineup leans toward people I trust.

Alternatively, the Bush Theatre has a play on that I want to see and keep not getting round to. Wednesdays are usually the easiest night to get tickets.

Thursday — circuit night

Thursdays are when the circuit happens. Pubs in Camden, Stoke Newington, Peckham. The Camden Head, the Shacklewell, the Hen & Chickens. £5–£10, six acts each, you'll see two future stars and four people who shouldn't be doing it. That's the deal.

This Thursday I'd specifically go to the Hen & Chickens — the booker there has been on a streak. Or check comedy shows in London tonight for whatever's nearest.

Friday — late shows

Friday nights, the comedy clubs go full tourist mode for the early shows but the late ones (10.30pm onwards) are where the comedians actually are. Top Secret Comedy Club's late show is reliably good. Angel Comedy at the Bill Murray runs a midnight show on the third Friday of the month that is borderline lawless.

If you want to be a normal person on Friday, XOYO has a decent lineup this week and the food at Dishoom Shoreditch is, as always, the food at Dishoom Shoreditch. Queue is slightly less mental than it used to be.

Saturday — the trap

Saturday night comedy in London is mostly tourists and stag dos. I would not. Go to a gig instead. fabric is doing a thing, Phonox is doing a thing, the Roundhouse has a band on. Save your comedy budget for a weeknight.

If you absolutely must do Saturday comedy, the Backyard in Bethnal Green runs an alternative-comedy night that filters out the worst of it. Bring cash, the card machine has been broken since 2019.

Sunday — work-in-progress shows

Sundays are when comics test out their full Edinburgh hours. Soho Theatre has WIPs running all month at 7pm. £10. You'll see something rough, but you'll also be in the room when a future Perrier-nominated show is being figured out, which is sort of magic. I went last Sunday and watched someone rewrite a punchline live based on the crowd's silence. Brutal and brilliant.

A reasonable amount of these shows end up on the London this-week page once they've been confirmed, but the Sunday WIPs are often last-minute so check the venue's site direct.

A note on the hecklers

There has been a noticable uptick in people thinking they're funnier than the comedian. They are not. Sit on your hands. If you've had four pints and a thought, the thought is wrong. Cheers.

That's the week. Mostly comedy, no apology.