THE SHOW

WINNER Dave's Funniest Joke of the Fringe 2024

As seen on Mock the Week, BT Sport and ITV, "Masters of one-liners" Mark Simmons had a groundbreaking 200+ date sell out debut tour lasting two years, spanning the UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand.

Mark is back on tour in 2026 with Jest to Impress, a brand new show packed with even more expertly crafted one-liners, alongside his trademark off-the-cuff jokes based on random audience suggestions.

Mark is enjoying further success with his podcast, Jokes with Mark Simmons, where he invites a fellow comic, such as Gary Delaney, Sarah Millican, Milton Jones, and Penn & Teller to discuss jokes that they've written but for whatever reason couldn't get to work. 

Recipient of Victoria Wood Panel Prize Fringe 2023

UK Comic's Comic 2022 - Best Act

RUNNER UP Dave's Top 10 Jokes of the Fringe 2022

'Master of the crisp, clean, one line zinger' **** Evening Standard 

'A talented comic with an artisan's grasp of joke writing' **** Chortle

'Master of one liners... his show consists of literally one liner after one liner, with one or two breaks for the audience to catch their breath before another assault on the laughter and muscles with the next segment' **** One4Review

'Absolutely hilarious' **** Scotsman

TICKETS

Monday 16th March 2026

19:30 (100mins incl. interval)

£20

FURTHER INFO

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

Suitability: 13+ (Restriction)

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

For the latest shows on sale, go to our website or social media (Twitter | Instagram | Facebook) or sign-up to our newsletter. Check out our reviews here!

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.