Some Recommendations

There are too many good comedy nights out there in London at the moment, making it pretty hard to know which ones you should be putting in your face and which ones can wait. Therefore, I have compiled a list of three regular nights currently on that are well worth your time and legal tender. You can trust me on these.


Alternative Comedy Memorial Society (or, The Captain Planet Repertory Theatre Company)

If you like your comedy a little surreal and a lot chaotic, you should definitely attend ACMS. Run by Thom Tuck and John-Luke Roberts, it's essentially an arena for some pretty great comedians to deviate from the norm (or, if I'm honest, do stuff that might not go down as well at a typical comedy club) - hold a Q&A with a piñata, dress up as male genitalia, perform in a foreign language, that kind of thing. There's even a call and response at the end of every act, as well as a list of permitted heckles and a regular stage reproduction of an episode of Captain Planet, so if that sounds like your bag, go along and prepare to be both in pain (from laughter, mind) and puzzlement by the end of the evening.

Alternative Comedy Memorial Society is on every fortnight on a Tuesday at the New Red Lion in Islington. Click here for more information and to book tickets if you fancy it.


Every Other Monday

It's a new material night, it's free and it has great line-ups (including acts like Helen Arney, the Behemoth, Dr. Broderick Chow, Sarah Benetto and Elis James). What else do I need to say? Oh fine, I'll tell you more. Tom Goodliffe hosts this night so that comics can fiddle about with fresh material for Edinburgh shows and what have you, expecting nothing more than a willing audience and maybe an e-mail address or two on the mailing list. There's not much more to be said except that it's a really lovely night in a tiny room with a cosy atmosphere. Totally worth your support.

Every Other Monday is on every fortnight on a Monday (whodathunkit?) at the Black Heart Pub in Camden. Click here for more information.


Sideways Smile

It's silly that the "are women funny?" debate has yet to become obsolete when you have nights like Sideways Smile, a monthly comedy night with an all-female line-up hosted by the delightful Danielle Ward. It's new and it's great, which is exactly why you should give it a look. With headliners like Lucy Porter and Hattie Hayridge, as well as house band The Balconettes (aka Helen Arney, Rachael Parris and Danielle Ward - think about how good you think they might be and multiply that by 100) and other hilarious women like Celia Paquola and Isy Suttie, it's not only a celebration of ladies in comedy but also a genuinely great evening. Oh, and the venue's lovely too. Go.

Sideways Smile is on at the end of every month at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern. Click here for more information and to book tickets, which I know you definitely will now you've read this.


So there you go. Three good nights that you will probably definitely enjoy (and if you don't, well, try not to hurt me). Hooray!