Paul Smith: HAPPY

Paul Smith is playing the AO Arena on Wednesday 21 October, with a second night on Thursday 22 October. He's touring HAPPY, which he calls the biggest and boldest show of his career. It's a stand-up set built on the things he's known for: crowd work, sharp observations and true stories, all taken up a gear. He describes it as stand-up at full throttle, about finding joy in the chaos, laughter in the everyday and comedy in everything. The show draws on sold-out runs and viral success across the globe, and it's billed as his biggest tour yet, spanning the UK, Ireland, Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand.

If you've come across his clips online, you'll recognise the crowd work that's a big part of the night. He spends a good chunk of the set talking to the audience, so the show changes depending on who's in the room. Around that, he weaves in the true stories he's become known for, the kind of material that works as well in a small club as it does in an arena. He describes the whole thing as fast, fearless and relentlessly funny, with plenty of audience interaction and stories pulled straight from real life.

Smith is a firm favourite at Hot Water Comedy Club, and he's got a bit of a track record behind him: he was crowned Liverpool's New Comedian of the Year and was a finalist at The Leicester Comedian of the Year. This tour is his biggest one to date, and Manchester is one of the stops on a run that goes well beyond the UK.

Both nights start at 7:30pm, with doors open from 6pm. Tickets are £35, £40, £45 and £60, so you've got a few price points to choose from depending on where you want to sit. The AO Arena is at Victoria Station Approach, Hunts Bank, M3 1AR, right by the station.