Tom Ballard: Be Funny Challenge (Impossible) (WIP)

THE SHOW

MELBOURNE COMEDY FESTIVAL & EDINBURGH COMEDY AWARD NOMINEE  

As seen on Fisk and Deadloch. As heard on Radio 4 and The Bugle. 

After a year away from touring, doing nothing but being nice and uncontroversial, Australia's Special Envoy For Comedy Tom Ballard returns in 2026 with a new show packed with jokes about war and being naughty and being kind and just how extremely normal everything is right now. 

You should definitely come along. What's the worst that could happen????

"One of the slickest hours of stand-up I've ever seen."  Adam Hills

"Fierce and funny...Ballard is a dynamo - a whirling, toe-curling bundle of energy, who is as politically powerful as he is fantastically funny." ????½ Arts Hub

"A relentless whirl of opinion, silliness, and increasingly bad-taste jokes against those who most deserve it." ????½ Chortle [UK]

"He cuts a faintly ludicrous, pathetic figure" ???? The Scotsman [UK]

"To call Ballard a comedian is being kind.....All he has is a potty mouth" hair stew, Daily Mail commenter

TICKETS

Saturday 4th July 2026

18:00 (60min)

£7

FURTHER INFO

Seating: Every ticket-holder gets a seat, so you can leave standing-up to our acts. 

Suitability: 16+ (Guideline)

Warnings and Additional Info: N/A

Accessibility: Full accessibility information for all our venues can be found on our website. Alternatively, please contact our Box Office with any access questions.

Groups: Please contact our Box Office for alternative group size arrangements or group bookings of 7 or more. See Terms and Conditions for more information.

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY

Monkey Barrel Comedy has been 'Scotland's Best Comedy Venue' since 2020 (Chortle Awards) and was described by The List as "a year-round Edinburgh institution". It has over 500 5-star reviews on TripAdvisor, making it one of the city's top-rated year-round attractions.

The club was home to both of 2022's Edinburgh Comedy Awards winners, Best Comedy Show 2023 and Best Comedy Show and Best Newcomer 2024. It has been described as the "Beating Heart" of the Fringe by The Telegraph and "the best comedy club in the world" by comedian Olga Koch. 

"What a comedy club you've got there, Edinburgh!" (Kevin Bridges)

"Down there at the Monkey Barrel, there's something in the water, AND I CAN'T STOP DRINKING IT!" (Sam Campbell)

"Fringe Heroes" (The Metro)

"Redefining what weekend comedy can and should be" (British Comedy Guide

5.0????? Trip Advisor | 4.7???? Google | 4.5???? Facebook 

FOLLOW US INFO

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DRINKS & MORE

Our adjoining bar, Barrel Bar, is open from 3pm on Fridays and Saturdays and at least 1 hour before every show every other day. It serves a wide selection of drinks, including locally-sourced beers, cocktails, and spirits. 

Table service is available in the venue throughout the show, so you can get drinks delivered straight to your seat without missing a thing. Order via the QR codes positioned next to your seat. Not applicable for all shows.