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Paul Smith can turn a front-row answer about someone’s job into a whole detour. If that quick, risky exchange is why you watch his clips, the next live ticket should offer more than a comic advertised as having a “similar vibe”. The show worth booking is one where the performer can build a night around the room.
Who is Paul Smith?
If a mate has just sent you a clip and you've got no idea who this bloke is: Paul Smith is a Liverpool comedian and the resident compere at Hot Water Comedy Club in Blackstock Market. The compere is the host. He opens the night, comes back on between acts and spends most of his time talking to the audience. That's where all the clips come from.
Why is Paul Smith such a big deal?
Because of those clips. In the UK, "Paul Smith comedian" is searched about 33,100 times a month, "Paul Smith tickets" about 18,100 and "Hot Water Comedy Club" about 22,200 (Google Keyword Planner, October 2026). For a comic who has never been a television regular, that's a remarkable following.
You won't have seen him on a panel show, and that's on purpose. He built his audience online, through Hot Water's YouTube channel, the club's TikTok and his own TikTok. When he went on The Comedian's Comedian podcast, he was introduced as "almost certainly the comedian with the most online content in the world", with more than 1,000 clips uploaded from Hot Water. He also talks there about why he's kept away from telly, and it's worth a listen.
What gets me about him is how simple it looks. He asks the most boring question going (what do you do, who are you here with) and then just keeps pulling at it until the answer is the funniest thing anyone in the room has heard all year. He's fast, obviously. But he's also nice about it. The front row is in on the joke, and he's as happy to be the joke as he is to make one. That's the bit most people who try to copy him miss.
Why should you care where you see him?
Because the room is a big part of the show, and Paul's rooms have got much bigger. You can still go and see him, but he's not doing little rooms any more. His new show, Happy, is the biggest tour he's ever done. There are arena nights at Manchester AO Arena on 21 and 22 October and London's OVO Arena Wembley on 26 and 27 November, plus a load of theatres. Hot Water says the show runs about two hours 15 minutes.
If you want the thing from the clips, go to his home club. Hot Water has Happy dates in Liverpool on 15 October and 4 and 12 November. Every Happy date is on the Hot Water tour page. Southampton on 19 November had gone to a waiting list when we looked.
If you want the long version before you spend any money, Joker is his 2023 special, filmed in Amsterdam. Hot Water put the whole thing up for free.
So why bother with anyone else?
Because sitting in row ZZ of an arena is not the same night as the room in the clips, and I wanted that room. And because Paul isn't doing anything magic. When I broke down what I actually love about him, it came to four things: crowd work that turns into a proper conversation, that blunt Northern club energy, stories that go wrong in exactly the right way, and the fun of watching a total stranger react. Each of the four below is best at one of those, and most of them are playing rooms small enough that you might end up being the stranger.
The short answer: if you've never seen Paul live, a Happy night at his home club, Hot Water in Liverpool, is the closest you'll get to the clips. After that, the four I'd book are Dan Nightingale for crowd work built into the night, Adam Rowe for a full solo hour, Jamie Hutchinson for messier stories and Troy Hawke for the stranger thing done in character. All four have UK dates in the list below, and the ticket sellers we cover, 
The Glee ClubThe Glee ClubThe Glee Club runs live comedy, music, cabaret and spoken word venues across several UK cities. Its homepage and terms set out how tickets are sold, who handles changes, and what tBuying guide · View store → and See TicketsSee TicketsSee Tickets sells tickets for live events across music, festivals, dance and clubs, consumer events, theatre, comedy and sport. If you are looking for a gig, a night out or a show,Buying guide · View store → among them, are on our tickets and events page.
The short version, if you just want dates
Paul Smith: Happy, Liverpool, 15 October 2026:
the man himself, at home at Hot Water.
See Happy dates and tickets
.
Dan Nightingale & Friends, Leeds, 25 October 2026:
crowd work, new stuff and two guests.
Book at The Glee Club
.
Adam Rowe: Fashionism, London, 24 October 2026:
a full solo hour, on an extra London date at the O2 Forum Kentish Town.
See the date on Live Nation
.
