Glasgow Comedy Festival share stacked 2023 lineup

Get ready to laugh, folks. Glasgow International Comedy Festival is back with an overflowing lineup of standup, sketch, drag, music, improv and family-friendly shows to satisfy every funnybone. The festival kicks off with Frankie Boyle’s Lap of Shame at King’s Theatre on 15 March and comes to a close 19 days later with the festival’s new Sir Billy Connolly Spirit of Glasgow Award (King's Theatre, 2 Apr), given to the act that most displays quintessential Glasgow traits like “seeming like your best pal while giving you a slagging” and being “as warm as they are tough”.

Krista MacDonald, the festival’s new director, says: “Seeing the range of talent that 2023’s festival has to offer fills me with pride and cements in my mind that Glasgow really is the funniest city in the world.

“There is no audience like a Glasgow audience, and whether you are from Glasgow or beyond, you will not want to miss out on being a part of it. There is something for everyone’s tastes.” 

MacDonald is not wrong. Below we pick out some of the highlights from the Glasgow Comedy Festival 2023 programme.  

The big names (aka the comedians off-the-telly)

This year’s programme has an enviable lineup of well-known comedians who’ve been honing their craft for years. Pick of the crop is surely Stewart Lee, who brings his Basic Lee show to King’s Theatre (16-17 Mar). Other big hitters include Andrew Maxwell (Òran Mór, 25 Mar), Fern Brady (King’s Theatre, 26 Mar), Phil Wang (King’s Theatre, 2 Apr), Tim Key (Òran Mór, 24 Mar; Tramway 25 Mar), Zoe Lyons (Òran Mór, 15 Mar) and Kiri Pritchard-McLean, who brings her work in progress show to The Old Hairdresser's (17 Mar). 

The rising stars

As well as those familiar faces, the Glasgow International Comedy Festival is also a great showcase for new acts and rising stars, and features some of our favourite comedy oddballs. Falling into the latter camp is double Edinburgh comedy award-winner John Kearns. The cult favourite brings his teeth-rattling new show The Vanishing Days to The Stand (23 Mar). Edinburgh Fringe regular Kieran Hodgson has a work-in-progress show that should surely appeal to a Glasgow audience. Titled Made in Scotland, it’s all about his experience of moving North of the Border (The Old Hairdresser’s, 19 Mar).

MC Hammersmith. Photo: David Wilkinson

Love physical comedy? Then you’ll have a righteous time with Norway’s finest comic export, Viggo Venn, who brings his hit Fringe show Club Comedian to Glasgow (Blackfriars, 7pm). How about comedy rap? The improvised hip-hop of MC Hammersmith, who looks like the love child of Harry Potter and Louis Theroux, will have you in stitches while also being stunned by his legitimately great freestyle rapping (The Stand, 27 Mar).

The Fringe hits and works-in-progress

We’re also looking forward to the work-in-progress shows from up-and-comers like David McIver (The Gilchrist Postgraduate Club, 16 Mar) and Cerys Bradley (Van Winkle West End, 24 Mar). Ania Magliano’s debut hour, Absolutely No Worries If Not, was one of our favourite Fringe shows of last year; she brings it to The Old Hairdresser’s (18 Mar). We hear nothing but great things about Marjolein Robertson’s Fringe show Thank God Fish Don't Have Hands, which the Shetland comic will perform at The Stand (22 Mar).

Ania Magliano. Photo: Matt Stronge

If sketch comedy is more your thing, then we heartily recommend the anarchic trio Tarot, who follow their four-star Fringe show Cautionary Tales with a work-in-progress show at The Old Hairdresser's (17 Mar). TikTok star Paul Black was another Fringe hit. He’s playing his hometown with new show Nostalgia (King’s Theatre, 31 Mar-1 Apr). And if you’re into chaotic group shows, look no further than Watch Bad Movies with Great Comedians (Drygate, 23 Mar) or Zach Zucker’s always riotous (and sometimes risque) variety show Stamptown (Òran Mór, 1 Apr).

The above are just a handful of acts that caught our eye. Dig into the full programme at glasgowcomedyfestival.com

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Glasgow International Comedy Festival, 15 Mar-2 Apr