John Hastings & Jack Gleadow | Fri 2 Jun | Cherry Reds | £6
Canadian John Hastings is a perennial star of the Edinburgh Fringe as well as appearing regularly on BBC 3 and BBC Radio 4. Quite a coup for Cherry Reds to get a comedian of his calibre and a great opportunity to get up close and personal with a gifted comic. Ex-magician and former Hull Comedian of The Year Jack Gleadow provides quick witted support. www.eventbrite.co.uk

Upfront Comedy | Sat 3 Jun | mac | £12
Upfront promote the best in black comedy and have a series of shows lined up at the mac throughout the year that we recommend checking out. Four top comics tonight featuring Mr Cee, Will-E, Gerry K and our favourite, the abrasive French funny woman Arielle Souma. macbirmingham.co.uk

Jimmy Carr | Sat 10 Jun | Symphony Hall | £30.50
The ubiquitous TV comic is always fun live and is a master of the heckler put down so be careful. Performing a greatest hits set from his award winning career so far the man with the weirdest laugh in comedy rarely disappoints. Only a few tickets left so don’t hang about. www.thsh.co.uk

Limmy | Tue 13 Jun | Glee Club | £16
With those piercing blue eyes and cheeky smile, the one time blogger, Screenwipe regular and skewerer of the daft in Limmy’s Show, always has a lot to say and a unique way of expressing it. Brian Limond will be introducing his new book ‘That’s Your Lot’ and following the performance will take part in an audience Q&A with book signing. booking.glee.co.uk

Tom Green | Wed 14 Jun | O2 Institute | £23.75
Finding prominence with the MTV generation and his hilariously juvenile Tom Green Show he has proved over the years an astute versatility. Actor, rapper, talk show host, writer, cancer survivor and producer of one of the worst films ever made with Freddy Got Fingered, he’s certainly got a lot to talk about. Expect fireworks. www.ticketmaster.co.uk

Laurence Clark | Wed 14 Jun | mac | £14
We love Laurence; challenging prejudice and stereotyping head on, the comedian with cerebral palsy is a formidable performer. Fearlessly tackling subjects others may baulk at with a canny eye for the ridiculous and a gloriously self referential nod, hilariously engaging live he has also appeared on several television shows including Jim’ll Fix It as a child, no really. Don’t miss out. macbirmingham.co.uk

David Trent & Lost Voice Guy | Thu 15 Jun | mac | £11
As part of a mini Edinbrum season the mac is hosting performances from several comics before they hit the Fringe later in the year. It’s a great opportunity to see red hot new material before anyone else. David Trent will be on hand with his projector, but we can guarantee you haven’t seen a PowerPoint presentation quite like this. A popular culture mash up of jokes and video in a ‘multimedia rampage’. Lost Voice Guy, or Lee Ridley, is unable to speak due to complications from his cerebral palsy, this hasn’t stopped him. Routines are programmed into a tablet and live edited depending on audience reaction. macbirmingham.co.uk

Katy Brand | Sat 17 Jun | mac | £14
Evolving from fundamentalist christian fascist into one of the UK’s leading female comics is an unusual career trajectory but it is one that has served Katy Brand well. Hear all about it in her new show ‘I Was A Teenage Christian’, where her searing honesty and self reflection are by turns cringe inducing and hilarious. Last few tickets. macbirmingham.co.uk

Stewart Lee | Wed 21 Jun | Grand Theatre | £23
The 41st best stand up comic ever and champion of ‘political correctness’ returns to Birmingham in 2017 and is, according to the Daily Mail, ‘A slime-pit of bitterness’. Never shy of tackling thorny subjects his articulate and disarming almost ‘blokey’ manner belies the intellectual depth of his art. www.grandtheatre.co.uk

Andrew Maxwell & Ellie Taylor | Thu 22 Jun | mac | £11
Another excellent Edinbrum show (see above) featuring Andrew Maxwell whose lusty tones you may recognise as the voice of MTV’s ‘Ex on the Beach’, come on admit it you’re big fans. Maxwell is not afraid to dig into social issues and mine them for uncomfortable laughs, see his many ‘Mock the Week’ appearances. Ellie Taylor is probably more renown as the presenter of ‘Snog Marry Avoid?’ than as a comedian, but her tongue in cheek honesty in a routine littered with personal experiences is garnering great reviews. macbirmingham.co.uk
*Please note the line up has now changed to include the equally hilarious Mitch Benn and Tiff Stevenson*

Hardeep Singh Kohli | Fri 23 Jun | mac | £8
Sikh comedian Hardeep Singh Kohli  is nothing if not busy and has worn many hats (turbans) in a career not without controversy. Writer, broadcaster, journalist and expresser of opinions which some may find uncomfortable, his quick witted comedy is a riot live. Always with his finger on the zeitgeist’s throbbing pulse his new show is entitled ‘Alternative Facts’. macbirmingham.co.uk

The Raymond & Mr Timpkins Revue | Fri 23 & Sat 24 Jun | Glee Club | £15.95
There are three other acts appearing at one of the Glee’s excellent live comedy showcases but we felt special mention had to be given to the eccentric pair of weirdo’s Raymond and Mr Timpkins. There is nothing like them in comedy, or indeed the world, and their uniquely English behaviour is a delight and something about which we as a nation can be justly proud. Beware of cheap ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ knock offs. booking.glee.co.uk (Fri) booking.glee.co.uk (Sat)

Sean Percival | Fri 30 Jun | Jongleurs | £15
We love the Dudley born Sean Percival’s blunt black country comedic perspective on working class life in the Midlands. The ex-welder will touch an hilarious nerve with all the locals whilst delivering jokes that resonate nationwide. Also on the bill are the one time writer of put-downs for Anne Robinson on ‘The Weakest Link’, Joe Rowntree and the genial Pierre Hollins. www.jongleurs.com

Coming Soon

Barbara Nice | Sat 1 Jul | mac | £13.50 macbirmingham.co.uk

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

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 & Thu 8 Dec | Symphony Hall | £30.50 www.thsh.co.uk