Leicester Comedy Festival 2023
9 February – 26 February 2023
Leicester Comedy Festival is back for its 30th year bringing you the most celebrated comedy in Britain. This year we are taking part by hosting 23 must-see performances, with all the basis covered from hilarious shows, family entertainment and important discussions of the comedy sector today.
Explore below to see all our our shows or click the buttons to be taken to specific sections. Book your place before they sell out soon!
Comedy Events
Thursday 9 February
7pm – 9:30pm
Pay What You Can
7pm – 9:30pm
Pay What You Can
In their sixteenth glorious year, Comedy Asylum presents sketches, songs and stand-up from a team of comedians, writers and mental service users in this thoroughly inclusive and entertaining night.
Friday 10 February
6pm – 6:30pm
Free
6pm – 6:30pm
Free
Comedians are your guides as they take you on a fun tour around the centre, showing all the nooks and crannys you never noticed before in this hilarious – and free – tour.
Friday 10 February
7pm – 7:50pm
£7/£5
7pm – 7:50pm
£7/£5
It’s Duff’s first show post baby and Oh Mama is she itching to blow off some steam. Strap in for some seriously moving mayhem.
Saturday 11 February
2:30pm – 3:30pm
£10/£8/£30 for Family of four
2:30pm – 3:30pm
£10/£8/£30 for Family of four
A brand new, never before seen, entirely improvised episode of Doctor Who with a live radiophonic workshop, wacky props and a collection of hilarious improv comedy performers.
Saturday 11 February
7pm – 8pm
£10/£8
7pm – 8pm
£10/£8
A comedy horror play where the fate of the audience is in the fabulously manicured hands of two hapless drag queens.
Sunday 12 February
1pm – 2pm
£2.50
1pm – 2pm
£2.50
Clowntographer is a documentary that follows comedian and photographer, Steve Best, as he interviews and photographs comedians and more to find out what makes a great comedy photograph.
Sunday 12 February
5:30pm – 6:30pm
£2.50
5:30pm – 6:30pm
£2.50
A documentary about the iconic comedy venue Downstairs at The Kings Head, the oldest comedy club in Britain.
Friday 24 February
7pm – 8pm
£8/£6
7pm – 8pm
£8/£6
The starry-eyed Charlotte potato is rooting to become a national treasure but how does a couch potato become a golden wonder?
Family Shows
Wednesday 22 & Thursday 23 February
11am – 12pm & 1pm – 2pm
£6/£5/£15 for family of 4
11am – 12pm & 1pm – 2pm
£6/£5/£15 for family of 4
Three companions of Baron Munchausen, the greatest adventurer the world has ever seen, tell tales of their exploits in an attempt to discover who actually the Baron in disguise is.
Wednesday 22 February
1pm – 2pm
£5/£15 for family of 4
1pm – 2pm
£5/£15 for family of 4
Join in with the fabulous Shirley and her interactive show experience for all the family, featuring her favourite new and retro songs.
Wednesday 22 February
3:30pm – 4:30pm
£5/£15 for family of 4
3:30pm – 4:30pm
£5/£15 for family of 4
With a group of local comedians, children get the chance to put their parents or older siblings on trial and decide a suitable penalty for their misdemeanours, with you helping to decide.
Thursday 23 February
3pm – 3:45pm
£5/£20 for family of 4
3pm – 3:45pm
£5/£20 for family of 4
Do you have stupid, silly, weird dreams that don’t make sense? Then come and join Mr Sleepy Bum in a sleep adventure as he re-enacts some of his favourite dreams.
Friday 24 February
11am – 11:55am
£5/£20 for family of 4
BSL Interpreted
11am – 11:55am
£5/£20 for family of 4
BSL Interpreted
A hilarious gameshow where each game represents a different disability, giving kids and grown-ups the chance to learn about Autism and Cerebral Palsy, among others.
Saturday 25 February
11am – 3pm
Free
11am – 3pm
Free
Come for a fun filled day with a range of activities for all the family, during our new exhibition, Mohammad Barrangi ‘Playing in Wonderland’.
Beyond A Joke
Saturday 11 February
2pm – 3pm
Free
2pm – 3pm
Free
Does the sector need a membership body to help advocate for, and support, those working in live comedy? Join a panel who will discuss what the future might look like.
Saturday 11 February
4pm – 5pm
Free
4pm – 5pm
Free
Join Kate Copstick, Sian Davies and our panel for a chat about what the problems are with Edinburgh Fringe and how we might work together to fix them.
Sunday 12 February
2pm – 3pm
Free
2pm – 3pm
Free
The Beyond A Joke Series has become a key part of the overall programme but who really cares about these discussions? Join the panel for this lively discussion.
Sunday 12 February
4pm – 5pm
Free
4pm – 5pm
Free
An exclusive opportunity to learn more about the films and work created by Joe Bor, an award winning film maker who has developed a niche in creating films about comedy.
Saturday 18 February
11am – 12pm
Free
11am – 12pm
Free
Have you ever wondered how comedy affects a comedian’s mental health? Join us for an open, honest & insightful discussion around mental health behind the comedy curtain.
Saturday 18 February
2pm – 3pm
Free
2pm – 3pm
Free
Join Simon Fanshawe OBE and Sophie Scott CBE, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at UCL & regular on Radio 4’s The Infinite Monkey Cage, as they discuss the point of laughter.
Saturday 18 February
4pm – 5pm
Free
4pm – 5pm
Free
Join comedians Kiri Pritchard-McLean and Nina Gilligan as they chat about Get Off! Live Comedy, an independent organisation with the aim of eradicating Sexual Harassment within Live Comedy.
Sunday 26 February
2pm – 3pm
Free
2pm – 3pm
Free
Comedy Clubs, pubs and theatres work great for comedy, but as soon as you change the setting peoples’ perceptions change. This panel explores why certain places give you permission to laugh and others do not.
Furthering Access
We use AccessAble to easily showcase further information about our venue for everyone. By clicking here you can see pictures of the centre, inside and outside, access in-depth information about our site, and learn about our stair and door widths as needed. We want to be as open and honest as possible to allow everyone access to our building.