Old school stand-up and a master of the one liner Martin Beaumont is the compere for this month's Red Card Comedy night at Carrow Road. Plus Ross Sutherland brings his show Comedian Dies In The Middle Of Joke and the Reduce Shakespeare Company tackle sport.

RED CARD COMEDY CLUB

Carrow Road, Norwich, June 28, �12, 01603 508050, www.redcardcomedyclub.com

Old school stand-up and a master of the one liner Martin Beaumont is the compere for this month's Red Card night at the Top of the Terrace.

Having made his name with a whole show devoted to White Van Men at Edinburgh, Martin has expanded his repertoire to include a whole host of subject matter. He is a versatile writer, director and performer too having previously worked on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, appeared in three series of football comedy drama Dream Team and written 60 shows for children's show Professor Bubble.

He will be introducing Dana Alexander one of Canada's most outspoken female comedians whose comedy draws on her diverse lifestyle and her crazy Jamaican family.

Meanwhile East Ender Jeff Innocent is that dangerous breed; a big man with a brain. In contrast to his previous work as a bouncer, his act is part history lesson part sociology lecture but all funny.

COMEDIAN DIES IN THE MIDDLE OF JOKE

Norwich Arts Centre, June 26, �7, 01603 660352, www.norwichartscentre.co.uk

November 11 1983: the closest the world has ever come to nuclear war. Comedian Joe 'Pops' Pooley is headlining his local comedy club. As if his job wasn't hard enough this evening, the venue has found itself trapped inside a five-minute time-loop.

Comedian Dies In The Middle Of Joke is an intriguing 'interactive play' devised by award-winning poet and writer Ross Sutherland in which audience members — reading from an autocue — rotate roles to replay the same scenario about a disastrous night in a comedy club.

Each time the stage resets, you get to play a different person in the room: a heckler, the barman, even the comedian himself. The comedian is doomed to fail every time — the question is: can you die with some dignity?

www.rosssutherland.co.uk

THE REDUCED SHAKESPEARE COMPANY: THE COMPLETE WORLD OF SPORTS (ABRIDGED)

Norwich Playhouse, July 3, �16.50, 01603 598598, www.norwichplayhouse.co.uk

Having previously tackled the Bard, the Bible and ancient history, the 'bad boys of abridgement' are back in this Olympic year with a show tackling sport.

In typically compressed and hilarious show the entire history of athletic competition is revisited in a marathon of mayhem that sees the world's great sporting events shrunk down to theatrical size.

Among the many questions answered: is darts really a sport? Which is more boring – baseball or cricket? Who invented curling and synchronised swimming – and why are they in the Olympics?

This UK version follows a highly successful run in New York and a sell-out US tour, but don't worry they know the difference between American and British football.

www.reducedshakespeare.com

DON'T MISS

EDINBURGH PREVIEWS

Olives, Elm Hill, Norwich, July 5, �4 adv/�5 on door, www.wegottickets.com/event/173094

Salt Box Comedy presents two Edinburgh Festival preview shows for the price of one. The Comedy Sandwich features rising stars Laurence Tuck and Dan Mckee. Then the Two O'clock Show includes Anna Freyburg, David Hannant and Chris Boyd.