Balham comedy festival returns with a laugh a minute

Balham Comedy Festival is back this summer, with sets from some of the biggest names in comedy including Ed Byrne, Maisie Adam and Jane Godley.

The festival will run from July 9 to 18 at the iconic venue The Bedford, with shows from 24 comedians over the nine nights.

Shappi Khorsandi will perform her show Work in Progress, which brings her back to her natural element – live stage.

Balham resident Marcus Brigstocke is also set to take the stage, with his stand up show covering topics such as climate change, religious extremism, immigration, loans companies, David Blaine – not to mention his own personal battle against his middle class roots.

Award winning comic Paul Foot is bringing his surreal humour to the festival with his solo show, as well as Henning Wehn, whose show could be described as a work-in-progress – but he prefers to describe it as masterpiece-under-construction.

Rhod Gilbert is set to close the festival with his show The Book of John.

The tour is the first time the comedian has performed stand up in seven years, in which time many things have happened – although most were not good.

Other comics bringing their solo shows to the Balham Comedy Festival include Boothby Graffoe, Jane Godley, Rich Hall and Dane Baptiste.

The festival will also host three Best of Banana Cabaret nights on July 9, 10 and 16, which each have a different set of comedians on the bill – including Ed Byrne, Masie Adam and Yuriko Kotani.

Festival organiser, Banana Cabaret’s Dave Vickers said: “We’ve been at The Bedford for 38 years. 

“Stand up is our lives and our livelihood. We didn’t want to miss a moment more. 

“Londoners deserve a serious dose of comedy after the last year and we can’t wait to give it to them.”

Tickets can be purchased here.