PREVIEW: Delaney, Donnelly & Lawrence fill the long weekend with laughter

It's Bank Holiday weekend (yay!), the weather's looking good (yay!) and spirits are high (yay!) - what better excuse to get out there and check out the fine comedy line-ups coming up over the next few days? WELL? I'm waiting for an answer...

Tonight and tomorrow at Just the Tonic we have the nation's premier purveyor of smart, finely-crafted one-liners Gary Delaney, with support from everyone's favourite 'bloke' Paul McCaffrey, angel-faced filthmonger Diane Spencer, and wide-eyed silliness from Eric Lampaert. Tickets vary in prices and are available from http://www.justthetonic.com/leicester-comedy/

Meanwhile over at The Y on Saturday, Bottle Rocket Comedy present the delightfully deadpan Carl Donnelly, who's cemented his reputation as one of the most inventive and assured comics on the circuit with appearances on Mock the Week and Russell Howard. Carl is backed up by likeable Irishman Andrew Ryan, grumpy Geordie Carl Hutchinson, and intelligent wordplay from Jessica Fostekew. Tickets are ten of your actual pounds, get 'em here: http://brcomedy.com/the-y/bottle-rocket-comedy-club-4th-may-ft-carl-donnelly

Then on Sunday, the unstoppable Andrew Lawrence brings his latest show 'Andrew Lawrence is Coming to Get You' to Just the Tonic. A few years back, Lawrence was the first act I ever reviewed and I instantly fell in love with his misanthropic take on the world and his stunningly-delivered rants filled with inventive insults and lashings of self-deprecation. Back then he was calling himself 'too ugly for TV', but the quality of his material has overcome this perceived barrier and he is now regularly seen on Channel 4's Stand Up for the Week as well as popping up from time to time on telly's big 'showcase' programmes (you know which ones I mean). Tickets be here: http://www.justthetonic.com/leicester-comedy/shows/sunday-5-may-2013/1057/

SPECIAL OFFER - Free Tickets to Just the Tonic tonight

Got another special offer for you lucky, lucky people courtesy of those audience-gannets over at Just the Tonic. They're offering FREE TICKETS for tonight's show to Leicester Comedy Scene followers once again, using the promo code LEICESTERCOMEDYSCENE when you book online at their website
http://www.justthetonic.com/Leicester-Comedy/shows/thursday-29-nov-2012/914/

As I mentioned yesterday, tonight's acts are "circuit mainstay Junior Simpson, Norway's finest dry wit Daniel Simonsen, former Chortle newcomer award winner Diane Spencer and compere Darrell Martin". Can't actually believe I've just quoted myself. How very lazy, (or 'meta', as the kids call it these days).

It's free! Book tickets! NOW!!

Keep Giggling 'Til the Weekend - four shows in the next 2 days

Okay so we're all buzzing about the comedy festival, but remember that's over two months away, so for the meantime, what's on in the next few days to keep us giggling?

Well, plenty, actually. Tonight at De Montfort Hall, Fascinating Aida perform their unique and highly successful brand of comedy cabaret, described as "Absolutely Fabulous meets Noel Coward, as sung by the Andrews Sisters".
http://www.demontforthall.co.uk/events/events.php/2012/878/fascinating-aida/

Then there's more futuristic tangential tales, atmospheric music and abstract performance posturing from Richard Peel's Megaworld on Thursday at the Crumblin' Cookie, this time joined by comedy-magic mentalist Steven P Travis. http://www.richardpeel.com/megaworld/index.html

Also on Thursday, Just the Tonic plays host to circuit mainstay Junior Simpson, Norway's finest dry wit Daniel Simonsen, former Chortle newcomer award winner Diane Spencer and compere Darrell Martin. http://www.justthetonic.com/Leicester-Comedy/shows/thursday-29-nov-2012/914/

And if neither of those float your boat, Thursday also sees a real variety show going on at The Y Theatre in the form of Emergency! Hosted by local comic Tom Young, it features an eclectic mix of theatre, dance, performance poetry, short film, music and comedy. Highlights this time round include a short mockumentary about Blake Incarcerated - Cleethorpes' finest spirit medium (pictured above), who is the creation of the excellent character comic Ian Hall.
http://www.leicesterymca.co.uk/y-theatre-whats-on-details.php?listing=1159

That should see you through to the weekend, December listings coming soon...