Comedy Picks of the Week feat. Jason Manford, Sir Randolph Tempest and more

Gein’s Family Giftshop | Mon 2 Dec | 8pm | FREE
Sadly, the New Year sees the end of The Lass O’Gowrie, a kick in the face for live art spaces in the city centre. Always championing new acts in theatre and comedy with its upstairs art space The Lass will be sorely missed (unless it does a Sankeys and just opens with a refurb). One such comedy group that have excelled with the free space are Gein’s Family Giftshop, a brilliantly dark sketch group who stitch their skits together from the hides of fallen compatriots. They are joined by Kate Mulgrew, Harriet Dyer and Martin Greenwood for their last show at the Lass.
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Quip | Odd Bar | Tue 3 Dec | 8pm | FREE
Showcasing the weirder comedy corners of the North West scene Quippopotamus continues its residency in the Northern Quarter’s Odd Bar with a ‘superb mystery experience’ and a knight of the realm. Headline act Sir Randolph Tempest is a lover, a fighter, a rock and roll hairdresser and part time worker at Tesco’s. A wonderful luvvie creation of comic character actor Peter Slater Sir Randolph Tempest (pictured) is a whirlwind of imagination and wordplay. Support comes from Ashton Under Lyne’s most beautiful son Liam Pickford. You should see him before he drinks himself to death.
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Xmas Barrel of Laughs | Frog & Bucket | Thu 5 Dec | £16
Frog and Bucketkicks off its Christmas shows with a bumper show of its favourite acts, embracing the Christmas spirit as only professional misanthropes can. Phil Ellis will present with his usual mix of disdain and loneliness, a combination we can all get behind during the festive period, with Alex Boardman and Steve Shanyaski providing the double headline spot.
ticketscript.com

Jason Manford | Phones 4 U Arena | Fri 6 Dec | 8pm | £22.50
Mancunia’s most affable man comes to the grotesquely rebranded ‘Phones 4u Arena #goodtimes’ with his latest show ‘First World Problems’ highlighting the fact that none of us really have it that bad. After a short break to tread the boards in Sweeney Todd on the West End Manford is back to what he does best. Often unfairly dismissed as simply a ‘cheeky chappie’ or ‘northern funster’ Jason Manford is a great comedian who shan’t shrink under the weight of such an arena.
ticketmaster.co.uk

The Best of SOS | 3 Minute Theatre | Sat 7 Dec | 8pm | £5
Celebrating a year at Affleck’s Palace theatre of brevity, SOS (Save our Saturdays) is gifting its audience with the best of the last year in residence at 3MT. Hosted by Sir Randolph Tempest and Mick Sergeant SOS champions all forms of comedy and they have an eclectic bill including stand ups, video artists and sketch acts. Stand out performers include Peter Brush, Geins Family Giftshop (if you haven’t already been to Monday’s show), Sheffield sketch troupe Staple/Face and George Cottier who is responsible for some of the most surreal and wonderful videos on youtube.
wegottickets.com

New Stuff | The Comedy Store | Sun 8 Dec | 7.30pm | £3
With the loss of his parental home of XS Malarkey when Jabez Clegg closed last month Toby Hadoke can now caught at The Comedy Store with his New Stuff night. A chance for his comedy friends to try out new material, the night is easy going and a chance to catch well known comics test their new gags, and quite possibly crash and burn, but its all in good fun with Toby Hadoke as a more than welcoming host. Let’s just hope that XS gets up and running again soon so he has more to do.
thecomedystore.co.uk