Comedy December 2021.qxp_Layout 1 22/11/2021 15:19 Page 1
Comedy
Sukh Ojla The Glee Club, Birmingham, Sun 12 December
With her life experiences including a teenage suicide attempt, a Spanish-retreat encounter with the psychoactive brew ayahuasca, and a train-station breakdown involving a cheese & onion pasty, Sukh Ojla has plenty of fantastic raw material around which to build a show. She also lives at home with her mom & dad, another situation that provides her with plenty of comedy gold: “Living at home with my parents is essentially like living in the most passive-aggressive Air B&B of all time,” says Sukh, “except that you can’t even leave them a bad review!”
Mo Gilligan Utilita Arena, Birmingham, Fri 10 & Sat 18 December London standup Mo Gilligan has enjoyed a meteoric rise to fame and fortune since first coming to wider public attention just a handful of years ago. It was back in December 2016 that Mo uploaded a video about grime MCs - since which time he’s found himself catapulted to celebrity status. Hired by Channel Four to
front The Lateish Show and rewarded for his television work with a coveted Bafta gong, Mo admits that his life has started to feel just a little bit crazy. “I wake up in the morning and think, ‘this is nuts!’” admits the 33-year-old. “It’s what I’d always dreamt about, and now that it’s happened, I’m determined to make the most of it.”
Tom Stade
Jason Byrne
Bilston Town Hall, Thurs 16 December
Birmingham Town Hall, Sat 18 December
Clever, controversial and Canadian pretty much sums up Tom Stade, a familiar face on television programmes including Live At The Apollo and Mock The Week. Having racked up 30 years on the comedy frontline - in the process presenting a brand-new show each and every year since 2011 - Tom visits Bilston this month with You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet, in which he reflects on his new-found sense of freedom now that the kids have left home.
Jumprov Birmingham Hippodrome, Sat 18 December
Fancy trying out something new in the runup to Christmas? If so, an evening in the company of Jumprov might be just the experience you’re looking for. The UK’s first Black and Brown improv group here present a night of live sketch comedy, all of which is completely made up on the spot using suggestions from the audience. Watching Jason Byrne on stage has been likened by one reviewer to watching footballer Lionel Messi: it’s not a matter of 'if' the magic will come, but 'when' and 'how often'. Byrne this month visits the Midlands with brand-new offering Jason’s Audience Precipitation, a ‘laugh out loud, must-see show’ which comes complete with ‘a light drizzle of audience participation’.
20 whatsonlive.co.uk