Jamie Hutchinson: Can My Mate Come? He's Sound, Birmingham, 4 November 2026:
his new stand-up show at The Glee Club.
Book Birmingham tickets
.
Troy Hawke: Never Stop, Never Change!, York, 24 October 2026:
his new stage show at York Barbican.
Book through the venue
.
Dan Nightingale: the one I'd send you to first
If you're a Paul Smith fan and you only book one of these, make it Dan. He's got the same thing Paul has: he's quick, but he's relaxed with it. He'll follow someone's answer somewhere completely stupid, then get himself back into his set without the whole night turning into a string of clips.
He's from Preston. If you know the name but can't place it, it's probably from podcasts. He does Have A Word with Adam Rowe, who's next on this list. His official site has his socials and tour news.
The reason I'd pick Dan Nightingale & Friends specifically is that crowd work is literally in the format. The Glee ClubThe Glee ClubThe Glee Club runs live comedy, music, cabaret and spoken word venues across several UK cities. Its homepage and terms set out how tickets are sold, who handles changes, and what tBuying guide · View store → says on its show page that the first half is Dan doing crowd work plus his new set, then two guest comics do the second half. For anyone who arrived here via Paul's clips, that's about as close a match as you'll get.
If you want to see him do a longer run first, Smasher is his 2022 special on the Have A Word channel. It's an older show, so don't expect the same material in Leeds.
Leeds, Sunday 25 October 2026, The Glee Club. Rob Mulholland and Mark Nelson are on with him. Doors are at 6.45pm, last entry is 7.15pm, and it's 16+. Book Dan Nightingale & Friends in Leeds. If you need wheelchair seating, ring the venue before booking so you know what is available for this show.
He's also doing Glee nights in Birmingham on 22 November and Cardiff on 29 November, with Phil Nichol and Eshaan Akbar. Nottingham on 4 October sold out at Gigantic, so Leeds is the next of these nights.
Adam Rowe: for a proper night out
If Have A Word is already on your phone, you've basically got a head start on Adam. He's got Paul's directness, but you're not booking Fashionism for crowd work. You're booking it for a full hour of Adam: personal stories, very strong opinions, and him arguing his way through them.
The premise of the new show is him trying to see things from other people's point of view, including people he can't stand. I like that. It's a better reason to go than "he's also got a Liverpool accent", which is honestly how a lot of these lists pick people. This is the one for when you want to sit down and watch one person carry a whole show.
Juicy, his 2023 special, is the best way to get a feel for how he writes and how he delivers it. Fashionism is a new show, though.
London, Saturday 24 October 2026, O2 Forum Kentish Town. It's an extra London date, with doors at 7pm and the show at 7.30pm. Find Adam Rowe tickets through Live Nation.
His tour calendar also has Rhyl, Cardiff, Middlesbrough, Newcastle, Glasgow, Sheffield, Liverpool, York, Manchester, Birmingham and Nottingham, running to 3 December. Liverpool Empire on 13 November is sold out, but there's an extra Liverpool date the night after, on 14 November.
Jamie Hutchinson: for when you want it messier
Jamie is who I'd point you at if the bit of the Hot Water world you like is the less polished, slightly unhinged side. His stories are mostly about personal disasters and decisions nobody should have made. Half the fun is working out how he ended up there, and the other half is realising it's about to get worse. Hot Water's profile calls it "dark humour, sharp improvisation and chaotic storytelling", which is about right. He's also a former XS Manchester Comedian of the Year.
One thing to know if you found him through Hot Water's Green Room: Can My Mate Come? He's Sound is a stand-up show. It's Jamie on his own, not the podcast with Tony Carroll. If the podcast is what you're after, Hot Water has live Green Room recordings with the two of them from October to December.
This set is from 2017, when Hot Water first put him online. It's old, so treat it as a taste of what he's like rather than a trailer for the tour.
Birmingham, Wednesday 4 November 2026, The Glee ClubThe Glee ClubThe Glee Club runs live comedy, music, cabaret and spoken word venues across several UK cities. Its homepage and terms set out how tickets are sold, who handles changes, and what tBuying guide · View store →. Simon Wozniak is on the bill too. Doors at 6.45pm, last entry 7.15pm, 18+. Book Jamie Hutchinson in Birmingham.
