The Best Upcoming Comedy Events

A comedy quintet that can't be missed

Leave the April fooling to the professionals. With this kind of comedic company around the state, we’re all in for a good laugh this month — no whoopee cushions required.

Bob Marley
April 7-8, Manchester

If you’ve watched a late-night comedy show any time this century, then you’ve probably seen this jokester. The Maine native has played the Palace Theatre several times on his path to standup stardom, so revisit his high-energy style (or catch it for the first time) in these shows to see that there’s more to Bob Marley than his familiar name.

Redhook Brewery Comedy Series: Starring Chris Distefano
April 7-8, Portsmouth

Want your MTV? One of the network’s most popular comedians comes to the Seacoast for a standup special at the local Redhook Brewery outpost. Known for his stints on “Girl Code” and “Guy Code” — think riffs on topics like whether to date a friend’s ex — Distefano and his three weekend performances will get you laughing like a millennial. Grab a Redhook beer and enjoy.

Emma Willmann
April 8, Portsmouth

Get ahead of the comedic curve with this up-and-coming funnywoman. The NYC standup has been featured in Elle and Time Out New York and, last fall, made her late-night debut on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.” Check out her Portsmouth set for jokes on growing up in small-town Maine and navigating life as a 20-30-something lesbian in Trump’s America.

Gilbert Gottfried
April 22, Rochester

“Saturday Night Live.” “Aladdin.” Those Aflac commercials. Gilbert Gottfried’s comedy credentials are a mile long, and now you can see him live just miles from home. Start attuning your ears to the sounds of screeching now.

Kathy Griffin
April 27, Keene

The flame-haired Griffin may be famous for her “life on the D-list,” but we’d like to promote her to at least a B. The comedienne and activist has won Emmys and Grammys and appeared on everything from “Fashion Police” to her own Bravo talk show — when she’s not busy stirring up controversy online. Catch her trademark raunchy humor in Keene (or later this month in Portsmouth) on the heels of her “Like a Boss” tour.