Winner of Dave’s Funniest Joke of the Fringe 2024 Mark Simmons has announced his next tour starting in 2026.
His debut tour, Quip Off the Mark, lasted three years, with over 215 dates over across the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand and sold over 25,000 tickets. Along the way he picked up a Joke of the Fringe Award in 2024, alongside Danny Ward, won the Victoria Wood Panel Prize at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards, and won the Comic’s Comic of the year in 2022.
The new show, Jest to Impress, is another hour of back to back finely crafted gags from the master of one liners. He is taking the show to bigger rooms than ever including the Hackney Empire, Brighton Corn Exchange, Nottingham Playhouse, Yvonne Arnaud Guildford, as well as returning to old favourites, The Salford Lowry, Leeds City Varieties, and many more. Mark’s comedy special – the recorded version of Quip Off the Mark – has just been released as an online special which can be watched.
Mark has previously appeared in ITV’s Out There, Mock The Week, BBC Radio 4Extra Stands Up, a Channel 4 pilot starring alongside Bridget Christie, as well as BBC3’s One For The Road. Mark also presents his popular podcast, Jokes With Mark Simmons, where he invites a fellow comic to discuss jokes that they’ve written but just haven’t worked, and see if there is a way to salvage them or should they simply be thrown on the rubbish heap. This has featured the likes of Rob Beckett, Milton Jones, and Seann Walsh.
Recipient of the Victoria Wood Panel Prize Edinburgh Fringe 2023
WINNER Best Act – UK Comic’s Comic 2022
“Master of the crisp, clean ,one -line zinger “**** Evening Standard 2024 (Bruce Dessau)
****1/2 One4Review
**** The Edinburgh Reported
**** Mix Up Theatre
Social media:
UK Tour Dates 2026
- 23 JAN TUNBRIDGE WELLS Trinity Theatre
- 24 JAN FAVERSHAM The Alex
- 28 JAN SOUTHAMPTON Mayflower Studios
- 30 JAN BRIGHTON Corn Exchange
- 31 JAN WARWICK Arts Centre (ON SALE FRIDAY JAN 31st)
- 5 FEB CAMBRIDGE Junction
- 6 FEB NORWICH Playhouse (ON SALE FEB 28th)
- 8 FEB KETTERING Arts Centre
- 10 FEB LEICESTER Little Theatre
- 12 FEB GUILDFORD Yvonne Arnaud
- 13 FEB CHORLEY Theatre
- 14 FEB LEEDS City Varieties (ON SALE FEB 7TH)
- 15 FEB SALFORD Lowry
- 20 FEB SWINDON Wyvern Theatre
- 21 FEB CHELMSFORD Theatre
- 22 FEB WINCHESTER Royal
- 25 FEB POCKLINGTON Arts Centre
- 26 FEB KENDAL Brewery Arts
- 27 FEB SOUTHPORT Atkinson Theatre
- 3 MAR NOTTINGHAM Playhouse
- 5 MAR PLYMOUTH Quad Theatre
- 6 MAR ST AUSTELL Keay Theatre
- 7 MAR PAIGNTON Palace Theatre
- 10 MAR NORTHALLERTON Forum
- 11 MAR BARNARD CASTLE The Witham
- 12 MAR CARLISLE Old Fire Station
- 13 MAR SUNDERLAND Fire Station
- 14 MAR ALNWICK Playhouse
- 21 MAR HEXHAM Queen Hall Arts Centre
- 25 MAR BATH Komedia
- 26 MAR WIMBORNE Tivoli
- 27 MAR EXETER Barnfield
- 31 MAR SCUNTHORPE Plowright Theatre
- 1 APR HUDDERSFIELD Lawrence Batley Theatre
- 2 APR LICHFIELD Garrick Theatre
- 7 APR CANTERBURY Gulbenkian
- 10 APR SOUTHEND Palace Theatre
- 16 APR BANBURY Mill Arts Centre
- 17 APR NEWBURY Corn Exchange
- 18 APR BEDFORD Quarry Theatre
- 25 APR FROME Merlin Theatre
- 1 MAY MONMOUTH Savoy Theatre
- 7 MAY WORCESTER Huntingdon Hall
- 8 MAY SHREWSBURY Severn Theatre
- 15 MAY EASTLEIGH The Point
- 28 MAY LINCOLN New Theatre Royal
- 5 JUN LONDON Hackney Empire
- 12 JUN MILTON KEYNES The Stables
- 27 JUN BRISTOL Redgrave (ON SALE FRIDAY JAN 31st)
MORE DATES TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON.
Entertainment Swindon 
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