Five shows to book at the Glasgow International Comedy Festival next year including Nick Helm

Alan Bissett will be performing all three of his Moira Monologues in a single night at the Glasgow International Comedy Festival. | Contributed

Europe's largest comedy festival is returning to Glasgow next March, with tickets now on sale for hundreds of shows.

It may seem a little early to get booked up, but some of the more popular names are already selling out - if you wanted to see one of Taskmaster champion Sam Campbell's two shows, you're out of luck.

With this in mind, here are five to buy now or risk missing out on.

Alan Bissett

An accomplished author, playwright, performer and all-round entertainer, Alan Bissett has garnered rave reviews for his series of monologues about Moira Bell - "single mother, cleaner and Falkirk’s Hardest Woman". On Sunday, March 17, he'll perform all three of his side-splitting stories back-to-back at Websters Theatre.

Nick Helm

If comedy is the new rock and roll, then Nick Helm is the artform's Meatloaf. He's appearing at Glasgow's Garage venue on Thursday , March 28, with his 'Super Fun Good Time Show'. Promising to deliver "the best damn night of your fragile life", expect shouting, poetry, songs, more shouting and perfectly-formed one-liners.

Kiri Pritchard-McLean

One of the biggest comedy success stories of recent years, Kiri Pritchard-McLean will be joining her podcasting partner Rachel Fairburn for a recording of true crime show 'All Killa No Filla' at the King's Theatre on Saturday, March 30. If you're quick, you can also see her perform a work in progress at the tiny Old Hairdressers on Sunday, March 24.

Kieran Hodgson

The star of the BBC's Two Doors Down is bringing his Edinburgh Comedy Award nominated show 'Big in Scotland' to the King's Theatre on Friday, March 29. It sees him tell the story of how he moved to Scotland in 2020. His next show, called 'HS2', is on the unlikely comedy subject of trains - you can get a sneak preview at the Old Hairdressers on Friday, March 22.

Richard Herring

The king of comedy podcasts, Richard Herring is recording an episode of his increasingly inaccurately-named Leicester Square Theatre Podcast (RHLSTP!) at the Oran Mor on Wednesday, March 27. Regularly downloaded over a million times a month, the guests haven't been announced yet but he regularly attracts big names - author Ian Rankin featured in a recent Edinburgh show.