Larry Dean is live on Sunday night at Lowry, Henry Paker is at Aviva Studios, and Tom Ward takes over Fairfield Social Club in our picks of the best comedy to see in Manchester this week.
People of a certain age will see a lot of themselves in Tom Ward. Now in his 40s, he has eschewed modern life by continuing with a burner phone, carrying a Discman and CDs for long journeys and trying his best to steer clear of any other trappings made popular after the years of 1988-1995. An expert storyteller and crafter of a mighty fine bon mot, Ward has proven himself on the circuit for the last two decades, so why not let him indulge you in an evening of Luddite-y.
Saturday Night Live UK star Larry Dean kicks off his latest tour with a show at Lowry on Sunday. The Glaswegian funnyman will be fresh off another stint in the cast, having appeared alongside host Jamie Demetriou in the second episode of the second season of SNL UK the night before. Though playing the likes of King Charles and King Kong on Sky One on a Saturday evening might be all well and good, it’s on the stand-up stage that Dean comes to life. An electric performer whose physical comedy is only matched by his incredible vocal and accent work, he’s worth seeing live in more ways than one.
- Words:
- John Stansfield
- Published on:
- Mon 14 Sep 2026
If you’re not a listener of the hit podcast Three Bean Salad, you might not know Henry Paker. Before you listen to the improv comedy chat between Paker, Beef & Dairy’s Ben Partridge, and Taskmaster star Mike Wozniak, he’ll probably be the least recognisable comic in your ears. But Paker has always been an unsung hero of the Fringe and dazzles with his incredibly quick wit, incredible turns of phrase, and now with his dab hand as an illustrator. For your first tour to be at Manchester International Festival’s home of Aviva Studios is some going, and Paker more than proves his worth. Oh, and if you’re not already listening to the Beans, you should probably do that too.