Dragging your mates over to West London for a night out?
You must be having a laugh.
After all, that’s where you’ll find the brightest stars of London’s comedy circuit this summer, when they descend on Shepherd’s Bush for the inaugural Bush Comedy Festival.
It’s a four-day extravaganza that’s very much in the vein of ARGComFest, with the added bonus – for West Londoners, at least – that it’s not taking place all the way on the other side of town. The entire programme will be staged at local cultural hotspots including the brilliant Bush Theatre, vinyl café Next Door Records, and the grande dame of W12, Bush Hall.
While it may only be the festival’s first year, the show runners are old hands, having previously put together stellar line-ups for the Roundhouse Comedy Festival. So they’ve raided their contacts books and scored quite a coup for the Bush Comedy Fest too, with solo shows and work-in-progress sets (featuring never-before-seen material) from big names like Simon Amstell, Sara Pascoe, Michael Odewale, Sophie Duker, and Nudge Stand-Up Sounds favourite Kemah Bob.
Aside from these hour-long shows there’s a veritable buffet of mixed-bill offerings dotted about, including an all-star opening night gala (headlined by award-winning Netflix star Catherine Cohen), an evening with ‘anarchic sketch trio’ Tarot, and a PG Saturday afternoon slot for the critically acclaimed Comedy Club 4 Kids.
Best of all, tickets for each show come in under 20 quid, leaving you with just enough change (at time of writing) to get yourself a pint – or a nightcap at Kricket or Chet’s.
Because after all that stand-up, you’ll likely want a good sit-down.
NOTE: The Bush Comedy Festival runs from 17th-20th July at venues across Shepherd’s Bush. You can see what’s on, and book tickets, HERE.
Will travel for comedy? Take a look at the best comedy shows on in London this month