Comedy Giants come to Derby Arena in 2018

Five comedians at Arena

Mon 5 Mar 2018

Derby LIVE is bringing audiences five giants of British comedy to Derby Arena this year, with John Bishop, Ed Byrne, Russell Brand, Sarah Millican and Jason Manford all making Derby a stop on their tours.

Comedy superstar John Bishop will be kicking off  the year of comedy with two nights of his brand new show Winging It on Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 March. His last tour Supersonic was watched by more than 500,000 people and received huge critical acclaim.  Rollercoaster in 2012 was another sell out, and followed the successes of his Sunshine tour in 2011 and the Elvis Has Left the Building show in 2010, for which he was nominated for an Edinburgh Comedy Award. This latest show, his fifth UK tour, promises to be the biggest, best and funniest one yet! 

Next up Derby Arena will be hosting award-winning comedian and writer Ed Byrne on Friday 20 April. In his latest show, Spoiler Alert, Ed Byrne asks the question ‘Are we all spoiled?’ and audiences can watch Byrne take the question, turn it upside down and shake until the funny falls out. His live work has built up legions of fans and he remains the observational stand-up to see and is not to be missed. 

On Wednesday 9 May Derby can see successful broadcaster, actor, author, columnist and comedian Russell Brand in his latest show Re:Birth. Brand explores the questions brought about by parenthood, unravelling the matrix of modern media, politics, sex, fatherhood and death. Audiences can join one of comedy’s fiercest talents as he tries to make sense of life having just made a new one. 

On Sunday 1 July Sarah Millican will perform in front of a sold-out crowd at Derby Arena. Her fifth tour, Control Enthusiast, will mark ten years since Sarah established herself as one of the leading lights of the British Comedy scene by winning the Best Newcomer Award at the 2008 Edinburgh Fringe. In the subsequent years, Sarah has gone on to host three series of her critically acclaimed BBC2 series The Sarah Millican Television Programme, for which she received two BAFTA nominations and has become a familiar face on primetime shows such as QI, Live at the Apollo and The Royal Variety Performance.

Jason Manford will be bringing his new show Muddle Class to Derby Arena on Saturday 24 November at 8pm, following a busy few years for the comedian. This new tour promises to features a wealth of material about growing up ‘working class’, the finding, over the years, that part of him has become ‘middle class’. Delivered with Jason’s amiable charm and captivating with, this is not a show to miss.