The festival’s second section (18–20 Jul) will feature the likes of Rich Hall, Al Murray and Abandoman.

Discover more about the Ealing Comedy Festival billing, plus how to purchase tickets for the event, here.

Brand new comedy vehicle ‘Strap In – It’s Clever Peter’ airs for the first time on Radio 4 this Wednesday, broadcasting in the very same experimental late-night niche once occupied by ‘The Mighty Boosh’.

A Python-esque sketch collage written by and co-starring ‘Cabin Pressure’ players Richard Bond, Edward Eales-White, William Hartley and Dominic Stone, the show will give voice to “a pygmy hippo, some house eyes and The Pope”. I suppose we’ll have to wait and see – or rather, hear – just what “house eyes” are supposed to be.

Full details of first episode ‘Nigel’, which plays on 16 May between 11.15-11.30 pm, here.

Well, this sounds hilarious. Two of TV comedy’s most illustrious writing types – ‘Father Ted’ scribe Graham Linehan and ‘The Thick Of It’ creator Armando Iannucci – are to guest on Richard Herring’s semi-regular podcast.

Sure to lend a certain extra panache to proceedings, both will feature on the 25 Jun edition of Herring’s regular audio series, which will be taped in front of a live audience at the Leicester Square Theatre.

Since such a strong triple-bill all but sells itself, the only thing left to do is to supply this link for tickets to the live recording. That, or this link to Herring’s official site, where you can listen to and download his past podcasts.

When he’s not busy perfecting his Cheryl Cole impersonation, erstwhile comedy panellist Rufus Hound will be appearing in the upcoming ‘Utopia’, which is being produced in partnership by the Newcastle Live Theatre and Soho Theatre.

Working to a script created by a collective that includes Dylan Moran and Scottish playwright Anthony Neilson, the show’s cast – which also includes Sophia Myles of ‘Spooks’ fame – will portray “six characters in a world of blueprints in search of Utopia”.

Adds the show’s cryptic blurb: “From spaceships and retirement homes, to political rallies and facebook, no stone has been left unturned in our collaborative quest for paradise”.

Following its Newcastle premiere on 31 May, ‘Utopia’ will then visit the Soho Theatre from 2 Jun to 14 Jul. More info here.

Tim Minchin is to take the part of Judas Iscariot in the revival of ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ that will star the eventual winner of Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s televised talent search, ‘Superstar’.

It might seem a contentious choice for Minchin, self-confessed atheist and in-demand writer of the wildly popular ‘Matilda’ musical, to commit to an association with such a controversial franchise as Webber’s latest money-spinning ITV venture; but it seems the musi-comic just loves to sing the ‘Superstar’ score, so it’s possibly not an opportunity he felt he could turn down.

Minchin selected Judas’s solo ‘Heaven On Their Minds’ during a recent appearance on Radio 4′s ‘Desert Island Discs’. Speaking to presenter Kirsty Young, he explained: “I reckon I sang this song standing in my parents’ living room, to the vinyl original recording, about 500 times, and subsequently got to understudy the role of Judas in two separate Perth productions of ‘JC Superstar’ but I never played the role and I keep thinking one day I’m going to play Judas. I just love it because it is just pain and rock”.

The production, which will also feature ex Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger as Mary Magdalene, opens at the O2 this Summer.

Call them ‘intimate’, ‘low key’, or whatever you like, but a cluster of newly announced ‘work-in-progress’ shows featuring big-time comedians Mark Watson and Harry Hill are set to be very small in capacity, and thus very swift to sell out.

Both appearing at the 100 Club on 3 Jul (and with a further cameo by Harry the following night), Watson and Hill are set to test the stand-up waters with brand new comic fodder, which may or may not feature in their TV franchises and/or live routines.

So, if you’d like to be the one to witness future comedy classics right now (well, in early July), I’d recommend racing to secure tickets at www.the100club.co.uk

The idea of seeing Richard Herring – not customarily a cabaret star – amidst the “shocking, hysterical and downright weird” goings on of the infamous Friday Night Freakshow might seem more bizarre than the theme of the night itself, though we guess his more explicit patter will be perfectly in keeping with FNF’s over 18s-only policy.

Topping the comedy contingent of this dark and dangerous cabaret line-up, Herring will appear alongside juggler Mat Ricardo, confrontational ‘car crash’ comic Nick Helm, Canadian stand-up Pete Johansson and the evening’s S&M MC, Miss Behave.

Friday Night Freakshow is staged on 11 May as part of the Udderbelly festivities – as take place at the Southbank Centre until 8 Jul – and you can book for it here.

This is all very hush hush, but ITV’s own king of surreal televisual satire, aka Mr Harry Hill, has booked four very exclusive and low-key evening slots via the Monkey Business Comedy Club (a regular haunt of Hill’s)  in Camden.

The first of these takes place on 30 May, with three consecutive shows from 13-15 Jun also in the works.

