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Bristol Comedy & Stand-Up Events

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Bristol's Comedy Scene

Bristol is an essential stop-off in the UK comedy circuit. The Comedy Box is probably the city’s most prolific stand up promoter, regular shows bring crowds to The Hen and Chicken, The Tobacco Factory and Colston Hall’s ‘The Lantern’. In summer The Comedy Garden in Queens Square brings a who’s who in British comedy with past guests including Stewart Lee, Marcus Brigstocke, Mark Watson and Shappi Khorsandi. The Loco Club (beneath Temple Meads train station) is home to occasional stand up nights promoted by Bristol Underground Comedy. In the city centre alongside the headliners found at Colston Hall and Bristol Hippodrome, Riproar Comedy host stand-up every Friday and Saturday evening.

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Our recent comedy recommendations

Charming date night romcom alert! Rated R on release because of systemic film board homophobia, this is actually an incredibly sweet yet totally groundbreaking 90s coming-out coming-of-ager bristling with optimism and light-hearted joy ft. a young Laurel Holloman (pre-The L Word). Coming-of-age comedy The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls In Love tells the story of two teenagers.

SCRiTCH’s monthly WIP / scratch show for the drag, cabaret, burlesque and LGBTQIA+ spoken word community has a bright new cause: raising money for Dragily Ever After’s brave and vital work organising family-friendly drag shows amidst the ongoing culture war. SCRiTCH are collaborating with Dragily Ever After to fundraise for their events by, showcasing and for young people

Dare2's irregular all-day dragtacular returns with Drag Race UK's East London queen Scarlett Harlett, Fierce It's infamous Tiana Biscuit and, as always, your host will be Bristol’s brightest, Alyssa Van Delle. Queens Queens and Queens

Sell out warning! Extraordinary feats of solo performance for Mayfest! Experimental theatre maverick Tim Crouch invites us into a voyeuristic and dystopian VR production of King Lear that only he can see, shaking the very nature of performance along the way. In this extraordinary solo work, Tim Crouch draws on ideas of virtual reality to send King Lear back to the wreckage of the world they left

What our editors say

“Join us for a night of spontaneous laughter at The Improv Spotlight. Immerse yourself in the world of unscripted comedy as two talented groups from our vibrant community take centre stage. These groups will weave unique stories, characters, and humour on the spot for your entertainment. The Spotlight highlights the spontaneous comedy of improvised theatre and proudly showcases the diverse skills of local troupes and artists within our community.”
From: The Improv Spotlight

“This show is a journey through his life. Pulling comedy from hard hitting subjects such as homelessness, addiction, power and suicide. The show is both a celebration of the many pitfalls of modern working class life, and a crusade to prove that light can be found in even the darkest places. With full respect given to the subject matter, Kev uses his obscure mind to highlight rarely spoken about issues and prove that just because something is funny, it doesn’t mean the topic is taken frivolously.”
From: Kev Mud : Homeless Sex Biscuit

“Many people have seen improvised comedy on TV but remember, this is not recorded and edited, but totally live! If you like your comedy fast-paced and with a slightly unusual edge, this is definitely for you – so what better way to get into the Christmas spirit?”
From: Instant Wit

“Jen has appeared on Live at the Apollo, Frankie Boyle's New World Order, QI and Mock the Week, as well as performing seven critically acclaimed shows at the Edinburgh Fringe. Her comedy memoir The Other Mother was published by Square Peg in 2019.”
From: Out of The Wardrobe ft Jen Brister & Friends

“Tales of Adventure is an improvised storytelling panel show with live illustration, inspired by tabletop RPGs like Dungeons and Dragons. Each episode sees a crack team of comedians and improvisers combining their talents to craft a thrilling and hilarious narrative in a different genre, aided (and sometimes challenged) by suggestions from the Audience. Expect chaotic comedy, high-energy silliness, and occasional touching moments amongst the nonsense.”
From: Tales of Adventure