Warming up the more blustery half of 2023 is a fine array of big and small names. Whether making Wales a pitstop in a humongous national tour or fresh from the Fringe with brand new material, Emma Way rounds up the best and brightest comedy shows to see this autumn and winter.
September
Brian Butterfield: Placeholder Name Tour
From detective to circus horse dentist, Brian Butterfield – aka Peter Serafinowicz – is a jack of all trades and he’s got plenty of experience to share via his first live stage tour.
Glee Club, Cardiff Bay, Tue 12 Sept
Tickets: £25 (sold out). Info: here
Josie Long: Re-Enchantment
Comedic underdog, mother of two and triple Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee returns, confessing she still loves the world.
Sherman Theatre, Cardiff, Thu 14 Sept
Tickets: £18. Info: here
Sara Pascoe: Success Story
She’s finally a star thanks to BBC2’s Sara Pascoe: LadsLadsLads, her podcast Sex Power Money, and her new book Weirdo, which Buzz’s Rachel Rees describes as a “romcom for the #MeToo generation … witty, emotionally truthful and boldly subversive.”
Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Fri 14 Sept
Tickets: £24. Info: here
Jack Whitehall: Settle Down
Four years since his last tour Bad Education and standup comedy star Jack Whitehall has spent the time settling down into middle age; now he’s performing his most personal jokes yet.
Utilita Arena Cardiff, Wed 20 Sept
Tickets: £42.50. Info: here

Bridget Christie: Who Am I?
Critical favourite Bridget Christie combines campaigning and laughs in her taboo, menopause-themed show Who Am I?
Sherman Theatre, Cardiff, Wed 20 Sept
Tickets: £21.50. Info: here
Pontio, Bangor, Thurs 28 Sept
Tickets: £20. Info: here
Aberystwyth Comedy Fest 2023: highlights
Nick Helm: Masterworks In Progress ‘23
The standup circuit legend and jack of all trades promises a humble-as-ever experience in this new half-baked show. Expect a mix of one-liners, stories, and even poems.
The Royal Pier, Fri 29 Sept. Tickets: £10
Jodie Mitchell: Becoming John Travulva
Comedy Central’s “sorry got to take this, it’s God” comic, drag king, queer cabaret performer and Glaswegian standup on the evolution of an alter ego.
Bank Vault, Sat 30 Sept. Tickets: £10
October
Harriet Dyer: Mother
They say that mothers know best and now Harriet Dyer, 2022 Edinburgh Fringe Neurodiversity Representation Award winner, comic and mental health advocate, is one. Expect mothering stories and many other levels of motherness in this show.
Y Cwps, Sun 1 Oct. Tickets: £10
Ian Smith: Crushing
Award-winning, likeable comedy mind known for BBC’s The Ark, co-hosting the Northern News podcast and Dave’s The Magic Sponge hosts his seventh solo show ever for Aber Comedy Fest.
Queens Road Bowling Club, Sun 1 Oct. Tickets: £10
Peter Fleming Meets Doctor Who!
Tom Burgess, host of the Into The Archives podcast, introduces you to retired children’s TV pioneer Peter Fleming and his many encounters with Doctor Who over the show’s 60 years. The catch? Fleming doesn’t exist…
Queens Road Bowling Club, Sun 1 Oct. Tickets: £10
Info and tickets for all these shows can be found at abercomedyfest.co.uk
Dawn French Is A Huge Tw*t
Queen of comedy Dawn French, famously known for getting down and dirty in a muddy puddle or two, has announced the second leg of her “spectacular display of twattery”.
New Theatre, Cardiff, Fri 29 + Sat 30 Sept
Tickets: £45-£50 (sold out). Info: here

