Comedy Picks of the Week ft. James Acaster, Nish Kumar + Holly Burn

Holly Burn | The Pub/Zoo | Tue 17 Nov | 7.30pm | £5/£3
She’s consistently described as ‘one to watch’ – so take your chance and watch Holly Burn at XS Malarkey. After her Victoria Beckham spoof went viral (and was endorsed by ol’ Posho herself), Holly Burn swept Edinburgh up in her effervescent charm as the impossibly likeable guise of ‘Kirsty K’ Burn has been gathering more and more fans for her pinpoint characterisation of oddballs. Support at XS Malarkey is as excellent as ever with Rob Rouse, Joey Page, Chris Washington Will Hutchby all on the bill.
www.wegottickets.com

Forever Funny | Frog & Bucket | Wed 18 Nov | 7.30pm | £10/£6.50
Laughing’s great and everything, but it’s always nice to have it sit beside a charitable donation. Don’t worry pal, Forever Manchester have got you covered, as they present ‘Forever Funny’ to help raise funds for ongoing community projects the charity orchestrates. A nice mix of more established comics (Alex Boardman headlines while Jim Smallman MCs) and exciting up-and-comers (Danny Sutcliffe, Sophie Willan and Tom Short), this is a great mid-week line-up for a very good cause.
forevermanchester.com

Waiting for Gaddot | Tiger Lounge | Thu 19 Nov | 7.30pm | £5
The most talked about show at the Edinburgh Fringe is finally coming to Manchester thanks to the good folk of Group Therapy and their more experimental second monthly outing at Tiger Lounge. Richard Gadd has crafted a wonderfully inventive multimedia stage play that constantly messes with the audience. The basement of Manchester’s favourite dive bar is the perfect setting for this tale of betrayal, abusive friendship and daddy issues.
www.seetickets.com

James Acaster (pictured) | Gulliver’s | Thu 19 Nov | 7.30pm | £5
Celebrating its second birthday is Manchester’s comedy/music/chat/free hotdog night Sham Bodie. And what a way to celebrate with four-time Edinburgh Comedy Awards-nominated James Acaster. Taking a short break from his national tour, Acaster headlines a bill that also includes space clown Cheekykita, Ashton’s top lad Liam Pickford and the sardonic lyricism of folk band Mathew Gray & the Awful Truth (that’s the music bit). With a promise of cake and the aforementioned hot dogs, it’s at least a good deal for a Thursday night feed.
www.wegottickets.com

Nish Kumar | The Lowry | Sun 22 Nov | 8pm | £12/£10
Another much-hyped Edinburgh show was Nish Kumar’s ‘Long Word… Long Word… Blah Blah Blah… I’m So Clever’ – and not just because it made every show that had followed that new trend of naming their show in such a manner look rather stupid. Kumar received his first nomination for best show at the festival for his intelligent and thoughtful show. Currently the host of Radio 4’s Newsjack, Kumar is sure to become this country’s go-to gentleman for satirical stand-up.
www.thelowry.com

Thanks to @johnwinsagain