This week’s Liverpool comedy picks

Fancy dipping a toe into Liverpool’s comedy highlights? We’ve contracted Liverpool compere and stand-up Che Burnley to give us a selection of what’s on this week across the city - from the headline gigs at the Phil and Empire to local comedy legend Nige, a professional wrestler in the form of the brilliant Mick Foley and the German Comedy Ambassador, Over to Che…

March is my birthday month, and by that I mean that I celebrate the whole month. Luckily for me there are some cracking gigs on throughout and beyond – and even before.

The warm up to the party starts on 29 February – or, as I will now call it, 0 March. The German Comedy Ambassador to the UK, Henning Wehn, makes a state visit to Liverpool and becomes the first comedian to play the newly re-opened Erics on Matthew Sreet with the No Surrender tour.

No doubt some funny bugger will mention bombed-out chippies, but that will just spur him on as Henning won’t back down with his Teutonic jolliness.

He’s unlikely, too, to be afraid to dissect any topic with a ruthless efficiency - he’s German, I’m obliged to mention efficiency - including the city he’s in.

Henning Wehn – The No Surrender Tour
Erics
Wednesday 29 February (0 March)

The Americans join in a day later, with the wrestling legend that is WWE superstar Mick Foley swapping clotheslines and neck-breakers for punchlines and rib-ticklers.

Even if you have no knowledge of wrestling, having had the pleasure to see Foley in Nottingham last year I can say that for a virtual novice in stand-up, he uses a wealth of experience in-the-ring promos to hook the audience into every story – and milks it for every laugh.

Foley has a series of entertaining best-sellers on his wrestling career behind him - not to mention a few WWE heavyweight titles behind him - so the man certainly has form in entertaining people.

He may not be back again for a while so make sure you catch him now at the Liverpool Olympia. If only we could have seen him wrestle a granny next door at the Grafton!

Mick Foley: Nights In Red Flannel World Comedy Tour 2012
Thursday 1 March
Liverpool Olympia

On the same night the criminally underexposed Nige (pictured - top) brings his one-man show – The State of Nige – to the Laughterhouse. Hopefully he’ll be able to tell us what he could bring to the table if he was voted Liverpool’s new mayor.

That’s if the scally ball of energy can slow down for just two seconds in between his songs about the city and anecdotes about his dubious mates - described as ‘other lost souls from his fractured world’.

Head along and marvel - or recoil - at the state of Nige.

The State of Nige
The Laughterhouse
Thursday 1 March

The weekend is rounded off with Stewart Lee at the Philharmonic on Saturday 3 March and Sarah Millican at the Empire on Sunday 4 March.

Unfortunately both are sold out - but worth checking for returns as they’re both on top of their games right now.