But be aware, Monkey Business divides its regular nights between The Oxford pub in Kentish Town and The Sir Richard Steele in Chalk Farm, so make sure to check listings for Harry’s precise whereabouts on each date. But I’d do it quickly, if I were you.

Michael Palin, Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones  are to appear as special guests at the introduction of a brand new Python app.

The comedy collective’s first ever foray into the world of apps, ‘Monty Python’s Flying Circus Bytes’ features multiple classic sketches and an ‘autograph’ device, which permits Python fans to have their app-using gadgets signed in digital font. A book signing for the digital age, if you will.

The meet and greet takes place at Apple’s Regent Street Store on 3 May from 6pm onwards, and will include discussion and app-based commentary by Michael and the two Terries.

And for extra reading material, why not view techno wunderkind Terry Gilliam’s discussion of “apps, ipads and interactivity” on The Guardian’s apps blog.

Celebrating its fourth year in residence at the Old Royal Naval College from 12-20 Jul, the Greenwich Comedy Festival will present eight evenings’ worth of stand-up, improv and character-based capers from some of the UK’s shiniest comic luminaries.

And what a roster it is: Arthur Smith MCs a bill divided between Richard Herring and Steven K Amos; Sean Lock acts as chair to young(ish) guns Danny Bhoy and Tony Law; Rich Hall hosts a hoedown, aka a “footstomping music-comedy mash-up”, at the festival’s close.

Further guest stars include Rufus Hound, Mark Watson, Issy Suttie, Sean Hughes, Reginald D Hunter and Shappi Khorsandi, who are also set to take over the Big or Little Top stages for their own solo or shared stints.

Info at www.greenwichcomedyfestival.co.uk

So, the London 2012 Festival is the umbrella term for an awful lot of capital-based cultural happenings (literally, there are millions) taking place between 21 Jun and 9 Sep in honour of the Olympics. This we know. What we also now know is the full extent of the festival programme’s multi-arts magnitude, organisers having just unveiled a vast list of its complete 12,000 features.

While there are simply too many goings-on to mention individually, standouts include ‘Playing The Games’, a Stephen Fry-curated fortnight of fun and drama at London’s Criterion Theatre; and ‘Tales Of The Riverbank’, a canal boat – crewed by comedians – that’ll sprout pop-up performances on its watery way from London to Edinburgh.

The (rather contentious) Mr Jeremy Hunt, who spoke briefly at the festival’s official launch, sums up the range on offer: “From Beethoven to Jay-Z; from Shakespeare to Mike Leigh; from Stephen Fry to Wallace and Gromit”, he says, adding that he was “delighted” by the level of public and media interest in London 2012.

Of course, the Olympics being a sports phenomenon for the entire nation (and world, and universe) to embrace, there are lots of similarly great spectacles striking sites across the UK, not least Tim Minchin performing a special gig at Cornwall’s Eden Project, or choreographer Michael Clark’s large-scale interractive dance at the Barrowlands in Glasgow.

Read more on those, as well as all the London-based stuff, at festival.london2012.com

A quip-tastic comedy line-up comprising Dylan Moran, Alan Davies, Milton Jones and radio DJ Greg Burns has just been confirmed for the opening gala of the Scipmylo Festival, an east London comedy/theatre/music/arts extravaganza taking place from 27 Jul – 12 Aug.

Scipmylo’s second ever edition will this year happen at Hackney Marshes, thus boasting a strong vantage point from which to view the Stratford Olympic park. Ever the good sport, star stand-up Alan Davies discusses his preparations for the gala: “I’m up at 4am every today being funny in training for this show. The drug-testing is intrusive but it’s part of the life of a top athlete”.

The full 2012 programme is as yet unannounced, but to give you an idea of the calibre of the acts, the main attractions of last year’s event included Ed Byrne, Stephen K Amos, Andrew Maxwell and Tom Allen.

It’s reasonable to anticipate similar great things from Scipmylo 2012, so watch this space for updates.

Pianist and stand-up (or should that be ‘sit-down’?) comi-cabaret character Tim Minchin will grace Somerset House’s grand courtyard stage this year as top-billed headliner of its Summer Series of live music. Katy B, The Temper Trap, M83, Paloma Faith, The Enemy, Tindersticks and Jill Scott will also take charge of their own individual dates, with Ms Scott playing for two nights on 9 and 10 Jul.

The events will also include a one-off Afrobeat spectacular on 14 Jul, featuring Fela Kuti disciples Olu Maintain, Cappo Snoop and Atumpan.

A number of supporting acts are still to be announced, but you can find the full listings as they look so far here.

The inaugural Balham International Comedy Festival will host headliner Harry Hill alongside a rich spread of world-renowned comics. It’s a rare chance to see famous TV types grace the ‘intimate’ stages of Balham venue The Bedford, with Marcus Brigstocke, Al Murray, Ed Byrne, Ardal O’ Hanlon and Stephen K Amos also standouts on a big-name bill.

