Best stand-up comedy in London: The funniest shows to see this October

Well, the cold and darker months approach and the temptation increases to curl up on the sofa and watch six hours straight of comedy specials on Netflix.

But while Hannah Gadsby’s Nanette and James Acaster's Repertoire back-to-back may be more than worth the viewing time, it’s always good to be a bum on a seat in one of London’s many fine institutions.

October has sketch, stand-up, surreal and surprising to offer and with every single one of these shows you’re guaranteed a good time, so have a read and get yourself organised.

Whoopi Goldberg

Yes, you read that right. Grammy, Emmy and Golden Globe winner Whoopi Goldberg herself is doing two shows at the Eventim Apollo. Expect her observations about current events and pretty much all the things on her mind – hey, it’s Whoopi, she can do what she wants. The show is followed by a Q&A with the audience, and she’s joined by Gina Yashere.

October 14, Eventim Apollo, W6, eventimapollo.com

The Mae Martin Experiment

Given the response to her first run of improvised shows in August, it’s no surprise Mae Martin is back at the Soho Theatre. Though this time she’s been upgraded from the cabaret room to the main theatre, so it seems like this experiment is yielding promising results. The audience writes down questions before the show starts and she picks them out of a bucket and improvises stand up based on the questions. It can go to some pretty weird places. Just how we like it.

October 25, Soho Theatre, W1, sohotheatre.com

Kwame Asante: Championship Football and Anime

Nominated for best newcomer at Edinburgh Fringe last year, Kwame Asante brings the best bits of his comedy career in a pick-n-mix of the finest jokes from the start in 2010 to this year’s show Teenage Heartblob. As it’s at the Bill Murray (a favourite), it’s the usual £5 to reserve a seat or pay what you want at the venue.

October 10, the Bill Murray, N1, angelcomedy.co.uk

Jen Brister: Meaningless

It’s shocking really that it’s taken this long for the world to cotton on to Jen. But thank the comedy gods it’s finally happened.It’s all down to her magnificent show Meaningless, which bowled over critics and audiences alike at the Fringe this year and is now touring. She tackles parenting, politics and periods with sharp incredulity at society’s sexist double standards.

October 5-6, Soho Theatre, W1, sohotheatre.com

Nick Helm: I Think, You Stink

Ten years ago, Nick Helm penned his 45 minute horror musical B-movie tribute.. Now, back by popular demand – or at least, some demand – I Think, You Stink is resurrected for three days at the Pleasance. You’ll know Helm from his BBC comedy Uncle, but you’ll see a different side of him here.

October 25-27, Pleasance Islington, N1, pleasance.co.uk

Desiree Burch

Many fans were sad to learn that Desiree Burch had to pull out of Edinburgh Fringe this year, especially after the success of last year’s show Unf***able. But she’s back on the circuit and performing in a load of the 99 Club nights in Leicester Square and Covent Garden so you can get your fix a few times over. On couple of magical sets (October 12-13) you can even see her and Jen Brister on the same bill. Is this a dream?

October 5, 6, 12, 13, 26 and 27, 99clubcomedy.com/shows

Bush Hall Presents...Rob Delaney

Stand-up and star of hit sitcom Catastrophe, Rob Delaney headlines this month’s show at Bush Hall. He’s famed as well for his Twitter feed, but should be better known for his stomach-aching, wheeze-inducing real life jokes. The line-up is completed by the fabulous Rose Matafeo, Fin Taylor and Glenn Moore.

October 19, Bush Hall, W12, showandtelluk.com

Cardinal Burns Presents

Seb Cardinal and Dustin Demri-Burns are legends in the wide world of sketch comedy. They’re BAFTA nominated and British Comedy Award winning (for their Channel 4 show), going onto launch a sketch night at Hackney haunt Moth Club. Now they’re back and bring Jamie Demetriou along for the ride. The pretty weird and ridiculously funny Demetriou, a comic actor on the rise (perhaps you caught him in Fleabag), has just aired his E4 comedy series Stath Lets Flats about an incompetent estate agent.

October 16, Moth Club, mothclub.co.uk

RHLSTP with Michael Sheen and Rose Matafeo

After a summer break, Richard Herring’s Leicester Square Theatre Podcast is back recording again, with the best comic guests of all kinds. This month he’s got some real smashers, with none other than Michael Sheen and Rose Matafeo on the October 22 show. He’ll be asking the actor and this year’s Edinburgh Comedy Award winner respectively life’s really important questions: Would you rather have a hand made out of ham or an armpit that dispenses sun cream?

October 22, Leicester Square Theatre, WC2, leicestersquaretheatre.ticketsolve.com

Laugh Out London Tooting

We just love an offbeat variety show – and Laugh Out London know what they’re doing. Catherine Bohart, fresh from her debut Fringe hour, MCs this lineup, which includes Lou Sanders, Sean Morley, Adam Hess and Phil Wang.

October 23, The Antelope, SW17, laughoutlondoncomedyclub.co.uk