Comedy Picks of the Week ft. James Acaster, Stephanie Laing + Sitcom Trials

James Acaster (pictured) | The Pub/Zoo | Tue 16 Jun | 7.30pm | £5/£3
Three-time nominee for Best Show at Edinburgh Fringe, James Acaster is not one to let these near misses put him off heading to the Europe’s biggest comedy festival. This year he offers up his new show Represent, whimsically rambling through another hour of hilarious minutiae. Surely a dead cert for another nomination and hopefully that elusive win, Acaster is arguably the most inventive and consistent comedian in the UK. To see him for a fiver is an absolute steal.
www.xsmalarkey.com

Gary Delaney and Alun Cochrane | Tiger Lounge | Thu 18 Jun | 7.30pm | £5
Another week, another top double bill of Edinburgh previews at Tiger Lounge courtesy of Group Therapy. This week’s dynamic duo are the sharp-shooting pun-for-hire Gary Delaney and Yorkshire observationalist extraordinaire Alun Cochrane. Delaney will be offering up his usual languid trip around the English language with a wealth of one-liners to put many a gagsmith to shame. Alun Cochrane’s show this year is called ‘A Show With A Man In It’. Presumably Cochrane is that man and he will be regaling the crowd with stories from his life and the intricacies of the modern world he has spotted.
www.seetickets.com

Stephanie Laing and Matt Winning | The Dancehouse | Sat 20 Jun | 8pm | £8
Another double dose of Edinburgh preview shows – this time from Dead Cat Comedy at the Dancehouse. Rising stars Stephanie Laing and Matt Winning will be vying for your attention and constructive feedback (in the guise of laughing or not) with their respective shows Nincompoop and Filibuster. Laing recently reached the final of the Leicester Mercury Comedian of the Year, one of the biggest awards in comedy outside of the Fringe, and so will be hoping to build on this early promise. Matt Winning’s Filibuster is his first hour-long show he’ll be taking up to the Fringe and is a fitting title for someone who wants to talk nonsense for as long as he can.
www.thedancehouse.co.uk

Sitcom Trials | The King’s Arms, Salford | Sun 21 Jun | 7.30pm | £3
The very popular Sitcom Trials arrive in Manchester – well, Salford – at The King’s Arms, and it’s every sitcom for itself! Brand new shows are performed in front of you and you decide which was the best. A simple premise but a logistical nightmare we imagine. Shows that will be put in front of you for your delectation are ‘My Boss was in an Indie Band’, the wonderful pun of ‘Ann Dram’ and at least five more. A great showcase of new writing and a chance to see stuff that might end up on the telly one day, this was the arena in which Miranda was first put to the task. But don’t let that put you off.
www.wegottickets.com

New Comedians | The Comedy Store | Sun 21 Jun | 7.30pm | £4/£2
Alex Boardman’s new comedians is fast becoming one of the best shows at The Comedy Store, and a badge of honour for any young stand-up hoping to earn their stripes. Boardman is a fantastically funny host and his knowledge of what’s funny extends to his pick of the best new comedians on the circuit. Falling as it does on Father’s Day this month, it’s an ideal place to take your pops – provided you don’t want to speak to him yourself.
etickets.thecomedystore.co.uk

Thanks to @johnwinsagain