The best comedy shows in London

Duchess Theatre · 2hr (incl. 1 interval) · from £20

An amateur drama society stages a murder mystery and everything that can go wrong does: lines are dropped, the set falls apart and a body comes back to life. It is a farce built so precisely that the chaos looks accidental, and the easiest laugh in London for almost any group.

Trafalgar Theatre · 1hr 20min (no interval) · from £25

Cole Escola’s Olivier-winning comedy about Mary Todd Lincoln as a foul-tempered, hard-drinking First Lady who wants only to be a cabaret star. It is outrageous and ridiculous, and aimed squarely at adults who like their history rewritten.

Worth knowing. An adult comedy about a hard-drinking, unhappily married First Lady. There is no interval.

Wyndham's Theatre · Until 12 Dec · 2hr 20min (incl. 1 interval) · from £20

Noël Coward’s comedy of bad manners: a retired actress invites a young fan for the weekend, and every other member of the family has secretly invited a guest of their own. It is dry rather than slapstick, with a cast led by Christine Baranski and Richard E. Grant, and suits anyone who likes to be amused by a well-timed line.

Worth knowing. A play with no songs and no gimmicks; the pleasure is in the dialogue.

Hampstead Theatre · 25 Nov – 23 Jan · from £25

Tom Stoppard’s comedy about murder, marriage and metaphysics, in which a moral philosopher tries to write a paper while a body turns up after his wife’s noisy party. It is a comedy for people who like to think and laugh in the same sentence, and the first London staging in over twenty years.

Worth knowing. Recommended for 14 and over. The theatre’s content notes mention nudity, sexual references, animal death and loud noises.

Alexandra Palace Theatre · 24 Nov – 17 Jan · 2hr 30min (incl. 1 interval) · from £20

A festive comic murder mystery in Victorian London, where performers keep dropping dead mid-scene and Holmes has to connect it to the Twelve Days of Christmas. It is a conventional stage play rather than an immersive one.

Worth knowing. Recommended for 10 and over. It contains moderate language, innuendo and gunshot sound effects.

Donmar Warehouse · 5 Dec – 6 Feb · from £15

Memphis, 1977: a small-time crook assembles a team of misfits to steal Elvis Presley’s corpse and hold it for a million dollars. Billed as a Southern-fried dark comedy about grief, redemption and spectacularly bad decisions, and Charlie Cox leads the cast.

Worth knowing. A dark comedy and a world premiere; the humour is black rather than broad.

Arcola Theatre · 17 Nov – 19 Dec · 60min (no interval) · from £20

Marius von Mayenburg’s black comedy about a man who discovers he is hideous and has his face rebuilt, with consequences nobody wanted. It is a razor-sharp satire on beauty and identity, presented by Broken Nose Theatre at the Arcola, for people who like their comedy cold.

Worth knowing. Satire rather than a belly laugh: black comedy, not a night of big laughs.

Cambridge Theatre · 2hr (incl. 1 interval) · from £20

A whole musical made up on the spot from the audience’s suggestions of setting, genre and style, and the first improvised show to win an Olivier. You never see the same show as anyone else, and you may find yourself shouting out the title.

Worth knowing. It plays only occasionally, at most once a month, so check the dates before you book.

Vaudeville Theatre · 1hr 50min (incl. 1 interval) · from £21.50

An improvised Jane Austen novel, invented in front of you from a title the audience suggests, in period costume with live music. The cast rotates and includes Rachel Parris and Cariad Lloyd, and it is a good fit for anyone who has read the books and does not mind them being sent up.

Worth knowing. Recommended for 14 and over, noting adult themes, language and content. It plays only on Mondays, two or three times a month.

President Hotel · 2hr (no interval) · from £65.50

Basil, Sybil and Manuel serve the audience a three-course meal in a hotel in Bloomsbury, in a show that is about a third scripted and the rest improvised around the guests. It is for fans of the sitcom, and anyone who has ever wanted to be insulted by Basil Fawlty in person.

Worth knowing. You are part of the show, and the cast improvise around you. The company says it is suitable for all ages.

Soho Theatre Walthamstow · Until 28 Oct · 130min (no interval)

A stand-up show from the comedian known for the phrase “Out Out”, and his first time performing at Soho Theatre Walthamstow. A good way to see a big name up close.

Worth knowing. Recommended for 16 and over. A short season.

Duchess Theatre · 9 Nov – 7 Jun · from £26.50

The comedian Matt Forde brings his podcast, The Political Party, to a London theatre, with a different political heavyweight as his guest at each performance. It is topical live comedy and a podcast recording in one, best for people who follow the news.

Worth knowing. The guest changes with each performance, and the jokes are about politics.

The Other Palace · 22 Oct – 3 Jan · 65min (no interval) · from £20

A clown sets out to save books from extinction by performing every Penguin Classic, mostly naked apart from a pair of flippers. It is sold-out Edinburgh Fringe silliness, and the comedy is physical, fast and entirely unashamed.

Worth knowing. A comedy for adults, recommended for 18 and over, and the clown is mostly naked.

Soho Theatre Walthamstow · 19 Oct – 24 Oct · 70min (no interval)

The Perrier Award winner known for Alan Partridge and his Late Night Poetry Programme performs poems, stamps and howls in a brand new show. It is deadpan, odd and not much like conventional stand-up, and it is a very short season.

Worth knowing. A week-long season, so the window is narrow.