Comedy in London
London has more live comedy shows than any other city in the world!!!!
There is always something on for those in search of a laugh whether it be watching a comedian try new material in a small backroom of a pub or a big headline act performing in a large venue you will find it here in London.
For headline comedy acts coming to London go to our londonstranger/events page and click on the comedy filter.
Interesting info about comedy and London
- The first recognised comedy performers in the UK were jesters, court jesters or fools who were employed by noblemen and monarchs during the medieval and renaissance period. They were the only people with the licence to mock royals.
- The first British reference to April Fools day was in 1698 when people were tricked into going to Tower of London to see the washing of the lions. It has become a tradition with British media to run fake stories and prank readers on the 1st of April.....some may argue they do this all year round.
- The "dad" jokes inside Christmas Crackers first originated from a London based company, Tom Smith Crackers.
- The UK takes comedy very seriously with universities such as Winchester, kent, Salford and Goldsmith's all offering degrees and masters in comedy and satire!
- There is a comedy museum in London and its Free!
- Fans of John Cleese's Faulty Towers can now experience the excellent hospitality of Basil, Manuel and Cybil live.
London's Best Comedy Venues
Big Acts will often appear at either the Soho Theatre or Hammersmith Apollo with the biggest of them all sometimes selling out the O2 as well as venues listed below.
6-7 days a week comedy venues.... Angel Comedy (Camden Head, Angel & Bill Murray, Angel) The 99 Club (Leicester Square) Comedy Store (Leicester Square) Top Secret Comedy Club (Covent Garden) Camden Comedy Club (Camden Head, Camden Town)
Other Highly Rated Comedy Venues.... Museum of Comedy (Tottenham Crt Rd) Up the Creek Comedy Club (Greenwich) Banana Cabaret (Bedford Pub, Balham) Headliners Comedy Club (George IV, Chiswick)
Free Comedy....Angel Comedy (Camden Head & Bill Murray Angel)
London's Comedy Festivals
London doesn't have a comedy festival to rival the big three, Montreal, Edinburgh and Melbourne but nor does it need to with big acts playing in the city all year round making it the comedy capital of the world. Here are some of the comedy festivals the city put on.
Vault Festival - (Waterloo, January - March)
Underbelly Festival - (Jubilee Gardens, Southbank April - September)
Balham Comedy Festival - (Bedford Pub, part of Banana Cabaret, Balham June/July)
Ealing Comedy Festival - (Ealing, Mid july)
Jewish Comedy Festival - (Hampstead, December)
Quirky Comedy Story/Trivia
British comedian Russell Howard was once asked by a gravelly ill teenage fan, who was at the stage of planning his funeral, to attend his funeral dressed as a Penis. The teenager also wanted his father to go dressed as the grimreaper (what an awesome kid)!...Luckily for Russell and the teenager, he made a miracle recovery!
