Hasan Al-Habib, Two Hearts and a Ball and Boe review
Comedy shows to see this week :)
Hello my lovelies!
Apologies for the unusual opening greeting – it’s an easter egg for any Michael Ball and Alfie Boe fans and/or the paid subscribers who get to read my long, gushing review below the paywall. I have helpfully sign-posted this easter egg for you because I think it is unfair that people are expected to do it all themselves!
I’m hoping you’ve all had a restful and relaxing festive period, and have now undone all of that good work by continuing to exist. I had a very, very nice Chanukah/New Year time, a lot of which was spent either painting and pummelling the walls of my sister’s new home, or being fairly horizontal on her sofa.
But now I’m back, from outer space, and I just walked in to find you here with that lean and hungry look upon your face that says: please, some comedy, to feed my children. OK, then here it is! In a second, after I’ve done some plugging’:
The best comedy newspaper on the planet is back on sale and being shipped once more so get your hands on one of those here, and tell your friends to do so too!
Comedy shows to see!
Two Hearts: Til Death Do Us Hearts
Jan 15-17th, 9:30pm
Soho Theatre; Tickets here
An absolute riot of a show from NZ musical comedy power-couple Laura Daniel and Joseph Moore, who were recently wed and now have the inside scoop on what it takes to be successfully married to a colleague. From Europop to country, their songs cover a huge range of styles but they’re not making the mistake of getting vulnerable, having realised this is the downfall of all other musical couples. I’ve adored them since my first time seeing them in 2022, and this show is even better. The vibe is more Eras Tour than comedy show – I’m not even sure the Soho Theatre can contain them. Read the full LMAOnaise review here
Hilarious at Hoxton Hall with Suzi Ruffell
Jan 16th, 7:30pm
Hoxton Hall; Tickets here
Another big BIG show at Hoxton Hall courtesy of our friends Bighead Comedy (again, always with the great line-ups!). Suzi Ruffell headlines this show with an incredible team of comedians. Laura Smyth, Lorna Rose Treen, Fatiha El-Ghorri, Jenny Tian and Kate Butch will be tearing it up. Maybe you’ll even see me there…
Bristol Comedy Festival
Jan 12-25th
Venues in Bristol, see website for all dates, locations and tickets
A new comedy festival is coming to Bristol this weekend and running for two weeks, with loads of amazing shows and works-in-progress to sink your teeth into. Aisha Amanduri and Hasan Al-Habib’s 2 Muslim 2 Furious, Jin Hao Li’s Swimming in a Submarine and Mel Owen’s Chunky Monkey are a few I’d recommend as well as WIPs from looooads including Tamsyn Kelly, Rajiv Karia, John Tothill, Pravanya Pillay, James Trickey, Eva Bindeman, Sikisa and Joe Kent-Walters.
Hasan Al-Habib: Death to the West Midlands!
Jan 21st, 6:30pm
The Bill Murray, Islington; Tickets here
One of my favourite new comedians is Hasan Al-Habib, a great Brummy stand-up who, if you've been paying attention, you might have seen on the BBC New Comedy Awards. After a smash-hit of a split bill show with Aisha Amanduri (which Bristol locals can see at the new comedy festival, mentioned above), he’s working on his debut hour. Born to Iraqi parents who moved from Baghdad to Birmingham, he explores his love for both cities. I’m really looking forward to seeing this one!
Alison Spittle: high value woman WIP
Jan 11th, 6pm & 8pm
Monkey Barrel Edinburgh; Tickets here
It’s all new stuff from Alison Spittle, who is in Edinburgh this week with a work-in-progress about misogyny and how fuckable she is compared to the green M&M – in early stages at the moment, aka the best time to see a show! Alison is a wonderful comedic storyteller and funny person to spend an hour with!
Abby Wambaugh: The First 3 Minutes of 17 Shows
Jan 9-18th, 7:15pm
Soho Theatre; Tickets here
If you’ve been paying attention, you’ll have noticed that this is one of the shows I’m on a campaign about at the moment. A highlight of my Fringe last year, Abby Wambaugh’s debut hour is unlike any comedy show I’ve seen and feels like it’s been made by someone doing comedy for a hell of a lot longer than Abby has. As part of my campaign to make sure as many people see it as possible, Abby is this week’s comedian that we have met! (If you’re a premium subscriber, you’ll have met her already!)
Meet Abby and find out more about her and the show by reading the Q&A here:
Meet the comedian: Abby Wambaugh
Welcome to our weekly feature for premium subscribers, where we have a really quick chat with a comedian you might have come across in LMAOnaise before. We want you to get to know the people whose shows we recommend a little better, so we’ve had them answer five of the most pressing questions in culture at the moment.
This Friday, we’ll be meeting the fantastic Kate Cheka, whose tour begins next week! Upgrade your subscription now for just £5 a month to get these extra Friday newsletters!
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