Michael Brunström: Copernicus Now 

Nominated for the Best Show Award at this year’s Leicester Comedy Festival.

Copernicus Now is a joyful and surreal caper in which the Renaissance-era astronomer reshapes the solar system and brings hope to humanity. 

Michael Brunström is a winner of the Malcolm Hardee Award for Comic Originality, and a member of the award-winning Weirdos Comedy Collective. 

‘Sense-bendingly entertaining… great, crazy, never-to-be-forgotten comedy’ **** (Scotsman). 

‘An artistic genius’ **** (Skinny). 

‘Hilariously silly… bucking the mainstream trend for everyday anecdotes in favour of unabashed absurdity‘ (Chortle.co.uk). 

‘Serial innovator’ (Time Out). 

‘What the…?’ (Metro).

Hannah Platt: Defence Mechanism WIP

Nominated for Best debut show, Leicester Comedy Festival 

‘Voice of a generation’ (Skinny) Hannah Platt is a frank and honest new comic with an unflinching outlook on the world and, after a diagnosis of body dysmorphia, how the world looks back at her. 

BBC New Comedy Awards Finalist. 

As seen on BBC3 and heard on BBC Radio 4. 

Tour support for Fern Brady, Lou Sanders and Kiri Pritchard-McLean

Date: Sunday 12th May
Doors: 7pm
Start: 7:30pm
Venue: Shakespeares, Gibralter Street, S3 8UB (upstairs)

£5 – mailing list
£7 – general admission

Unfortunately due to the nature of the building the event is not wheelchair accessible.

Tickets: Fringe Style, your ticket secures a seat, there’ll also be a bucket split at the end if you’re feeling generous. This helps us to not exclude anyone based on income. We give everything including tickets to the acts and make no money from the night.

We’re absolutely gutted to announce that Siân Docksey has had to pull out of April’s gig (keep an eye out for her in our post-fringe season!) 

However, I’d alluded to a very special guest for this month’s show and on the bright side we can put a spotlight on:

Eryn Tett 

Eryn Tett (‘Funny of the Fringe’ RVK Fringe 2023 WINNER + Neurodiverse Review ‘Actually Autistic Excellence’ Award 2022 SHORTLIST) is an alternative comedian based in Manchester.

Described as “fabulously idiosyncratic…truly original” and a “memorable, distinctive new voice” (The Telegraph) she’s bringing a new half hour of short jokes, odd facts, viral video ideas and volunteer based roasts to Sheffield. 

Ava Liversidge: Liversidge Laughersidge Loversidge WIP

Ava Liversidge builds the greatest show of all time, tailor made for exactly for you. The show is yours. it is your responsibility. A friend will be provide upon entry. and that friend is Ava Liversidge. she lives, she laughs and she loves.

“deconstructions of comedy that put Stewart Lee to shame” Blizzard Comedy
“A funny alternative joy” Barking Tales
“Fantastically Shambolic” Phil Kay

Sam Nicoresti: Baby Doomer WIP

“Satan laughing spreads his wings.” – audience review. 

Come see tran-comedianne Sam Nicoresti tell some funny jokes about doomerism, consumerism, and something else… currently unclear, possibly dogs?

Yeah. 

Dogs. 

To hell with it, I’m calling time on these damn dogs.

“A young Daniel Kitson” Bruce Dessau
“Daft and deft” The Evening Standard
“Auteur” Fest
“Unique” Chortle

Winner of Leicester Square Theatre’s New Comedian of the Year 2022
Nominated for Best MC at Chortle Awards 2024).

Date: Sunday 21st April
Doors: 7pm
Show start: 7:30pm
Venue: Shakespeares, Gibraltar Street, S3 8UB (upstairs)

Unfortunately due to the nature of the building the event is not wheelchair accessible.

Tickets: Fringe Style, your ticket secures a seat, there’ll also be a bucket split at the end if you’re feeling generous. This helps us to not exclude anyone based on income. We give everything including tickets to the acts.

£5 – mailing list
£7 – general admission

Square Hole is Back and we’re immensely proud to jump start this preview season with 2 of our most luxurious and favourite acts but don’t trust us, here’s what they have to say for themselves:

She-Devil is a show about misogyny, bullying and misogynistic bullying. And fun!

Surrealist stand-up Jain Edwards is bringing her unique brand of comedy back to Square Hole. Cursed with extreme likeability and suffering under the weight of “being an absolute sweetheart”, Jain struggles on. 

“Pleasingly offbeat” – The Guardian

“An excellent exercise in inventive, immensely creative comedy” – The Skinny

“Edwards succeeds with levity, charm and a knowing smile” – The List

“Get in early to catch a rising talent” – Short Com

Here he is! For one night only! Can Frankie Monroe save showbiz?? 

Join Frankie Monroe owner and resident MC at The Misty Moon Social Club (a working men’s club in Rotherham which is also a portal to hell) for a slap up feast of laughs, tricks and mucky bitter.

