Six Of The Best At The Leicester Comedy Fest
Read our pick of the funniest shows at this month's Leicester Comedy Festival
The Leicester Comedy Festival returns this week with its biggest programme yet, with 720 shows taking place at 72 different venues. Below I’ve picked out six shows to catch between February 5 and February 23. If there isn’t something that grabs you below, check out the packed programme here and bag a bundle of laughs.
https://comedy-festival.co.uk/
Katherine Ryan
The Leicester Comedy Festival always plays host to big stars and 2025 is no exception. One-liner merchant Milton Jones and veteran grump Jack Dee are among the headline attractions in 2025 and one night certainly not to be missed is Katherine Ryan, who is bringing along her brand new touring show Battleaxe. Catch the stand-up superstar at De Montfort Hall on February 6.
Stewart Lee
There are two chances to see Stewart Lee in his latest show Stewart Lee Vs The Man-Wulf. This time round the sardonic stand-up is doing something different, playing both ‘himself’ and his creation the ‘Man-Wulf’ who opposes all the moral decency that Lee stands for. Who will win in this showdown between comedy good and comedy evil? Find out at De Montfort Hall on February 13 & 14.
Jenny Eclair
Jenny Eclair was the first woman to with the Edinburgh Comedy Award for a solo show back in the 1990s and she has been blazing a uniquely gobby trail ever since. Last year she finally wrote her eagerly awaited take-no-prisoners memoir, Jokes, Jokes, Jokes, in which she charts her rollercoaster career. She discusses the book in this special In Conversation event with Festival founder Geoff Rowe at the Curve on February 17.
Circuit Breakers/Silver Stand Up
And talking of blazing a trail, the Leicester Comedy Festival is a chance to see specially selected stars of the future at the Guildhall in the two Circuit Breakers shows on February 14 & 15. And there is also a show for somewhat older stars of the future when acts over 55 take part in the Silver Stand Up Final on February 13 at Grays @LCB Depot hosted by Britain's Got Talent star Mrs Barbara Nice.
UK Pun Championships
One of the best things the Leicester Comedy Festival has done in recent years is promote the art of the pun with their annual #UKPunDay, which culminates in the UK Pun Championships Final. In this wordplay showdown the best quipsmiths face each other in a wrestling ring and knock each other out – with jokes – until the punniest wins. It’s all happening at the De Montfort Hall hosted by Jason Byrne on February 10.
…Me….
I guess there is no point having your own Substack if you can’t blow your own trumpet occasionally. I will be taking part in a discussion at the Leicester Comedy Festival on the role of critics and reviews as part of their Beyond A Joke (no relation) series. I will will talking alongside eminent co-critic Rachael Healey, comedian and festival patron Sikisa, and Jeremy Clay, senior lecturer in journalism at DMU on February 15 at the Leicester Gallery at 4pm. It’s your chance to give me a star rating and best of all it’s free, but you should book to be sure of a seat.
Book for all these shows and find out more here.