London's Quirkiest Comedy Nights

London's Quirkiest Comedy Nights

by: Spoonfedcomedy

Bored of straight stand-up? Try giving these niche nights a whirl.

Live comedy is more popular than ever in the UK, with over a hundred gigs held in London every week. As a result, we're all looking for something a bit more diverse than the classic '3 stand-ups and a compere' format. We're not observational comedy haters here at Spoonfed, but if we hear another joke about how long women take to get ready or how shit Ikea furniture is, our heckles may turn violent.

So, to keep our sanity in check, we've put together a list of comedy nights that offer something unique. Be it didactic comedy, depraved stand-up, daft quiz shows or improvised plays in the style of Jane Austen, we've got you covered.

The Bright Club @ The Wilmington Arms
Monthly Tuesdays, 8pm
Entry: £5
Touted as the thinking person’s variety night, The Bright Club encourages laughter and learning by combining a bunch of interesting comedians and musicians with academics. Each event features an assortment of intelligent folk from nearby UCL, including psychologists, neurophysicists and engineers, who give a short, funny talk about their area of expertise, in relation to that night’s theme (such as ‘Life’, ‘Brains’, or ‘Happiness’). 

Specialist Subject: Where No Joke is Too Niche @ The Black Heart
monthly Wednesdays, 7pm
£6
A night where comedians finally get to try out all the material that they always thought was too niche, too nerdy and too specialist to ever do in public. Topics so far have ranged from the truth behind Super Mario to the sixth series of Deadliest Catch and the post-2002 cinematic work of Steven Seagal!

The Alternative Comedy Memorial Society @ Soho Theatre
Monthly from April 2013, 8pm
Entry: £12.50
If Michael McIntyre bores you to tears, then this could be the show for you. Featuring some of the UK's best young comic talent including Josie Long, Thom Tuck, John-Luke Roberts, and Nadia Kamil, this monthly comedy night is stuffed to the gills with left field comedians to ensure you enjoy an un-run-of-the-mill evening. 

Decapitated Puppy @ The Intrepid Fox
Second Wednesday of the month, 9pm
Entry: £6
We love the wrongness of this club's name. Brought to you by the devilishly dark Tyson Boyce and Bobby Carroll, comedians here aim to shock and thrill. Previous headliners have included the booze-addled singer/songwriter Loretta Maine with her band Dog Vagina and occult comedian Andrew O’Neill.

Lolitics @ The Black Heart
Third Tuesday of the month, 7:30pm
Entry: £3
Lolitics is a political comedy night, for proper politics. Each month, creator Chirs Coltrane sources a handful of renowned political comedians to try out new material, while also encouraging comics who don't normally do political comedy to give it a go. Acts are asked to focus on ideas first and jokes second, so expect high-brow and topical rather than easy gags. Popular topics include Tories, protests, economics, society, sexuality, science and religion, the environment and credit default swaps.

Dong @ Rich Mix
last Friday of the month, 7:30pm
£10
Who'd have thought hip hop and comedy were such good bedfellows? Brought to you by the same team behind the excellent Knock2Bag comedy nights, Dong mixes top comedians with dancers, beatboxers, exclusive videos, big tunes and the one and only hip-hop karaoke. Regular acts include award-winning stand-up (and hip hop expert) Fergus Craig and improv rappers Abandoman.

The Humble Quest for Universal Genius @ Leicester Square Theatre
last Friday of the month, 9pm
£10
This daft quiz show sees comedian Mark Allen pit top stand-ups against each other in a bid to find a modern-day 'Universal Genius.' Split into rounds including Etiquette, Art, Languages, Hunting and Knowledge, the show sees two comedians go head to head in a battle of wits, physical skill and creativity. Allen presides over the contest as quiz host and fellow stand-up Eli Silverman takes on the role of his (mostly) mute, ‘glamorous’ assistant. Thoroughly entertaining stuff.

Austentatious @ Leicester Square Theatre
last Sunday of the month, 7pm 
£12.50
This Free Fringe show had people queuing round the block to get in at last year's Edinburgh Festival. An hour long comedy play in the style of Jane Austen, it's based entirely on audience suggestions. Performing in period costume with live cello accompaniment, the cast includes top character comic Cariad Lloyd and Rachel Parris. An eloquent, irreverent, 100% improvised take on the works of Britain's best-loved novelist.

No Pressure to Be Funny @ Soho Theatre 
First Sunday of the month, 7pm
This topical and satirical panel show is a refreshing alternative to the testosterone-fuelled TV quiz. There are no captions, no captains and no competitions; just funny, informed and acerbic discussion of the world and what's going on with comedians, journalists, politicians and campaigners.


Festival of the Spoken Nerd @ Bloomsbury Theatre
£14
Musical comedian Helen Arney, stand-up mathematician Matt Parker and Blue Peter science expert Steve Mould host this geeky gig. There is a different theme for every show, and the team are always joined by a guest scientist and comedy headliner from the likes of Robin Ince and Alex Horne, to Radio 4's Dr Helen Scales and Dr Hugh Hunt of C4's Dambusters.

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