20 Cheltenham comedy events guaranteed to get you smiling in 2023

Laughter truly is the best medicine, it lowers stress, releases happy hormones and alleviates the stressors of the world. With the nights long and the weather dreary, we believe there’s no better remedy than a good chuckle to help beat back the winter blues.

Luckily, Cheltenham’s 2023 calendar is chocked full of side-splitting stand-up and other hilarious performances, all designed to get a smile back on our faces. Read on below for a roundup of all of the funniest acts coming to town this year…

The Everyman Theatre

Stewart Lee: Basic Lee – 6th to 8th Feb

After a decade of ground-breaking high-concept shows involving overarched interlinked narratives, massive sets and enormous comedy props, Lee enters the post-pandemic era in a streamlined solo stand-up mode.

One man, one microphone, and one microphone in the wings in case the one on stage breaks. Pure. Simple. Classic.

Lloyd Griffith: One Tonne of Fun – 19th Feb

After Lloyd’s last tour was interrupted by ‘you know what’ and ended up lasting 8 years or so, he’s BACK with a brand-new, fresh stand-up show for 2023. 

This is Lloyd’s biggest tour to date, and he is pumped/really needs you to come. There’ll be his unique bag of stand-up, dubious impressions, and a sprinkling of his (incredible) singing. 

Ross Noble: Jibber Jabber Jamboree – 19th Feb 2024

Jibber Jabber Jamboree marks Ross Noble’s 21st solo stand-up tour.

To celebrate this milestone, he invites you to join him for an evening of the sort of inspired nonsense that has cemented his place as the supreme master of stream-of-conscious freewheeling stand-up.

This is a chance to see Noble live on stage in his natural habitat.

What’s it about? What will we learn? How will it change the world? These are just some of the pointless questions to ask when Noble is off on one of his tangents.

Prue Leith: Nothing in Moderation – 15th March

In her first-ever live show, Prue will take audiences through the ups and downs of being a successful restaurateur, novelist, businesswoman and Great British Bake Off judge. From feeding the rich and famous, cooking for Royalty and even poisoning her clients.   

In the second half, she will be joined on stage by Clive Tulloh, who will take questions from the audience that they’ve always wanted to ask, making the show a unique night to remember.

Dave Gorman: Powerpoint to the People – 26th March

Dave Gorman, the man behind Dave TV's hit show Modern Life is Goodish and Googlewhack Adventure, is back on the road with a brand new live show, Powerpoint To The People.

The "high priest of the comedy Powerpoint talk" (The Times) is touring again! As much as anything to demonstrate that a Powerpoint presentation doesn't have to involve a grey suit standing behind a lectern and saying "next slide please". 

John Robins: Howl – 9th October

Edinburgh Comedy award-winning comedian and ARIA award-winning broadcaster John Robins embarks on his first stand-up tour since 2019. If you’ve seen him before you know what to expect; rage, anxiety and a lot of laughs. If you haven’t seen him before, get ready to strap in!

The Centaur

Jon Richardson: The Knitwit - 10th February

Will the recycling be put out on the right day? Who is going to smooth over the top of the margarine? How many lights are on upstairs when everybody is downstairs? Join us for an evening at Cheltenham Racecourse and watch Jon pretend that these aren't his foremost concerns as he leaves home on his first tour since the last one. 

Jon is best known as a team captain on Channel 4's 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown.

Cheltenham Town Hall

Lucy Porter: Wake Up Call – 27th January

The new stand-up show from a TV and radio favourite. As heard on Radio 4’s The News Quiz and seen on Would I Lie to You, QI and Live at the Apollo.

Wake-Up Call is a show about revelations, realisations and epiphanies – both large and small. Subjects covered include bin collection schedules, the novels of Jean Rhys, cats, school fair booze tombolas, the Scottish Enlightenment, pressure washers and Huel. It’s an exuberant, silly show with some wisdom sprinkled on top.

Mike Bubbins: Throwback – 8 Feb

Mike Bubbins, star of The Socially Distant Sports Bar podcast, and BBC television comedies Mammoth, Tourist Trap and The Unexplainers. Unleashes THROWBACK, his first-ever solo UK stand-up tour. 

THROWBACK is a powerful, thought-provoking, visceral hour of stand-up comedy, that pushes boundaries and challenges the audience…

AS IF IT IS! It’s actually an hour and a half of really funny stories, pretty impressive characterisations, possibly a song, and Mike generally laughing at life.

Danny Baker: The Sausage Sandwich Tour – 15th Feb

Buckle up at curtain up because here we go again. The third (and final) part of the trilogy that began with the sell-out Cradle To Stage nights, charged on through the Good Time Charley shows now reaches its peak with (at last) The Sausage Sandwich Tour. Danny Baker’s concluding chapter of high-kicking euphoria.

A new full tilt non-stop thunderous performance, another panjandrum of unstoppable anecdotes. The last ever instalment in this gleeful raucous eruption, chock full of true-life tales and show business revelation.

Jimeoin: The Craic – 3 March

A hilarious evening of World-Class stand-up from live comedy’s internationally acclaimed Irish master!

You’ve seen him on The Royal Variety Performance, Live at the Apollo, Sunday Night at the Palladium or perhaps online where he has clocked up hundreds of millions of views of his comedy clips… but nothing beats seeing Jimeoin live.

