Before taking their new shows to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, many leading and up-and-coming comedians are performing ‘Work in Progress’ shows around London. By July, these have already been previewed at festivals around the UK, so it’s a fantastic time to see some of the best new comedy. Here are our picks of some of the very best preview seasons in the capital this month.
- Pleasance Islington is the London home of one of the best-loved Edinburgh Fringe venues and has an incredible preview season lined up for comedy fans. Our picks of their july shows are:
- Chortle Fast Fringe on 3rd July – 3-minute performances from 30 different fringe shows – highlights on the bill this year are top Scottish comedian Marc Jennings, drag sensation Cabbage the Clown, rising star of stand-up Lulu Popplewell and resident MC and founder of Angel Comedy Barry Ferns.
- Rohan Sharma: Mad Dog on 5th July – The reigning Leicester Square New Comedian champion, who previously performed as part of the Pleasance Comedy Reserve, presents his hotly-anticipated debut, a fast-paced, multimedia odyssey in which truth becomes lies, lies become truth, and the dog becomes mad.
- Ada & Bron: The Origin of Love on 9th July – BAFTA-nominated newcomers Ada & Bron invite you to third wheel an unmissable hour of weirdo soulmates and ‘hilarious doomed romances’ (Chortle). With debauchery, live music and cuckolding to the eleventh degree, The Origin of Love is a spectacle for lovers of the strange, stupid and sexy. A cursed couple’s character comedy from the creators of Channel 4’s Peaked.
- Amy Mason: Behold! on 21st July – When Amy Mason (As heard on BBC Radio 1, 4, 5Live and 6music) got hacked, she lost her number, bank account and social media access. And then the hackers started sending her gifts… A truly surprising, filthy and hilarious wild hour about connection in all its forms.
- Joz Norris: You Wait. Times Passes on 23rd July – Comedians’ Choice Award winner Joz Norris has finally completed his life’s work, and he’s ready to unveil it to the world. But what exactly is it? And now that he’s done it, what will he do next? A new show about ambition, closure and moving on from the creator and star of BBC Radio 4’s The Dream Factory and A Small Talk On Small Talk.
Full details of Pleasance Islington Comedy preview season and tickets at https://www.pleasance.co.uk/events/type/Comedy
- The Rosemary Branch Theatre is an award-winning theatre above a beautiful, historic local pub near Regents Canal and the perfect spot for a show on a summer’s evening. Highlights of their June programme include:
- The Mayor and His Daughter: A Genuine Appreciation of Comedy on 4th July – The Mayor and his Daughter are in crisis. The soul of their beloved village is in tatters, besieged by the demonic forces of modern Britain. But there’s a light in the darkness; when they discover a sacred tome – a boxset of Russell Howard’s Good News (Series 2) – they make it their mission to repair their fractured community with laughter, by performing a genuine appreciation of comedy.
- Lachlan Werner: WonderTwunk on 20th July – ‘Hilarious. extraordinary ventriloquist’ (Guardian) – invites you to roll up and step this way for a new show so strong, it’s dangerous. Jack Hammer is the strongest boy in the world. He can lift a ten-tonne truck and crush the strongest steel. Just don’t get too close. His management says you can look, but you can’t touch. Following his sell-out cult-hit horror debut, Voices Of Evil, Lachlan Werner welcomes you into a circus ring of stunts, sea-lions, sci-fi, secrets and minimal lip movement…
Full programme and tickets at https://www.rosemarybranchtheatre.co.uk/shows
- Seven Dials Playhouse is a creative hub in the centre of the West End, nurturing performers from the start of their careers. Their preview season includes some of the most exciting debut hours heading to the Edinburgh Fringe.
- Ted Milligan United on 2nd & 24th July – Crubchester United Football Club are at rock bottom: relegated to non-league. Now, purchased by a 6-year-old billionaire, can the club win promotion? Join award-winning character comedian, Ted Milligan, for this live mockumentary following Crubchester’s fervent fans, oligarch owners and pitiful players.
- Cabbage the Clown: Cinemadrome on 5th July – With over 8 million views online for their genre-busting brand of multimedia drag-clowning, Cabbage presents their hotly-anticipated debut show: One part breathless parody of cinematic history, one part thoughtful dissection of minimum wage careers, one part rolling around on the floor covered in popcorn. So talk through the trailers, get the loudest snacks available, then sit back, relax and enjoy this Bechdel Test-passing, BBFC-unapproved, global premiere.
- Becky Umbers: Put That Cat Back In The Bag on 17th July – In her debut hour, award-winning NZ comedian dives into the delicate art of keeping a cat (your inner weirdo) hidden in a bag. A joyous hour of unique storytelling and observations told with the voice of a kids’ cartoon and the cheeky wit of an adult comedian. Winner Best Debut NZ International Comedy Festival 2019.
More of what’s on at Seven Dials Playhouse and tickets at https://www.sevendialsplayhouse.co.uk/whats-on
- The Museum of Comedy in Bloomsbury also has an exciting and eclectic preview season, some of the highlights include:
- Su Mi: THISMOTHERPHUCKER and Nikola McMurtrie on 5th July – A rip-roaring 1 hour split bill with comedians Su Mi and Nikola McMurtrie as they perform their Work in Progress shows. Expect nothing short of absolute mayhem. Su Mi is a British Queer Malaysian Alternative Comedienne / Musician / Performance artist born from the treacherous depths of East London. SOLD OUT show at the Soho Theatre. As seen on BBC Three, Latitude Festival, DEERSHED festival, End of Road Festival and Glastonbury Festival.
- Douglas Widick: Paperclip on 26th July – Microsoft Word’s writing assistant, Clippy, has seen the future – and it is bleak. Determined to prevent the impending techno-dystopia brought about by Artificial Intelligence, Clippy travels back in time to warn humanity in a thrilling adventure through the internet. Will he succeed in stopping AI at its source? There’s only one way to find out… Douglas Widick (Time Out NY’s Top 10 Comedy Show: North Coast; Blank! The Musical; F#%king Up Everything; and Anybody: An Improvised Historical Hip-Hopera) makes his UK debut in this award-winning one-person comedy musical.
Full listings and tickets at https://www.museumofcomedy.com/whats-on/comedy/
- Soho Theatre is the central London gem known for showcasing the best of the Edinburgh Fringe after the festivals, but this year, you can catch some fantastic shows during July as well. Our pick of their programme is:
- Jess Robinson: Your Song from 1st – 4th July – Elton John’s greatest hits are reimagined by multi-award-winning Jess Robinson (Dead Ringers, The Last Leg). Renowned for her pitch-perfect impressions, Jess celebrates Elton John’s epic back catalogue through the voices of iconic women: Britney, Barbara, Amy and more. With Musical Director Matthew Floyd Jones (Frisky & Mannish, Kathy & Stella Solve a Murder), Jess returns to the stage with this brand new show that is funny, fabulous and chock full of bangers.
Tickets at https://sohotheatre.com/events/jess-robinson-your-song/
