The big news this week is the line-up for the forthcoming series of Last One Laughing UK. This format, where comedians gather and the winner is the one who doesn’t laugh, has been a hit all around the world even if the Irish version fronted by Graham Norton was hardly a bundle of laughs. Jimmy Carr, aided by Roisin Conaty, presents this one and you certainly can’t fault a line-up of Bob Mortimer, Daisy May Cooper, Joe Lycett, Judi Love, Rob Beckett, Sara Pascoe, Lou Sanders, Joe Wilkinson, Harriet Kemsley and Richard Ayoade. More details here.
Fancy seeing a horse do a comedy tour? Treacle is hitting the road with their new show soon. Well actually it’s Elf Lyons (picture below by Karla Gowlett) but she is playing Treacle the horse after a successful gallop at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe this year. It’s a celebration of the child within and you can expect mime, stand-up, clown pieces and shadow puppetry. More details here.
As the picture below suggests, the much travelled Kai Humphries (picture by Troy Edige) is also hitting the road. In his new show Gallivanting he recalls his global adventures and the people he has met along the way. See the world through the eyes of a working-class lad who grew up in a small town as he immerses himself in other cultures, gets himself in and out of trouble and tries to find the balance between the responsibilities that inevitably come with getting older vs his thirst for travel and adventure. Details here.
Back onscreen Prime Video is to stream a Christmas special histed by Jack Whitehall. Jack In Time For Christmas will feature guests including Michael Bublé, Dave Bautista (pictured with Jack), Rebel Wilson, Jimmy Fallon, Daisy May Cooper, and Tom Davies, More details here.
If you ask me who my favourite comedian is, the chances are I will say Daniel Kitson (although I might say Tim Key or early Vic Reeves). He doesn’t do much TV so you won’t be seeing him on Last One Laughing UK, but some early footage of Kitson doing stand-up on the box has recently been discovered. Find out more about it and watch it here. As a bonus you also get to see a young Julian Barratt and a ridiculously thin Lee Mack.
And finally on the subject of favourite comedians, Suzi Ruffell (picture below by Jiksaw) has announced a new tour. The Juggle is all about how it is hard to be good all the time. A good mother, a good daughter, a good partner, a good friend, a good person. To be ambitious but not ruthless; a success but not a sell-out. A gentle parent but not a pushover. To be smashing life and make it look easy. The Juggle. Suzi is exhausted and she hasn't even started. Find out more about the show and book tickets now here.
Read more comedy news at beyondthejoke here.
Think it would've been good if Last One Laughing UK had some lesser known standups in there as well or maybe even something crazy like a Scottish, Welsh or NI comedian