Barbara Nice | Sat 1 Jul | mac | £13.50
Mother of five and Kings Heath housewife Barbara Nice brings her Summer Special to the outdoor arena of the mac. Barbara’s homely banter thrives on audience interaction and she may even be able to resolve your personal issues as she is a gifted agony aunt. It’s not all hilarious housewifely wisdom though the circus cabaret double act Garaghty and Thom will be unleashing their riotous street theatre. There’s even a raffle. macbirmingham.co.uk

The Indians Are Coming | Mon 3 Jul | Glee | £18 
Four of the best Indian comics on one bill in a show hosted by the wonderfully monikered and hilarious double act Chuckle Singhs. Pick of the lineup for us is the arch miserabilist and award winning Sunil Patel. Never frightened to mine a dark seam of chronic bleakery for laughs his deadpan demeanour is a malicious delight. Also appearing are social conscience comedian Jay Sodagar, local hero Mickey Sharma and actress and comedienne Sukh Kaur Ojla. www.skiddle.com

Brennan Reece & Eleanor Tiernan | Thu 6 Jul | mac | £11
The wonderful Edinbrum season of Fringe previews continues this month, with several shows recommended here. English Comedian of the Year 2015; Brennan Reece, has an eloquent boyish charm that is transmitted through his high energy shows, don’t let that innocent face fool you though, there are sharp and astute laughs to be found in his material. Eleanor Tiernan previews her People Pleaser show, an exploration of consequences and elaborate overthinking. The Irish comedienne has supported some of the biggest names in comedy including local legend Stewart Lee. macbirmingham.co.uk

Justin Moorhouse | Sat 8 Jul | The Old Rep | £15
We’ve had a soft spot for Justin since he played the hapless and loveable dimwit Young Kenny in ‘Phoenix Nights’, once memorably and permanently face painted to look like a tiger in a fun day mishap. His impressive acting CV includes roles in ‘Looking For Eric’ and northern misery fest Coronation Street. A genial personality draws audiences in even when he is simultaneously insulting the hell out of them, big laughs guaranteed. www.ticketsource.co.uk

Fin Taylor & Jayde Adams | Thu 13 Jul | mac | £11
The Edinbrum series of events continues with an incredible double bill. The abrasive Fin Taylor performs his gloriously titled and brand new show ‘Lefty Tighty Righty Loosey’. Taylor manages to cloak a razor sharp political world view into a comic routine overflowing with outrageous humour and probably a few guilty laughs. Jayde Adams has been dubbed the third funniest woman in the world by Dawn French. The award winning comedienne is a fearless storyteller whose own brush with tragedy informs a routine rich with laconic humour and, as she herself says, saved ‘a shit tonne of money in therapy’. macbirmingham.co.uk

Nick Hall | Fri 14 Jul | Blue Orange Theatre | £5
Prolific writer, performer, improviser and stand -up Nick Hall brings his latest show ‘Spencer’ to the excellent Blue Orange Theatre down in the JQ. Spencer refers to Spencer Percival; the only British Prime Minister to have been assassinated, in The House of Commons in 1812 history fiends. A ripe subject for comedy of course. Hall brings the long forgotten Little P and his world to life in hilarious fashion drawing parallels with the unsettled world we inhabit today.  blueorangetheatre.co.uk

Luisa Omielan & Phil Nichol | Thu 20 Jul | mac | £11
The Edinbrum juggernaut of comedy continues with Birmingham born Luisa Omielan’s ‘Politics for Bitches’, which is the final instalment in a trilogy that began with the well received ‘What Would Beyonce Do?’ Anyone plugged into the internet can’t have failed to see a routine Omielan posted about ‘the thigh gap’ that has amassed over thirty million views. Honest, forthright and frank Omielan’s comedy is a joy live. Experiencing the Canadian comedian, actor, musician and contrarian Phil Nichol ranting live is an hilarious adventure, not shy of courting controversy he will find laughs in the most uncomfortable of places. Check out the video for his song ‘Kill Yourself‘ and you’ll see what we mean. macbirmingham.co.uk

Shazia Mirza | Sat 22 Jul | Memorial Hall | £8
Daughter of Birmingham and one time science teacher to Dizzee Rascal, Shazia Mirza gained world wide recognition with her show ‘The Kardashians Made me Do It’. New show ‘With Love from St. Tropez’ continues Shazia’s renown deadpan delivery and fearless exploration of taboos no matter how dark. This is a comedienne who once declared ‘Look at me, Isis would stone me to death’. Of course the really important subjects like beachwear and nudity are also deconstructed with her trademark downbeat flair. www.wegottickets.com

Geoff Norcott & Carl Donnelly | Thu 27 Jul | mac | £11
The final  Edinbrum double header of the month has the only outwardly Conservative voting comedian on the British comedy circuit in Geoff Norcott, or so he claims. In ‘Right Leaning But Well Meaning’ his loveable blokey personality is hard to resist and Norcott takes a great deal of pleasure in his perceived outsider status. Heckling is welcomed and is all part of the fun. Wind up merchant? You decide. Carl Donnelly’s laid back style is a welcome antidote to the kinetic performances of so many other comedians, his dry observational wit tackling the absurd vagaries of human existence are a pleasure. macbirmingham.co.uk

James Dowdeswell & Carmen Lynch | Fri 28 Jul & Sat 29 Jul | Glee | £15.95
A great Glee Club showcase featuring four comedians to round off a wonderful month of comedy in Birmingham. James Dowdeswell, or Count Fuckula to his friends (look it up), delivers gently twee absurdist gags and has a lovely rambling style. Also appearing are Californian comedienne Carmen Lynch, Coventry escapee Guz Khan and MC and satirist Chris Betts.

Coming Soon

Danny Bhoy | Wed 30 Aug | Old Rep | £15 www.ticketsource.co.uk

Paul Chowdhry | Sun 17 Sep &  | Symphony Hall | £22.50 www.thsh.co.uk

Rob Brydon | Thu 28 Sep | Symphony Hall | £32.50  www.thsh.co.uk

Mark Watson | Fri 6 Oct | mac | £17 macbirmingham.co.uk

Greg Davies | Mon 9 Oct & Tue 10 Oct | Symphony Hall | £30.50 www.thsh.co.uk/

Henning Wehn | Fri 13 Oct & Sat 14 Oct | Town Hall | £20 www.thsh.co.uk

Simon Day | Sun 15 Oct | Glee | £20 booking.glee.co.uk

Russell Brand | Tue 5 Dec | Symphony Hall | £30.50 www.thsh.co.uk

Sat 1 Jul - Mon 31 Jul
Words:
Giles Logan
Published on:
Sun 9 Jul 2017