🎭 Live Laugh Leeds – Comedy in June 2024

I write this on the way to the BBC Comedy Festival in Glasgow, which I’ve heard is in the fictional country of Scotland.

Rest assured, I shall be aggressively berating the organisers to make sure the festival is in Leeds next year. Or I might stand quietly at the side of the room, too frightened to approach the bigwigs of comedy. Yet to decide.

Either way, comedy fans have another enjoyable month ahead in Leeds, starting with the Leeds heritage theatres line-up, which is another cracker.

Simon Brodkin might still be best known in some circles for his character Lee Nelson, or pranking Theresa May, but his latest stand-up show is awesome, and well worth your attention on the 2nd of June at Leeds Grand Theatre.

My picks for the City Varieties include one of the nicest men in comedy; the ever-hilarious Josh Pugh, who brings his show ‘Existin’ La Vida Loca’ on the 5th June. Rachel Parris follows on the 13th of June. She’s sensational, and not to be missed. While comedy royalty Richard Herring asks ‘Can I Have My Ball Back?’ on the 15th of June. Also recommended – Troy Hawke (14th June), the inimitable Punt & Dennis (19t June), Jessica Fostekew (20th June), Al Murray (23rd June), and Sofie Hagen asks ‘Will I Ever Have Sex Again?’ on the 27th June.

At the first direct Arena, another date for Peter Kay, one of Britain’s best loved comedians, on the 1st of June. And Romesh Ranganathan returns on the 7th of June, with a new show examining the human condition.

Huge kudos to the Hyde Park Book Club, which is fast becoming a crucial stop for touring comics. Their line up this month is incredible: Elliot Steel, Fatiha El-Ghorri, Bilal Zafar, Alexandra Haddow, Josh Jones, Abi Clarke, Rachel Fairburn, and the multi-award worthy Delightful Sausage duo Chris Cantrill and Amy Gledhill bring individual work in progress shows to the book club on the same night (29th June) – what a treat.

Finally, a nod to the Hi-Fi Comedy Club – their regular nights are great, but particularly the 1st of June, with Stuart Laws, Jack Gleadow, Howard Walker and Pete Otway.

As ever, look out for regular comedy nights at Headrow House, The Original Oak, The Hi-Fi Club, The Old Woollen, and the Parkside Tavern.