Festival organisers Banana Cabaret will also present the best of their regular comedy night’s resident acts, also known as John Moloney, Paul Tonkinson, Lucy Porter and Adam Bloom, while exclusive Edinburgh previews will come direct from future Fringe fixtures Diane Spencer, Alistair Barrie and Paul Chowdhry.

With all this happening at The Bedford between 5-8 Jul, you can (and should) consult the festival’s official website for details and ticketing info.

Invisible Dot have invited award winning comic turns Jonny Sweet and Adam Riches to usher in their national ‘New Wave’ tour.

With Sweet and Riches sharing headline duties across the board, the production co (whose credits to date include routine collaborations with Tim Key, Mark Watson and Simon Amstell) have also confirmed character comedian Nick Mohammed, sister-sister sketch duo Toby and fast-climbing Fringe fave Tom Basden.

This lot will accompany Riches and Sweet in varying combinations as the outing takes in fifteen nationwide dates, climaxing with an appearance by the entire touring line-up at London’s Bloomsbury Theatre on 14 May.

Tickets for all dates available here.

The Telegraph have compiled a comprehensive compilation of what are – in Telegraph editor John O’ Ceallaigh’s opinion, at least - the 100 best things to do in London in this Olympic year.

Somewhat of an LDN ‘bucket list’ for natives and tourists alike, the four-part guide spans the obvious (museum visits, cathedral climbs, market rummages) and the oft-overlooked (little-known concerts, workshops, tours and even the odd secret rooftop garden), coming complete with useful links and recommendations.

All in all it’s a worthy way to spend an idle afternoon, plotting busier afternoons yet to come. Read Part 1, which features links to the latter sections, here.

It can’t hurt much to add an extra appointment to your Summer festival diary, and this year’s Crystal Palace Garden Party looks to be an appropriate option for all those seeking a weekend of classic “rock and pomp” for all the family.

Aptly enough, considering the Crystal Palace Park Bowl’s heritage as a 1970s stadium venue, a seasoned selection of artists so far comprising Rick Wakeman, Hawkwind, The Strawbs and Focus will appear on the festival’s first day. Sunday’s bill, meanwhile, will see an open-air recital by the London Gala Symphony Orchestra and opera soloist Juliette Poch.

Organisers will also lay on a funfair, an as-yet unspecified array of comedy and theatre, plus lots more when the festival takes place at Crystal Palace Park Bowl on 23-24 Jun.

See its official website for tickets and further info.

Just a quick reminder that Richard Herring will be polishing off the most amorous of his twenty Edinburgh Fringe sets yet, the much-lauded ‘What Is Love Anyway?’, during two consecutive nights at London’s Bloomsbury Theatre.

Both shows, the penultimate of which takes place this coming Friday (30 Mar), will no doubt find Herring in fine philosophical form as he breaks down that most strange and mysterious of ‘four letter words’ into a sequence of anecdotes, confessions, poetry readings and, naturally, the odd ‘adults-only’ joke (or five).

Astonishingly given its glowing reviews and reception, tickets for both dates (which are to be filmed for a forthcoming live DVD) are still available here.

Decided from over 13,000 votes, cast by the public on shortlists created by critics, the 2012 Chortle Awards have been handed out to the great, good, and giggle-worthy of the UK comedy scene.

Surrealist poet Tim Key beat competition from Adam Riches, Doug Stanhope and Sam Simmons to win the ‘Best Show’ category, while Charlie Brooker won the ‘TV Award’ for his sterling work on ‘Black Mirror’ and that ‘The 10 O’Clock Show’. While Stewart Lee failed to nab that very award, he won the evening’s ‘Best Stand-Up DVD’ accolade for the second run of his ‘Comedy Vehicle’. And let’s face it, lucrative comedy DVDs are what really matters.

Dylan Moran, Richard Herring, and up-and-comer Susan Calman were also amongst the night’s victors, the full list of which can be mulled and marvelled over here. To see photo slideshow of ceremony highlights, which include standout hand-out moments featuring guest presenters Louie Spence and Denise Welch (?????) click here.

And now for a comment from Chortle editor Steve Bennet: “We had an eclectic range of winners tonight, from old hands known for their grumpiness, to the smart comedy of Tim Key or the science-based radio show Infinite Monkey Cage, to those such as The Rubberbandits, Tony Law and newcomer Patrick Cahill who revel in the absurd. I think that’s a good reflection of the great diversity on the British comedy scene, which is by far the most vibrant in the world”.

Rag-tag sketch collective Pappy’s present the new edition of their bi-monthly ‘Flatshare Slamdown’ podcast at The Phoenix on Cavendish Square this Sunday. The show’s scenario, set in the fictional flatshare of the troupe’s Ben Clark and Tom Parry, sees the tenants and residing landlord Matthew Crosby battle to avoid household chores, enlisting special house guests (this week’s are Tom Allen and Roisin Conaty) in a number of games and domestic squabbles.

Tickets to attend the live recording of the next episode, which begins on Sunday (25 Mar) at 4pm, are available here.

And sample the ‘Slamdown’ antics here: