Manchester Comedy listings for January ft. Tez Ilyas, David O’Doherty & more

Tez Ilyas and Danny O’Brien | Chorlton Irish Club | Fri 6 Jan | 8pm | £12/10
January is usually a pretty fallow period for comedy but it seems the good folk of Chorlton Irish Club have decided that we need 2017 to be as funny as possible and as early as possible. This epiphany comes on the sixth as they welcome two top comedians for a bargain price, with chatty Irishman Danny O’Brien and rising star Tez Ilyas in the top spots, there’s a great middle act in local comic Nina Gilligan and Manchester legend Mick Ferry as compere. 2017 might be okay after all (touches all of the wood).
www.iwantacomedynight.com

Adam Hess | The Pub/Zoo | Tue 17 Jan | 7pm | £5/3
One of 2015’s nominees for best newcomer at the Edinburgh Fringe Adam Hess has marked himself as one of the best young comics in the country and a brilliant marker for XS Malarkey to put down early on in the year for the city’s favourite weekly comedy night. As always when it comes to XS the support bill is also one to watch for the future with yet another talented Scandinavian spouting comedy in their second tongue with Evelyn Mok, and the brilliantly improvised meanderings of Sean Morley.
www.wegottickets.com

The Delightful Sausage | Gullivers | Wed 18 Jan | 7.45pm | £4
The Sausage returns and in a new venue as they pop over the road from their 2016 home in The Castle to set up their comedy butcher’s shop in Gullivers. Chris Cantrill and Amy Gledhill built up a great following throughout last year with fresh cuts of sketch and stand up with a healthy dose of comedy pals. Kicking off this year is a bumper line up featuring languid Liverpudlian Liam Bolton, Bisha K Ali, Kate McCabe and a headline turn (and acting masterclass) from celebrated thespian Randolph Tempest. If you can’t make this installment they will be airing some very early work in progress offcuts back at The Castle on Fri 13 Jan for their assault on Edinburgh later in 2017. Here’s to another great year full of Sausage.
www.wegottickets.com

David O’Doherty | The Albert Hall | Thu 26 Jan | 7pm | £22
The Albert Hall has quickly asserted itself as the city’s favourite music venue but this evening will see only the second time the hallowed ground has been used as a comedy outlet. Following on from the similarly musical themed musings of Adam Buxton who’s Bowie retrospective sold out two nights, David O’Doherty turns up with casio in hand to wow the pews in this converted Methodist church. This one is looking to sell out too with only balcony seating left available so fans of the ‘Aldi Buble’ should act fast should they wish to catch their favourite crooning Irishman in a venue that may just be able to house his ambitions.
www.alberthall.seetickets.com

Ginger is the New Black | The Lowry | Sat 28 Jan | 8pm | £12/10
After waxing lyrical about his loves of Batman (in ‘Batfan’) and Dr Who (in ‘I Need a Doctor: TheWhosical’) James Wilson-Taylor now turns his attention to his own standing in the world and what it means to have red hair. Looking into the history of prejudice against ‘gingers’ Wilson-Taylor is hoping to rebrand an unfairly maligned sub group with his hysterical songbook. After a sell out run at last year’s Edinburgh festival this is one to watch whether you have a soft spot for strawberry blond or not.
www.thelowry.com