Comedy
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9 comedians we’d love to see back on tour
From mainstays to absent comedians, here's what the future could hypothetically bring.
Everyone is in need of a good laugh, so we’re looking ahead and getting excited about the comedy acts we hope will come back out on tour. From mainstay comedians who have left us wanting more, to those who have been away longer than we’d like, here’s our dream of what the future could hypothetically bring.
In the meantime, there’s also a huge amount of comedy specials available right now, as well as fresh new comedy that artists are putting out live from their own homes.
Micky Flanagan
It’s been three whole years since London’s self-proclaimed “working-class boy” went on tour. An’ Another Fing was a record-breaking show which saw the comedian perform a whopping sixteen dates in London arenas.
Having gone without hearing his trademark “nah, nah, nah” for a long time, we’re in need of new stories from the geezer’s life. From the difference between going out and going out out, to not being able to put up with thick people on telly, his dry observations have been delighting for years.
Miranda Hart
Anyone feeling overdue for a gallop?
Happiness is infectious, and few people deliver joyful comedy quite like Miranda Hart. Finding the silly and the absurd in the everyday, she’s inspired many to put googly eyes on kitchen utensils, sing Heather Small at the top of our lungs and – of course – get around by galloping like a horse.
Miranda may only have delighted fans with one stand-up tour so far – back in 2014 – but we’re hoping for plenty more to come. Loved widely for her hit TV sitcom, Miranda, written by and starring Hart herself, she also warms the heart in her roles in TV series Call The Midwife and feature films, Emma and Spy. So even if we aren’t fortunate enough to see her back on the road in the future, there’s still plenty of chances to experience her charming humour – such fun!
John Bishop
John Bishop’s next tour is so close, we can almost taste it.
The Liverpudlian had planned to warm-up new material for his highly anticipated upcoming live show this spring, but is working hard to reschedule the dates for later in the year.
Filled with tales of his growing sons – who fled the nest during his 2018 Winging In tour – Bishop’s comedy treads the line between nostalgia and modern day observations. Brilliantly relatable, Bishop delivers with a relaxed confidence that has propelled him to the very top of his game. He understands the everyday peculiarities that pull us all together, and that exist across all generations. We can’t wait to see what he’s come up with come his new tour.
Katherine Ryan
It hasn’t been that long since our favourite Canadian import toured the UK but we can’t get enough of Katherine Ryan’s dry, sarcastic humour.
She has an undisputed knack for dealing the most cutting of punchlines, whether about sleeping with the husband of another mum on the school run or her own experiences as an outspoken female comic. Her jokes land with the precision of an Olympian archer, but never quite in the place you would expect. Understandably, we’re eagerly waiting for a lot more from Ryan in the near future.
Kevin Bridges
In 2018, the Glasgow’s straight-talking comedian was crowned as Ticketmaster UK’s Ticket Of The Year, and ever since the world has been eagerly waiting to discover what he’s going to do next.
Famed for countless appearances on TV panel shows, ranging from Would I Like To You? to Have I Got News For You, Bridges has been busy injecting new life and innovation into observational comedy. There’s both a knowing confidence and a notable humility to his performance, one brimming with his distinctive Glaswegian charm.
Flight Of The Conchords
We’re coming up on two years since the last time the hilarious Kiwi music duo performed in the UK. Recording their HBO special Flight Of The Conchords: Live In London, New Zealand duo Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie gave the nation, and the world, 86 minutes of brilliantly quirky music and comedy.
Having performed their iconic dead-pan sets for over twenty years, the GRAMMY Award-winning pair have penned such classics as The Most Beautiful Girl (In The Room), If You’re Into It, and Business Time. Delivered as stripped back duets from two barstools on the stage, the minimalist approach to their performances heightens the hilarity of their lyrics.
James Acaster
James Acaster’s style of comedy is unashamedly theatrical until it comes crashing right back down to earth with unparalleled intimacy. From his therapy sessions to heartbreak, nothing is off the table.
It was only last year that the south London comedian toured, earning himself a Chortle Award in the process, but we’d still love to see him back on the road again very soon. Delivering four Netflix specials, co-hosting Dave’s Hypothetical, and writing a Sunday Times Bestseller – Perfect Sound Whatever – it’s not like Acaster has been taking it easy. Still, it’s provided further tastes of what he comedian can deliver on stage, and we’re hankering for more.
Greg Davies
The magnificent beast himself has been absent from stages since 2018. Now, much of the anticipation in waiting for a new Greg Davies stand-up tour is wrapped into wondering if he can top the completely bonkers name of his previous live shows. With the likes of The Back Of My Mum’s Head and Firing Cheese Balls At A Dog, who knows what fans will be treated to next.
But that’s not all we’re looking forward to. Brilliantly loud and imposing, Davies’ savagely funny sets – from manscaping fails, the death of his father and huge, terrifying, blue teddy bears handmade by his mother – are destined to have us all creasing up, and we certainly can’t wait fo more.
Lee Evans
It’s been six long years since everybody’s favourite drenched comedian dropped his last bead of sweat on stage in his 2014 tour, Monsters. Announcing his retirement from comedy in 2014, it concluded a career of frantic, exaggerated, yet highly relatable comedy that consistently had us Brits in stitches.
When it came to big comedy, Lee excelled. Filling a huge number of arenas across the country, he truly made the stage his own like few others could. Bounding around the stage with elaborate mimes, every joke came with a side-splitting array of facial expressions that effortlessly brought the comedy to life. Truly a master of his own art.
Discover more:
Feature: 8 of the most underrated characters in comedy
Feature: Our guide to the best comedy live-streams
Feature: The best stand up comedy to watch at home
For more laughs, explore our Comedy Guide.
Words by Becci Wood and Thomas Cummins
