The best: Manchester comedy this week FT David Elms, Rob Auton and Stuart Goldsmith

On the same night that he has a sold-out double preview alongside Phil Ellis at XS Malarkey, you can still get your fill of Stuart Goldsmith with an extra WIP at Creatures on Tuesday night. Ploughing his own furrow in “doom stand-up”, Goldsmith puts a cheery spin on the fact that we’re circling the drain of the climate crisis. We’re all going to die soon, so might as well have a laugh, eh?

Somewhat of a departure for the stand-up/poet Rob Auton as he delivers a character-based show rather than his usual deep dives into the magic and wonder of the everyday. Here, he tells the story of the world’s number one motivational speaker, a man called CAN. Auton’s originality knows no bounds, and he’ll make you laugh in ways you didn’t think possible and never see coming.

Something a little bit different for your Friday night entertainment with the gentle comedy stylings of master improviser David Elms as he “Describes A Room”. The cult hit show was an absolute smash at Edinburgh, where Elms has long been a favourite, and this will be his first UK tour. Brilliantly clever and endlessly imaginative, Elms’ shows are never the same twice and will leave you thinking about it for weeks afterwards, as the best always do.