The Glee Club in Cardiff has him on 12 October, the day after I last checked, so Birmingham is the one I've linked. For other dates sold through See Tickets, our See Tickets pageSee TicketsSee Tickets sells tickets for live events across music, festivals, dance and clubs, consumer events, theatre, comedy and sport. If you are looking for a gig, a night out or a show,Buying guide · View store → explains how their listings and fees work.
Troy Hawke: the same thrill, a completely different route
You've probably seen the Greeters Guild clips: Troy standing outside a shop, being unbearably polite to people who just wanted to get their shopping and go home. He's on this list because he does the thing I love most about Paul: a stranger says something, and that becomes the next joke. It's just that Paul goes straight in, and Troy's over-the-top manners send the conversation off somewhere nobody saw coming.
Never Stop, Never Change! puts that character on stage. It's the one to go for if you love the interactions but fancy something that doesn't feel like club banter. His earlier special below shows the character can carry a whole show, not just a 40-second clip.
York, Saturday 24 October 2026, York Barbican, 7.30pm. It's 14+, so you can bring a teenager who's already watched all the clips. Book Troy Hawke through York Barbican.
Live Nation UKLive NationLive Nation UK is the British arm of the international live music and comedy promoter. Its homepage lists current gigs, tours and comedy nights, with ticket links for each event. IBuying guide · View store → has the rest of the tour: Nottingham on 17 October, Salford on 18 October, Sheffield on 20 November, Newcastle on 21 November, and a 2027 run that reaches the London Palladium on 11 April and Bristol Beacon on 23 April.
Going to Bristol? Just stay the night
Troy Hawke's Bristol Beacon show is on a Friday, 23 April 2027. If you're coming from any distance, I'd stay over. Once you've had a pint or two and the show's run late, trying to get the last train home is miserable. I'd get the tickets first, then compare a room for the 23rd against what it'd cost you to get home that night.
Where to stay for Troy Hawke in Bristol
For Troy Hawke at Bristol Beacon on Friday 23 April 2027, compare these two city-centre bases against the venue on Trenchard Street. A room for the night of 23 April covers a one-night stay after the show.
2 stays picked for this weekend · Compare the location, character and journey back
- Travelodge
Travelodge Bristol Central Mitchell Lane
Mitchell Lane, Bristol, BS1 6BU
Mitchell Lane is a different base from Bond Street. Compare the route to Bristol Beacon and the station before choosing a room.
Walking route to Bristol Beacon - Holiday Inn
Holiday Inn Bristol City Centre
Bond Street, Bristol, BS1 3LE
The Bond Street option is worth comparing if you want a city-centre base. Factor the earlier checkout into a late night.
Walking route to Bristol Beacon
There's a 
TravelodgeTravelodgeTravelodge runs budget hotels across the UK, with the homepage offering a search for stays by destination, date and room count. Its breakfast and room options are practical things Buying guide · View store → and a 
Holiday InnHoliday InnHoliday Inn is a hotel brand built around shared spaces, flexible eating options and a range of stays from city centre hotels to resorts. This profile covers what the official siteBuying guide · View store → in the comparison, and both links go straight to the hotel. When you compare them, compare the same thing: same number of people, breakfast or no breakfast, and what happens if you need to cancel. If you're planning a night out in another city, our UK club-season guide has more hotels near specific venues.
Right, so which would I actually book?
If you've never seen Paul live, do that first. A Happy night at Hot Water is his home room and the closest you'll get to the clips. Then go further out. Dan Nightingale & Friends is the one most like Paul, because crowd work is built into the night. Adam Rowe is for when you want one person to carry a full hour. Jamie Hutchinson is for messy stories, and Troy Hawke is for someone doing the stranger thing a totally different way.
Before paying, the total with fees and the seating and access options for your date are worth a second look. If you're buying tickets as a present, our Christmas guide has more ideas, as long as the person is actually free on the night you book them for.