Foil, Arms And Hog: Hogwash
Edinburgh Fringe-boosted group combine their mix of sketch comedy, audience interactions and improvisation.
St David’s Hall, Cardiff, Fri 29 Sept
Tickets: £28/£26. Info: here
Rhod Gilbert’s Hoof Cancer
Rhod Gilbert will be hosting his third show in aid of Welsh cancer centre Velindre, and raising funds for his trek up the Atlas Mountains later this year – his first since diagnosis.
Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Sun 1 Oct
Tickets: £45. Info: here
Jason Byrne: The Ironic Bionic Man
Accident-prone Irish standup and “outright king of live comedy” according to one paper.
William Aston Hall, Wrexham, Sun 1 Oct
Tickets: £24.50. Info: here
Glee Club, Cardiff Bay, Wed 15 Nov
Tickets: £24.50. Info: here
Ignacio Lopez: Nine Ig Fails
Described as unique and hilarious by ourselves, the avid traveller and Spanish-Welsh comedian hosts a number of Welsh dates later this year.
Theatr Mwldan, Cardigan, Wed 11 Oct
Tickets: £15. Info: here
Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli, Thu 12 Oct
Tickets: £15.50 Info: here
Gwyn Hall, Neath, Fri 13 Oct
Tickets: £16.50. Info: here
Le Public Space, Newport, Sun 15 Oct
Tickets: £15. Info: here
Station Pub, Colwyn Bay, Sun 22 Oct
Tickets: £15. Info: here
Glee Club, Cardiff Bay, Wed 22 Nov
Tickets: £15. Info: here
Mark Watson: Search
Live comic, producer and author searches for meaning following the release of new book Mortification: Eight Deaths And Life After Them (reviewed by Joshua Rees).
Savoy Theatre, Monmouth, Fri 13 Oct
Tickets: £22. Info: here

Jon Richardson: The Knitwit
Team captain on Channel 4’s 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown, Jon Richardson leaves the house and the washing-up for his brand new, long-awaited show The Knitwit.
Swansea Arena, Sat 14 Oct
Tickets: £26.59. Info: here
New Theatre, Cardiff, Sun 15 Oct
Tickets: £27.50. Info: here
Myra DuBois: Be Well
Standup comic, drag performer and siren of South Yorkshire portrayed by Gareth Joyner; frenemy and UK support for Bianca Del Rio last year.
Glee Club, Cardiff Bay, Fri 20 Oct
Tickets: £17.50. Info: here
Spontaneous Potter: The Unofficial Improvised Parody
Improvised, audience anticipation-infused play based on the wizarding world of Harry Potter featuring musical accompaniment.
Glee Club, Cardiff Bay, Tue 21 Oct
Tickets: £13. Info: here
November
Nabil Abdulrashid: The Purple Pill
How to be good as a badman: the ultimate guide from the {Britain’s Got Talent} finalist.
Glee Club, Cardiff Bay, Wed 1 Nov
Tickets: £16.50. Info: here
Eddie Izzard: The Remix
Reimagining past highlights over 35 years, this is Eddie Izzard’s ‘best of show’ featuring a remix of some of favourite material and promising “strong and imaginative language”.
New Theatre, Cardiff, Tue 14 Nov
Tickets: £50.25/£40.25 (sold out). Info: here
Garth Marenghi: Incarcerat
The popular fictional horror writer, best known from Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace, and created by English comedian Matthew Holness, sees Garth on a book tour for his latest work and second novel Incarcerat.
New Theatre, Cardiff, Fri 17 Nov
Tickets: £24.25. Info: here
Ed Byrne: Tragedy Plus Time
Revisiting the most tragic moment of his life so far in the medium of a standup show, Byrne references Mark Twain’s maxim that humour is defined as tragedy plus time.
William Aston Hall, Wrexham, Fri 17 Nov
Tickets: £27.50. Info: here
Miners Institute, Blackwood, Sat 18 Nov
Tickets: £28.25. Info: here
Pontio, Bangor, Wed 6 Dec
Tickets: £27.50. Info: here

Mo Gilligan And Friends: The Black British Takeover
Host of That’s My Jam heads a lineup of leading and emerging artists from the Black British comedy circuit.
Cardiff International Arena, Sat 18 Nov
Tickets: £36.45. Info: here
Shagged. Married. Annoyed. With Chris And Rosie Ramsey
Chris and Rosie talk with real married couples in the podcast of the same name. Now, following its success, they’re doing the same thing live.
Cardiff International Arena, Fri 24 + Sat 25 Nov
Tickets: £35.10 (Fri 24 Nov sold out). Info: here
Lucy Beaumont: The Trouble And Strife
Standup and comedy actress from Hull known for her appearances in Meet The Richardsons and Hullraisers.
Grand Theatre, Swansea, Sat 2 Dec
Tickets: £24.50. Info: here
words EMMA WAY