An Audience With Frankie Monroe will be the first hour-long solo performance from Joe Kent-Walters. Joe is one of Yorkshire’s finest alternative comedy acts and winner of the 2023 BBC New Comedy Awards.

Winner – 2021 Chortle Student Comedy Award. 
Winner – 2023 BBC New Comedy Award

“A mesmerising and unpredictable presence” Chortle 
“Shades of The League of Gentlemen and Reeves and Mortimer” The Scotsman

Unfortunately due to the nature of the building the event is not wheelchair accessible.

Date: Sunday 24th March 2024
Doors: 7pm
Show start: 7:30pm (please arrive before)

Venue: Shakespeares, Gibraltar Street, S3 8UB (upstairs)

Tickets: We’re trying something different, at least for preview season and doing things Fringe Style so not to exclude anyone based on income. Your ticket secures a seat and we will have a bucket split (card reader available) at the end with everything going to the acts aside from website and ticket fees.

£5 – mailing list
£6 – general admission

Jonny Pelham: Optimism Over Despair

Jonny told the nation his biggest secret. He’s pretty sure it was a mistake. Find out why in this candid and bitingly funny new show.

Pelham is one of the most exciting stand-up comedians in the UK. No, he really is quite extraordinary. A Bradfordian who cultivated his comedy via Newcastle, his talent has earned him numerous awards and accolades. He was a Chortle Award nominee, BBC New Comedy Awards finalist, and winner of the Beyond The Fringe Herald Angel Award for his Edinburgh show ‘Off Limits’ to name a few. He has featured on TV shows like Live at the Apollo, Russell Howard’s Stand Up Central, Alan Davies: As Yet Untitled, Live from the BBC, and Mock the Week.

His performances have been praised by critics and audiences alike and, as well as being incredibly funny, he is known for his engaging presence and contemplative candour. He’s currently developing a new scripted project following the broadcast of his cutting edge documentary series for Channel 4 based on his own personal experience called, Let’s Talk: Child Sexual Abuse.

“The laughs are explosive” – Chortle
“Reassuring presence and way with a story” – The Guardian
“Engagingly wry temperament and clear anecdotal gifts” – The Scotsman
“His presence and storytelling have them all entranced” – The Skinny
“Echoes of Daniel Kitson” – The Sunday Times
“Intensely moving and consistently funny” – The Herald

Hannah Platt: WiP

Merseyside-via-Manchester’s finest misanthrope has already been making her mark as a comic. Described as “a voice of a new generation” by The Skinny and “a voice with something to say” by Chortle, she never shies away from sensitive topics but embraces them with brutal honesty and quick wit.

She was commissioned by the BBC to make the short ‘Support Group’ as part of the BBC3 Laugh Lessons series, and has written on both The Now Show and The News Quiz for BBC Radio 4. She’s been tour support for Kiri Pritchard-McClean, Fern Brady and Lou Sanders and is a BBC New Comedian of the Year Award Finalist.

“Dark, damaged and hilarious” – Josie Long
“A voice of a new generation.” – The Skinny
“Pretty impressive” – Bruce Dessau, Beyond the Joke
“A voice with something to say” – Chortle

Date: Sunday 4th June
Doors open: 5.30pm
Show starts: 6.00pm
Interval: 7pm-7:30pm
Show ends: 8:30pm
Tickets: £7 online / £8 on the door (advanced booking recommended)
Venue: Shakespeare’s, Gibraltar Street, S3 8UB (upstairs)

Rachel Fairburn

Fairburn featured in Chortle’s ‘One to Watch’ list in 2020 and picked up the 2019 online content award from Joe.co.uk . She has also been a finalist of several prestigious competitions including Funny Women, City Life Comedian of the Year, the NATYS and English Comedian of the Year.

She is co-host and co-writer of the worldwide smash hit podcast All Killa No Filla. With a huge international following of over a quarter of a million listeners and growing, she has taken the podcast on several sell-out UK tours and a tour of the USA.

She has been a staple of the Edinburgh Fringe since 2014, with 6 critically acclaimed solo shows under her belt and featured in the ‘40 jokes of the fringe’ by the Daily Telegraph in 2018 and ‘Best Jokes from Edinburgh Fringe 2022’ in The Times. A regular on the UK stand-up circuit, Rachel is also curator and host of the wildly popular ‘Comedian’s Stories’ night at the 2Northdown comedy club in London.

On the telly she appeared on BBC Presents: Stand Up For Live Comedy and Funny Festival Live, part of the BBC’s Festival of Funny. Her TV credit’s include Alan Davies: As Yet Untitled, Richard Osman’s House of Games and Russell Howard Hour Life Lessons.

“Very much the Rock’n’Roll star of British Comedy” — ★★★★ Rolling Stone

“Fairburn delivers…with sadistic glee” — The Guardian

“Huge presence in a pint-sized frame” ★★★★ — Chortle

“Bright, brave and bitterly enjoyable” ★★★★ – The Skinny

“Gag-heavy, opinionated and smart” ★★★★ – Funny Women