Reuben Solo puts on an extra late-night show, and there’s more Australian humour courtesy of Zachary Ruane at The Lowry and Scout Boxall (and Sam Nicoresti) at XS Malarkey in our picks of the best comedy to see in Manchester this week.
Speaking of Antipodeans who had smashing Fringes, one-third of sketch dynamos Auntie Donna, Zachary Ruane presents his first solo stand-up show, and it’s a hoot. Simply titled Comedy, fans of the subversive sketch artist won’t be disappointed by this first solo outing as Ruane explores the history and future of comedy and his place within it as a generational talent. Not many tickets left.
Another bloody Aussie rocking up and stealing our comedy nights is Reuben Solo, who, after selling out the first two, has added a second show on Fri 11 Sep. The show is a brand-new version of his last tour, Someone in this crowd will betray me, in which the anarchist comic plays with the very idea of crowd work to make something deviant and magical all at once. Not to be missed.
- Words:
- John Stansfield
- Published on:
- Mon 7 Sep 2026
It’s an incredible double-headline lineup for XS Malarkey this week: Scout Boxall, who had a stellar run at this year’s Fringe, and Sam Nicoresti, who placed 5th in the World Air Guitar Championship in Finland (and won Best Show in 2025). Scout’s dry take on their Tasmanian upbringing and a horrific night makes for startlingly hilarious fare, and they drew rave reviews in Edinburgh.