Bruce Dessau previews the best comedy shows in London, including performance art pranksters Noble & Silver and John Hegley's return to Hackney for a show compered by Julian Clary.

Noble & Silver
Soho Theatre, W1
If an act can notch up five stars and zero stars for the same show it is certainly interesting, if not necessarily the future of comedy. Performance art pranksters Noble & Silver achieved this feat a couple of years ago, and they are now reviving that multi-media show in which their relationship breaks down and they end up doing two simultaneous separate gigs. Pretentious twaddle or a witty dissection of stand-up? Probably both.
(0870 429 6883). Until Saturday, then 3-7 July, 9.30pm.

Adam Hills
Monkey Business, NW5
If there was an award for best Australian stand-up with a prosthetic foot, Adam Hills would win every time. Instead he has had to make do with three Perrier Award nominations, for a trio of consistently upbeat shows. If you don't leave a Hills gig feeling better than when you arrived your heart must be made of stone. This is a welcome opportunity to catch his next eagerly awaited Edinburgh show.
(07932 338203) Friday, 7.30pm.

Julian Clary
Hackney Empire, E8
It is a welcome blast from the past in Hackney this week as the Empire plays host to a group of excellent comedians who started out by scraping a crust on the worthy Left-wing New Variety circuit in the Eighties. Julian Clary compëres Jo Brand, Paul Merton, spoof page-three stunna Gayle Tuesday (in reality Brenda Gilhooly, who now co-writes TV Burp), John Hegley and the Popticians and Andrew Bailey.
(020 8985 2424) Saturday 23 Jun, 8pm.