Christmas might be hurtling towards us but the comedy circuit is showing little sign of slowing down. This week there are two major runs in London as well as two massive one-offs. On Monday night The Boy With Tape On His Face presents Cornucopia - a huge variety bill at the Palace Theatre. But how can the silent star introduce his guests when he doesn't speak? Buy a ticket and find out - you won't be disappointed. All we are saying is involves a remote control and some live TV editing.
Cornucopia's line-up includes Terry Alderton, Imran Yusuf, Paul Daniels, John Moloney, Lili la Scala, Mat Ricardo, Marcel Lucont, Stuart Goldsmith, Dan Nightingale, Markus Birdman, Chris Cox, Jarred Christmas, Gein's Family Giftshop, The Tom Show, Phil Ellis, Josephine Shaker, Mike Wood, Joe Black, West and Morgan, Ash Frith and iDrum. Then on Tuesday there is Michael McIntyre's Christmas Charity Show at the Hammersmith Apollo. If you can find a ticket for that you will have a chance to see MM aided and abetted by John Bishop, Russell Howard, Alan Carr, Rob Brydon and many more. It's a bit of a "usual suspects" benefit gig, but it is in aid of Kids Company so do support it if you can.
You might have a better chance of getting hold of a ticket for Greg Davies at the Queen Elizabeth Hall from Monday. This is another chance to see the Man Down star's last Iive show, The Back of My Mum's Head, which finds Davies on typically manic and puerile form discussing the antics of his frankly nutty family and his own misadventures such as his exploits on a scary driving holiday in America. If you can't get to the gig you can always put the DVD on your Xmas list, but it really is worth getting out of the house and seeing Davies in the 6 foot 8 inch flesh.
For those of a prudish disposition look away now. Jerry Sadowitz is at the Leicester Square Theatre for a month from Wednesday, presumably with his usual mix of foulmouthed fulmination and some sleight-of-hand magic. It is hard to pin down exactly what the self-styled gobshite will be doing as I haven't had a press release about this show. In fact I haven't had a press release about a Sadowitz show for years.
Sadowitz does not seem to like communicating with the press but he ought to be in a slightly better mood now than in previous years. His old routine about Jimmy Savile's not-so-charitable activities has now been vindicated. Though I doubt if this has made Sadowitz happy. He is an angry bugger and I don't expect the season of good will is about to change that. If you like your comedy ferociously dark this is the place to be. Not really one for a family outing though. The Spirit of Christmas? More like the Spirit of Bah Humbug personified.
