Next Up Comedy

Sikisa is the life and soul, the hostess-with-the-mostess and the party don't start 'til she walks in. Join her for an epic house party and highly anticipated debut hour. Parties are fun... right?

In her award-winning stand-up show, Esther Manito (Live At The Apollo, The Stand Up Sketch Show) looks back at the era of lad mags, landlines and cock-n-ball graffiti. A time where the media said her Middle Eastern heritage was filled with misogynistic men, whereas the West absolutely had (and still has) sexism sorted. Has lad culture really improved? Does 90s Essex have the answers?

Wife, Mother, Arab, British, Muslim...Esther is on a mission to show you what life is like when you can't meet the expectations of your identity. From battling ridiculous comments online to facing head-on confrontations in person, in this assured and witty debut Esther asks what happens if you decide to reject the role of the Crusader.

Alison loves to do star jumps in the water. She also likes to watch people fight in chip shops. Her two worlds collide as a fight breaks out in aqua-aerobics and she's never felt so alive. When the foam settles, Alison realises she's an outwardly nice person who lives for confrontation.

Justin is back: still funny, yet middle-aged. A brand-new show that may contain: yoga, getting older, Madonna, shoplifters, labradoodles, middle-aged cyclists, The Menopause, running, hating football fans but loving football, not drinking, funerals, 'Is tapas a rip off?', Captain Tom, Droylsden, the environment, self-improvement, ruining a sexual position, electric car charging spots used by doggers, nursery graduation, horses, Stig lookalikes, home-cooked food but not in your own home, the odd advantages of fundamental religions, the gym, shop-door etiquette. And he's got a new suit. Come, it'll be fun.

In her debut solo show, failed child actor and now successful comedian Lulu Popplewell explores the links between Love Actually, smoking crack, the Daily Mail and sunburn. Is love actually all around? Why is addiction more relatable than recovery? Which drug would Mr Bean be most likely to take? None of these questions satisfactorily answered and more!* A daft, rude and thoughtful hour of jokes, actually. *One song.

The award-winning comedian Alasdair Beckett-King is legendary, in that there is little historical evidence he exists. But he does exist. His debut solo show opens a cabinet of curiosities, tackling the conundrums of impending extinction, archaic axioms, emotional repression and vegan flimflam. Come and see it, please. Winner Leicester Mercury Comedian of the Year 2017.

Comedian and reluctant online hit, Eleanor Morton presents a brand-new surreal and offbeat stand-up show about goals, trying and failing. In 2020 Eleanor climbed a hill, and that was the only thing she did all year. Sharp, silly stand-up infused with occasional characters and sketch about what it means to fail and keep trying. And climbing hills.

The biggest-titted Edinburgh Best Show nominees return in their darkest-ever adventure. Learn the horrifying true story of what happened when Amy and Christopher-Louise decided to hide from their problems on a remote island. As tensions flare and psyches fray, how will Yorkshire's finest meat-themed duo survive?

Jason Byrne is back for more comedy chaos, celebrating 25 years(!) of consecutive touring. Audience Precipitation is a brand-new fun, happy and joyful show from 'the outright king of live comedy' (The Times). Jason has learnt over the past few years that we all need to 'play' a bit more in our lives. With this in mind, Jason will do what he does best: connect with his audience in a way that no other comic can. Expect the Irish funnyman to invite - or drag, as it has been known in the past - people up onto the stage and make a "holy show of them", as they'd say in Ireland. Jason's Audience Precipitation tour will be a laugh-out-loud, must-see show with a light drizzle of audience participation... ooohhh, clever that!

Laura spent 2017 trying to get through therapy, trying the patience of everyone and trying unsuccessfully for a baby. She's done trying now; it's time to laugh. With her winsome charm and effervescent likability Lexx, who describes her condition as "post-natal depression but without the ‘natal’ bit" talks candidly about her mental health - so concerned for the future of the planet she was bringing her hypothetical child into that she became a virtual lock-in. Expect strength and poignancy, with some killer quips about a certain cosmetic retailer and a gripping tale about a pregnant tropical fish named Mary Berry thrown in for good measure.

What have I been doing this past two years? Apart from sitting on the settee in my pyjamas, squeezing my ingrowing hairs whilst watching documentaries on Ted Bundy? I have been staring into space, coming to the terrible realization that maybe my parents were right. I should have listened to them years ago. Why didn't I? But people keep telling me I'll be ok because I'm a strong woman. What does that mean? I survived The Island with Bear Grylls - who knew that would prepare me for what was about to come...

Evolution is tricky - just ask the dinosaurs. A few years ago, Laura (Chortle Awards nominee) evolved into a full-time wife and comedian. It didn't quite go as planned. Following her smash debut ‘Lovely', Laura aims her trademark comedy kaleidoscope at marriage, feminism, identity and the grinning idiots that built Stonehenge. Indulge in a whirlwind celebration of everything that's right about slowly turning into your mother and everything that's wrong with town criers. 30-something Laura's take on life is infectiously optimistic. Her clever tales of David Attenborough obsessions and dealing with a Daily Mail reading parent ooze with charisma and vibrant charm. Expect quick quips, seamless banter and up-beat anecdotes from a show certain to leave you grinning from ear to ear.

Kiri Pritchard-McLean is back and a lot has happened over the last few years. She's moved back to her home island of Anglesey and gotten some rescue chickens. You can expect jokes about skinny jeans, learning Welsh and white supremacy - something for everyone.

Rob Rouse (Bottom, BBC's Upstart Crow) has performed stand-up since winning So You Think You're Funny? at Edinburgh in 1998. Now, aged 48, he is no more mature. 'Belly laugh funny' (Herald). 'He's a man with genuinely funny bones' (Sunday Times).

The Britain’s Got Talent winner will poke fun at his life living as a disabled person in a post-apocalyptic world as he tries to cope with the fame and fortune since his memorable victory. From the highs of meeting 50% of The Chuckle Brothers to the lows of being called “him off The X Factor”, and everything in between. Lee might not have a Geordie accent yet, and he might still sound like a posh version of Robocop, but his comedy is sure to leave you speechless.

Comedian du jour, Alison Spittle is simmering with jokes and probably rage, she doesn't know what the burning sensation is.

One third of the legendary sketch team Pappys, Tom Parry combines all the sweat, tears and metaphorical knee-slides of his recent wedding in this joyous hour. Get some positivity back in your life with Tom's timely celebration of being alive. Caps on, Tops off!

Critically acclaimed stand-up, writer and actor Tiff Stevenson (Mock the Week, People Just Do Nothing, The Office, Game Face and ABC's The Weekly) invites you to spend an hour with a woman and her self-diagnosed Sexy Brain... a study in trying to see all sides of every argument and driving yourself slowly mad in the process.

Exploring the evolution of the utter moron, Zoe shares her encounters with the many entry level humans on this earth. From domestic life and technology to pop culture and politics, Zoe has an exceptional knack for nailing those crack you up call backs and cleverly crafted observations.