Comedy: There’s more than one way to tickle a funny bone…

There’s more than one way to tickle a funny bone…

There’s an awful lot to make you laugh coming up in the next week or so. And so many ways in which to do it.
There’s more than one way to tickle a funny bone, so if classic stand-up is your thing, or you’d prefer sketch comedy, or you’re even after a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants improvised extravaganza, there’s no reason to be glum. It’s right here.
Stewart Lee is in town next week, playing at the Brighton Dome’s biggest room again and trying out more material ahead of his new series of Stewart Lee’s Comedy Vehicle. Hailed as an influence on more up-and-coming comics than Bill Hicks, Richard Pryor and Monty Python these days, Lee continues to play around with observational comedy. Providing a sting in the tail repeatedly as he jumps from one tone to another, playful with his topics and with nothing taboo, an evening with Stewart Lee is something of a masterclass on contemporary live comedy. It’s decades spent on stage that has earned him this reputation – and time spent in the game shows well.

At the other end of the scale of experience you’ll find the fresh new voices of sketch comedy from Kids With Beards. Local as a stick of rock, and free to see in the intimate room of the comedy-lover – upstairs at the Caroline Of Brunswick pub – take a punt on something new with your evening with laughter as the promised pay-off. What have you got to lose?
And in-between you’ll find the improvising buzz well in play with seasoned performers Off The Cuff. They’re so generous they’ve even opened up the show to include other quality improvisation groups, namely The Wilsons and Blanket Fort. It’s an oasis of never-before-seen comedy with each show made up on the night using suggestions from the audience.

So if you’re looking for reasons to be cheerful, look no further. Here they are – 1… 2… 3.
Stewart Lee – A Room With A Stew, Concert Hall, Brighton Dome, 7.30pm, Wednesday 27 January, £22, brightondome.org
Off The Cuff & Friends With The Wilsons & Blanket Fort, Otherplace @ The Basement, 8pm, Saturday 23 January, £8.50/7/6, www.otherplacebrighton.co.uk
Kids With Beards, Caroline Of Brunswick, Tuesday 19 January, 7.30pm, free, carolineofbrunswick.co.uk