Manchester Comedy of the Week ft. Harriet Dyer, Katie Mulgrew & more

Harriet Dyer | The Castle | Tue 19 Jul | 7.45pm | £4/2
The Delightful Sausage returns with more of its usual mayhem, plus the very unusual Harriet Dyer with a preview of her forthcoming Edinburgh show ‘We’d Prefer Someone a Bit More Mainstream’. Unsurprisingly the show riffs on the unique mindset of Ms Dyer and her struggles within the comedy industry as a more surreal performer than most. Dyer is an utter delight and the ‘mainstreams’ loss in more than the ‘alternatives’ gain as she turns plain old anecdotes into whimsical wonderment and pays off which excellent punchlines.
www.wegottickets.com

Katie Mulgrew & Will Duggan | The Eagle Inn | Wed 20 Jul | 8pm | 7pm | £2
Tis the season for Edinburgh previews and this two hander at The Eagle Inn represents two of the finest currently working on the Manchester scene.Will Duggan is going solo for his first hour after stealing scenes and scenery in Phil Ellis’ smash hit ‘Funz and Gamez’, he’ll be glad to out of his Bonzo the Dog/Hog outfit and now free to get on with his own brand of avant garde humour. Katie Mulgrew missed last year’s festival but is back this year with a brand new show about self-sabotage.
www.wegottickets.com

Edinburgh Preview Season | Gullivers | Sat 23 Jul | 12.45pm | £5 (or £2 per show)
Why see two Edinburgh shows when you can see five! Although if that sounds like overkill you can pick and choose a couple as Gein’s Family Giftshop member James Meehan previews his new show ‘Class Act’ with some of his comedy pals at Gullivers. A great deal for comedy fans not able to make it up to the Fringe this year or those simply looking for something to do. Joining Meehan on the bill are Gein’s cohort Kiri Pritchard-McLean and her show ‘Hysterical Woman’, the aforementioned Will Duggan, and Brennan Reece with ‘Everglow’. Plus one special guest preview yet to be announced.
www.skiddle.com

Rachel Fairburn & David Stanier | Fuel | Sat 23 Jul | 7.30pm | FREE
If you’re not all previewed out from Gullivers full day of new hours from new acts then head to Withington to catch this ace double bill of alternative comics. David Stanier has been throwing his ‘Silly Parties’ all over town and now it’s time he took some up to Edinburgh to show Scotland just what fun they’re missing out on. Rachel Fairburn will be testing new show ‘Skullduggery’ about OCD, her inappropriate crushes and serial killers in her patented deadly deadpan manner.
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Jen Kirkman | The Pub/Zoo | Sun 24 Jul | 7pm | £12
One of the best American comedians around at present (in a very strong peer group we might add) finally brings her latest show to Manchester. Another feather in the cap of Perfect Strangers that keep presenting these delicious slices of Americana after past hits from the likes of Todd Barry, Kyle Kinane and Nick Thune. Kirkman has toured around the world, and also been consistently been the best drunk narrator on the far superior U.S. version of ‘Drunk History’ as well as being an important voice for women in comedy. This is one no comedy fan should miss.
www.perfectstrangerscomedy.seetickets.com