Karl Porter brings his new show to Fairfield Social Club, Alun Cochrane headlines XS Malarkey, and So You Think You’re Funny comes to The Frog in our picks of this week’s best comedy to catch around Manchester.
Propelled into internet superstardom with his incredibly viral ‘slow motion goal and celebration’ (you will have seen it), Karl Porter is coming to the stage with a new show, And What. An incredible physical performer and master mime, Porter combines this skill with his acutely observational stand-up. A one-man movie that’s brilliantly funny.
The prestigious So You Think You’re Funny brings its Manchester heat to The Frog this Sunday. Previous winners and finalists from the competition include Aisling Bea, Tommy Tiernan, Maisie Adam, Peter Kay, Lee Mack, Fern Brady, Rob Beckett, Romesh Ranganathan, Sara Pascoe, Daniel Sloss and more. A phenomenal hit rate that…come and see the next crop for an afternoon of laughs.
- Words:
- John Stansfield
- Published on:
- Mon 18 May 2026
Softly spoken truth-telling Yorkshireman Alun Cochrane crosses the Pennines to headline XS Malarkey this Tuesday. Cochrane has been a mainstay of TV throughout the 2000s, and though his hair may have greyed, his ire remains as fierce ever, even if his laidback delivery doesn’t quite show it. It’s bloody funny, and he’s one of the best around.