Comedy Picks of the Week ft. Cardinal Burns, SOS TV and Carl Donnelly

Laugh Local | Chorlton Irish Club | Fri 3 Oct | 6.30pm | £10
Justin Moorehouse’s Laugh Local sets the weekend off right with a healthy dose of TV-approved comedians and a lovely pasty supper. They’ve got your Friday night’s entertainment well sorted, starting with ex geography teacher and current comedian Rob Rouse, a veteran of many a panel show and regular stand-in presenter on XFM’s breakfast and drive-time shows. Headline act is Jim Tavare, the co-writer and star of one of the last great sketch shows to appear on ITV, aptly titled The Sketch Show (arguably the last decent comedy show on ITV – but we’ll not get into that). Tavare combines musical talent with rye turns of phrase and a healthy dose of slapstick. A world-class performer who holds the honour of being Prince Charles’ favourite comedian. Make of that what you will.
www.ticketline.co.uk

Cardinal Burns (pictured) | The Lowry | Sat 4 Oct | 8pm | £16
Bafta nominated and winners of a British Comedy Award, Cardinal Burns bring the live show version of their popular Channel 4 series of the same name. Transplanting their weird and wonderful creations to the stage could stifle lesser performers but Cardinal Burns have made the transition with aplomb and have lost none of their flair. After all it’s not too long since they burst on to the scene at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2009. They have honed their talent on television and it is to their live show’s gain.
www.thelowry.com

The Didsbury Comedy Club | Didsbury Cricket Club | Sun 5 Oct | 7pm | £7
Those that wish to find their laughs closer to home – provided they call Didsbury home -might wish to dodge Sunday night television and give some great live comedy a whirl. It will genuinely be better than anything the ol’ gogglebox has to offer. Fabulous MC Andrew Ryan introduces Gavin Webster who has been described as ‘like a cross between Bill Hicks and Geoff of Byker Grove’ by none other than Ross Noble -and if that doesn’t pique your interest then you might be better off watching Antiques Roadshow. Also on the bill are Duncan Oakley and Chris Purchase. A very strong line-up for just seven of your pounds.
www.wegottickets.com

Carl Donnelly & Michael Legge | The Pub/Zoo | Tue 7 Oct | 7pm | £5/£3
After celebrating its 17th birthday, last week you might expect a lull in the quality of performer on the malarkey stage – but to do that would be to under-estimate the draw of XS and the wealth of comedy talent it has to showcase. This week they have a double headline bill of Carl Donnelly and Michael Legge; each worthy of a solo show at much bigger venues, to get these two top comics for a fiver is frankly scandalous. We’ll be very disappointed if you don’t head down to Grosvenor Street.
www.wegottickets.com

SOS TV Live | Three Minute Theatre | Wed 8 Oct | 7pm | £5/£4
Masters of disguise Lee Fenwick and Peter Slater will be reappropriating the usually dour teenage mood of Affleck’s Palace as they take over the Mancunian bazaar’s Three Minute Theatre to host a ‘giant peach of a show’. Hosted by Slater creation Randolph Tempest, this thespian and raconteur will be bringing on guests, musical acts and comics to entertain. A flurry of film, chat and live sketches, SOS TV is a night that needs to be experienced live.
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Quippodrome | Mono, Chorlton | Thu 9 Oct | 7.30pm | £3
Those that have experienced the madness of Quippopotamus will be all too quick to tell you how delightfully weird it is. But even those most hardened fans of the surreal minds of Messrs Whiteley and Evans, who ride the Quippo about town like it was an errant Pokemon, might not be fully prepared to enter what is only known as ‘The Quippodrome’. It’s also known as the basement of Wilbraham Road’s Mono but for one night a month it will be transformed into a maelstrom of bizarre comedic sketches, obscure histories and Liam Pickford. See our full preview here.
www.wegottickets.com

Thanks to @johnwinsagain