Award-winning with a wide appeal and a cheeky, no-gimmicks and superbly observed sense of humour. The press say that he’s at the top of the game – and we utterly agree!

Axel Blake: In Style – 23 March

Britain’s Got Talent 2022 winner Axel Blake is heading out on the road with his new show ‘In Style’.

From the wilds of Dunstable, Axel Blake arrived on the country’s living room screens in style as Simon Cowell’s golden buzzer on Britain’s Got Talent. Axel is continuing to chase his dreams and is hitting the road with his first-ever national tour – Axel Blake is coming to Cheltenham – In Style.

Sara Pascoe: Success Story – 31 March

Sara decided she wanted to be famous at 14 years old. Since then, she has auditioned for Barrymore, scared Pete Burns and ruined Hugh Grant’s birthday – but look at her now… (please look, she needs you to look. And clap. And laugh. And then clap again).

The star of BBC2 stand-up special Sara Pascoe: LadsLadsLads is back with a brand-new stand-up show! Sara Pascoe is a highly acclaimed comedian, writer, and actor. She wrote and starred in her recent BBC2 sitcom Out Of Her Mind, and is the celebrated host of BBC2’s The Great British Sewing Bee, BBC’s Last Woman On Earth, Dave’s Comedians Giving Lectures and Comedy Central’s Guessable.

Zoe Lyons: Bald Ambition – 5 April

Zoe Lyons has kept herself busy in the last couple of years by having what can best be described as a monumental midlife crisis. It involved buying a sports car, having a brief marital separation and running a 100k ultra marathon which really didn’t end well. Along the way, her hair decided the best thing to do was abandon ship. It isn’t easy being a middle-aged woman, try doing it with a comb-over. T

Thankfully Zoe has been able to explore the funny side of all these twists and turns. It’s time to sell the silly car and try and put the wheels back on her life.

Tom Allen: Completely – 21 May

Tom Allen is back on the road with his new show ‘Completely’. He has finally moved out of his parent’s house, which has been great news for him, better news for department stores and even better news for his latest stand-up tour as he’s eager to share his life updates, get your opinions on his vegetable patch and delve into the protocol of inviting friends with children for dinner.

The household name with his signature acerbic wit and riotous storytelling, Tom is the host of The Apprentice: You’re Fired and co-hosts Cooking With The Stars and Like Minded as well as being a regular on Bake Off: An Extra Slice.

Phil Wang: Wang in There Baby – 1 June

Hot off the heels of his critically-acclaimed Netflix special, David Letterman appearance, and role on Life & Beth with Amy Schumer, Phil Wang is bringing a brand new stand-up show to venues nationwide. He’s chatting about race, family, and everything else that’s been going on in his Philly little life.

Jimmy Carr Terribly Funny 2.0 – 4 July

Star of the UK’s most streamed Netflix comedy special of 2021, Jimmy is back on the road with brand new material for 2023.

Jimmy’s show contains jokes about all kinds of terrible things. Terrible things that might have affected you or people you know and love. But they’re just jokes – Having political correctness at a comedy show is like having health and safety at a rodeo.

Now you’ve been warned, buy a ticket.

Carl Hutchinson: Watch till the End – 9 November

Carl Hutchinson is back with a new show for 2023. After a mammoth 87-date run in 2022, Carl capitalised and got right to work to produce his best show yet. If you’ve seen the Geordie in action before you know exactly what type of an amazing night you’re in for. If you haven’t seen Carl, prepare to be dazzled by one of the UK comedy scene’s best-kept secrets.

Sarah Millican: Late Bloomer – 28th and 30th November

When Sarah Millican was a bairn, she wouldn’t say boo to a goose. Quiet at school, not many friends, and no boobs until she was 16.

Now? Now she is loud, with good friends, a cracking rack and goose-booing all over the shop.

In Late Bloomer, Sarah’s new stand-up show, she explores how one became the other. Plus, lots of stuff about dinners and lady gardens. Come along, laugh at her, with her, beside her.

Romesh Ranganathan: Hustle - 27 Jan 2024

After a sell-out tour in 2022, Romesh is back and examining the human condition… are people inherently good? Is charity always a positive thing? Is hustling the key to success? Or is all this a load of rubbish we’ve made up to keep people working hard for no reason? Join Romesh as he examines all of these issues and more while providing no real answers.

Best known for The Misadventures of Romesh Ranganathan, Rob & Romesh Vs, A League Of Their Own, Avoidance, host of Weakest Link and his own BBC Sounds and Radio 2 show For The Love Of Hip Hop.

Cheltenham Comedy Clubs

Outside of the household names and TV-special comics, Cheltenham plays host to several comedy clubs showcasing the best rising talent from the South West and beyond.

Landing every first Thursday of the month is Lemon Rocket Comedy at Smokey Joes Diner. There’s the Pittville Pump Room Comedy Club at, you guessed it, Pittville Pump Room. For a more intimate space that is no less grand, check out Howlers Comedy Club at the Cheltenham Playhouse. Finally, the most recent addition to the bunch, is a monthly comedy night held at Dunkertons Cider. Grab your tickets while they’re hot!

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For more of the best performances, from comedy to theatre to music, happening in Cheltenham in 2023. See our helpful guide Best Live Performances in Cheltenham.