The UAE’s finest LOLlapalooza returns to the capital…

A Canadian-Filipino, a Brit and a Greek walk into a bar. It’s an Abu Dhabi bar. I should have said that before sorry. Let me start again. A Canadian-Filipino, a Brit and a Greek walk into an Abu Dhabi bar. It’s inside Park Rotana. Look we’re absolutely butchering this, but we promise the punchline is a grade-A medical emergency, side-splitting, stop-I-can’t-breathe zinger.

We’re afraid you’ll have to wait until the ominously time stamped Friday 13 (January) *ghost noises* to hear it though. This is the time and place that marks the long awaited return of the Laughter Factory to Abu Dhabi.

Tickets must be purchased in advance via the thelaughterfactory.com website, and are priced at Dhs160.

Knock knock

This edition of the ‘Self Drive’ tour features a trio of LMFAOsmiths primed to spit chucklesome bars, shame hecklers into repentative silence, and send crowds into messy fits of stitches.

Your line-up this week includes Canadian-Filipino, Ron Josol — a veteran of the international circuit, comedy festival king-pun, Just for Laughs winner (1998) and a man that sits on top of multiple successful Showtime Specials. His style blends impact one-liners with masterful story telling and he’s in Abu Dhabi for one night and one night only.

Joining him is George Zach, who came from Greece with a thirst for knowledge — he studied biochemistry at Newcastle college (actually the university, the term ‘college’ is just being employed for song parody purposes), that’s where this guy, learned ‘wey aye’. George has held court at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival an impressive five times, has trod the boards at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, played gigs across Europe and Asia, and has even appeared on BBC’s The One Show. Which, being a live transmission, is the home of so much memorable, unrepeatable, unsuspecting comedy gold.

The last act, but by no means least, is Harry Stachini — a consummate stage yarn-spinner, actor and filmmaker. Highlights from his stand-up career so far include hosting the Bound and Gagged’ ‘AAA’ Comedy Showcase at the Edinburgh Festival in 2017, and performing his first solo tour ‘Tigers Don’t Cry’ to sell out audiences.

Park Rotana, Khalifa Park area, Fri 13 Jan from 8.30pm, Dhs160. Tickets must be purchased in advance via the thelaughterfactory.com website. Tel: (050) 878 6728

Images: Provided