Comedy of the Week in Manchester ft Paul Merton & James Acaster

Ted Chippington | Kraak | Mon 18 May | 7pm | £8
Stewart Lee’s comedy hero goes back to his roots in MCing for bands, as he did for the likes of The Fall in the 80s, Ted Chippington has lost none of his lack of enthusiasm for performing. Here he teams with The Nightingales, as he did for the 1986 single ‘Rocking With Rita’, and these shows hark back to a time when comedians would be the opening act for bands quite regularly with very mixed results. The beauty of Chippington’s act was that he never seemed to care how well he did, just that he did it. Which in turn made it even funnier. Support act Faerground Accidents are incidentally also ace.
www.wegottickets.com

Will Franken | The Pub/Zoo | Tue 19 May | 7.30pm | £5/3
Coming across as a kind of one man sketch show, Will Franken is a character comedian who’s cast list as extensive as any modern Hollywood ensemble. Jack knifing from roles as one human to the next at break neck speed Franken rightly earned the reputation of being a natural successor to Robin Williams own anarchic brand of stand up. Franken is unlike anyone you might have seen before. Using props sparingly in order to let his face, accent and mannerism carry him to impersonations of the outlandish and absurd. A unique talent.
www.wegottickets.com

Alexis Dubus | The King’s Arms | Thu 21 May | 7.30pm | £9/8
More recognisable as his gallic alter-ego Marcel Lucont, here Alexis lays himself bear with not too much of a hint of the laconic and sardonic Frenchman he has become known as. Here he adapts a series of true life tales into a fifty minute poem that garnered five star reviews at last year’s fringe and was listed as one of Chortle’s Top Ten Most Memorable Shows. A heartfelt exploration of his love and loss whilst using rhyming verse is surprisingly tender and grips the audience in spite of the seemingly never ending couplets. A must see.
www.skiddle.com

Paul Merton’s Impro Chums | The Lowry Lyric Theatre | Sun 24 May | 8pm | £22
Improv is quite a divisive comedy style in the UK, though there was great success in the 90s with ‘Who’s Line Is It Anyway?’ it is still often looked down upon by many comics. This is especially strange when you think of the American comics and comic actors that swear by it e.g. Tina Fey, Will Ferrell, Stephen Colbert. Here Paul Merton leads a merry band of improvisers to craft a show purely from audience suggestions. This one definitely depends on your leaning on the polarising art of extemporisation – and whether or not you can hack Merton for an hour.
www.thelowry.com

James Acaster + Stephanie Laing | The Lowry Studio | Sun 24 May | 8pm | £10
You may not be aware but August is just around the corner, and as such comedians are fretting about their shows for the Edinburgh Fringe. One who not need to fret too much is James Acaster who has been nominated for best show at the annual arts celebration for the last three years. Here he aims for a fourth and a long overdue win, though one imagines he’s not too bothered about the accolades judging by his low key style. Also trying out her new show ‘Nincompoop’ will be relative newcomer Stephanie Laing who has a similar whimsical style to Acaster. Expect a song about a newt, several drawings of ducks and a confession about some vomit.
www.thelowry.com