Comedy
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Up-and-coming comedians to watch out for in 2024
From Josh Pugh to Laura Smyth – we predict the year's biggest comedic breakout stars
The search for new comedy isn’t always easy. The big names with their own TV specials can often feel a little oversaturated, while not everyone has the time or budget to flock to Edinburgh every summer to find the next big thing.
That’s where we come in. We’ve pulled together a few of the names we think are about to hit the big time. See them at a theatre near you before they hit the big time.
Paddy Young
You just know a tour is going to be good (and painfully relatable) when it’s called Hungry. Horny. Scared. This show from Scarborough’s Paddy Young dates back to 2022 in an earlier form but made its Edinburgh debut in 2023 and earnt him a nomination for Best Newcomer. His social media bits with friend (and another one-to-watch) Ed Night are creative and bizarre, and on his own Young is dry enough to be delightfully unpredictable without becoming too much of his ‘thing’. As you’d probably guess from the tour name, parental guidance is recommended.
Find tickets to see Paddy Young
Emmanuel Sonubi
If you’re from London and think Emmanuel Sonubi looks familiar, then perhaps he helped fix your computer. Or maybe he took one look at you and refused you entry to your favourite club. The multifarious jobs that the comedian has taken on on his journey to the spotlight informs his latest tour, Curriculum Vitae. Gags about keeping up with slang and bulk-buying lube aside, the subject enhances his own excitement about becoming an international touring comedian in demand.
Find tickets to see Emmanuel Sonubi
Urooj Ashfaq
After winning Best Newcomer at 2023’s Edinburgh Comedy Awards, one of India’s biggest comedic stars Urooj Ashfaq is about to cause a stir on British soil. Warm, relatable and unflinchingly self-deprecating, Ashfaq navigates the Gen Z troubles of therapy, divorced parents and commitment-phobic men with an endearing heart.
Josh Pugh
Josh Pugh’s to-camera bits during lockdown were a tonic to many, and were instrumental in the career he has been building since the world re-opened. His idiosyncratic delivery feels like a friend chewing the fat at the pub, as do his subjects that cover parenthood (and its effects on marriage), holidaying with your parents and working in a Post Office warehouse with impaired vision.
Laura Smyth
In 2019, Laura Smyth – then a secondary school teacher – booked herself a comedy course. The timing wasn’t great to kick off a career in comedy, nor was a crushing diagnosis of stage three breast cancer. Four years on, and the London comedian is thriving, having performed at Live At The Apollo and appearing on Frankie Boyle’s New World Order. Her latest tour, Living My Best Life, charts this short but tumultuous rise, and with most shows in the first half of the year already sold out, you better get in line to hear her story.
Aurie Styla
Aurie Styla has been on the comedy circuit for a decade or so, but in the last few years his talents as a presenter and stand-up have been getting the attention he deserves. His material often springboards from his Caribbean heritage, focussing on figures such as his unwavering Jamaican grandmother, while exploring his own identity in a loud and expressive style.
