Comedy Picks of the Week ft. Adam Buxton, Rob Rouse, Harriet Dyer & more

Adam Buxton | RNCM | Fri 27 Jun | 8pm | £16
Buxton returns to the RNCM – after his last successful outing celebrating the videos of Radiohead – this time focusing on the UK’s leading independent record label, XL Recordings. The label has a history of working with the most innovative directors around as they celebrate 25 years of pushing boundaries. Buxton brings his boundless enthusiasm for such directorial flourishes from the likes of Michel Gondry and Chris Cunningham. After Buxton’s first show at the college, it hosted Jennifer Saunders – let’s hope there’s even more comedy to come from this venue. It’s a great stage for it. Read our full preview here.
tickets.rncm.ac.uk

David Trent | Gorilla | Sat 28 Jun | 8pm | £10
Group Therapy continues its hot streak of booking the best comics around with its June acquisition of self-described ‘phenomenon’ David Trent, a crackpot multimedia comedian drunk on his own self importance. And probably drunk on drink too. Compering is the wonderful Ed Gamble, who is one for the future as well as one for the right effing now. Infectiously gleeful and terribly rude, you can’t stay mad at him for too long. Watch out for Peter Brush in support too. A finalist of this year’s BBC New Comedian of the Year, Brush is like a British Woody Allen, his awkward nature underlining a brilliant mind at work. Read our full preview here.
www.seetickets.com

Rob Rouse (pictured) | Antwerp Mansion, Rusholme | Sun 29 Jun | 8pm | £5
Another week, another Edinburgh preview. This time from Rob Rouse, who’ll you’ll recognise from the telly box and everything. A veteran of Dave’s One Night Stand and 8 out of 10 Cats, as well as the great Comedy Central idents he did where he replaced classic movie characters with a duck. Not the first place you might think of when looking for a comedy club, the former squat (probably) Antwerp Mansion has built up a solid reputation for hosting some of the UK’s finest acts, and compere Roland Gent is always accommodating and hilarious.
www.antwerpmansion.com

Sidekick Comedy | Via | Mon 30 Jun | 8pm | £2
Celebrating a year in action, Sidekick Comedy have come over all sketchy for the occasion. Welcoming their favourite sketch comedy groups to the Village for a night of surreal brilliance. First up are Manchester Wire favourites Gein’s Family Giftshop who recently won Best New Sketch Act and Audience Choice Award at London Sketchfest. Staple/face have received the approval of one Sarah Millican for their good work in the art of sketch. Rounding out the trio of troupes are The Tourists who will be previewing some of their work they’ll be taking to the fringe this time next month. All held together by the wonderful Kate McCabe, if this is how they celebrate birthdays then let’s hope they have many, many more.
www.skiddle.com

Quippopotamus | Odd Bar | Tue 1 Jul | 8pm | FREE
Every time we come to write something about the madness that exists inside Quippopotamus we find that their own event page has already put it in better, more insane words than we could ever possibly muster. So you can click the link below to see what words they have put together in order to create some manic fiction in your brain. If you hate clicking on links then just know that they’re a very bunch and will be joined by IT rockstars Foxdog Studios, Phil Marketing and apparently the 1938 novel by Graham Greene, Brighton Rock. All held together with tears and blutac by the frenetic Jack Evans. Oh and it’s all free.
www.facebook.com

Mitch Benn | Kings Arms | Tue 1 Jul | 9.15pm | £5
The Greater Manchester Fringe Festival (GMFF) kicks off for a month of music, theatre and, most importantly, comedy with a fantastic Edinburgh preview from the skeptical mind of Mitch Benn. He will be doing his best to debunk all of the myths of the modern world and extolling the virtues of the evidence-based approach to life with a few songs thrown in for good measure. A great way to kick off what looks like a fantastic festival for comedy.
www.wegottickets.com

Harriet Dyer | Kings Arms | Thu 3 Jul | 9pm | £5
Also under the umbrella of the GMFF is Harriet Dyer’s Barking at Aeroplanes, a journey through the psyche of our young heroine as she tries to decipher the difference between eccentric and ‘mental’. As we’d imagine most comedians sometimes are, Dyer is constantly batting away folk who question her very sanity, so in order to self diagnose she’s written a whole Edinburgh show about it. Pop down to the Kings Arms and decide for yourself whether or not she needs sectioning.
www.wegottickets.com

Thanks to @johnwinsagain