Udderbelly Festival’s purple cow has arrived at the Southbank Centre in London for a summer of fun! The festival’s giant upside-down cow stage will host a packed programme of comedy, circus and family shows, including appearances by comedians Richard Herring, The Boy With Tape On His Face and Ardal O’Hanlon.

The Tullett Prebon London International Boat Show at ExCel

Indulge your nautical side at this world-renowned boat show, which brings the best sailing brands, displays and personalities under one roof. You can marvel at the gorgeous boats on display, buy sailing essentials from the experts and even have a go at a range of water-based activities in the On the Water pools. Tickets start from £16, and for extra maritime fun you can follow your visit with a trip to St Katherine’s Dock, where you’ll be able to view the newly-launched Clipper 70 and chat to members of their round-the-world racing crews. 12-20 Jan

Chris Ramsey: Feeling Lucky, at the Bloomsbury Theatre

Don’t miss Edinburgh Festival star Chris Ramsey, who brings his unforgettable brand of comedy to the Bloomsbury Theatre this weekend. This show, Feeling Lucky, follows his sell-out 2012 tour Offermation and is sure to include the trademark humour that has endeared him to audiences of Celebrity Juice, Never Mind the Buzzcocks, and 8 Out of 10 Cats. Tickets are £15. 11-12 Jan

The London Ice Sculpting Festival, Canary Wharf

Chill out at the incredible London Ice Sculpting Festival, which demonstrates both the beauty and potential of frozen water. Extended to three days for the first time, it offers not only the chance to watch the world’s best ice sculpting teams, but also to have a go yourself in once of the many workshops. In addition, visitors can marvel at the Northern Lights laser show, place Ice Chess and participate in fun family activities. Entry is free. 11-13 Jan

Arenacross at The O2

Fans of motocross racing will love this high-octane indoor version, which condenses the best thrills of the outdoor sport into something smaller in size yet just as spectacular. As well as thrilling races, there will be incredible motocross action from the huge ramps, off which Europe’s best freestyle riders will perform astounding feats of aerial gymnastics. This event is the first in the 2013 UK Arenacross series, and tickets start from £19 for adults. 12 Jan

The London International Mime Festival, Various Venues

Fifteen companies from around the world will be participating in this diverse and thought-provoking festival, which this year promises everything from aerial acrobatics to psychedelic puppetry. Choose from amazing shows such as punk circus at the Southbank Centre, enchanting mechanical puppets at the Barbican, or the renowned Ockham’s Razor opening the festival with acrobatics a the Platform Theatre. 10-27 Jan

The End of the World Party, Village Underground

Hosted by the team that has put on more than 50 “end of the world” parties in the last four years (they must be a fairly pessimistic bunch…), this Shoreditch party is guaranteed to be one of the most detailed and debauched in town. Starting at 10pm, the night allows you to choose the songs you dance to, live out your final fantasies in the Last Wish room and generally behave as if you won’t have to worry about a hangover in the morning. Tickets are £8, get yours quick before they sell out.  21 Dec

The End of the World Party, Proud Camden

Head to this popular venue’s Stables Bar for a night of half-price drinks, doomsday shenanigans and music from top DJs – including a special guest at midnight. Highlights include confetti cannon, the chance to confess your sins and an air raid siren that heralds the advent of half price shots. Entry is free if you’re on the guestlist, see the website for full details. 20 Dec

Brian Cox and Robin Ince’s End of the World Show, Hammersmith Apollo.

Go out laughing at this logical comedy show from the hosts of BBC Radio 4′s Infinite Monkey Cage. Brian Cox and Robin Ince bring some of the finest minds in comedy, science and music together to celebrate human achievement in earth’s final hours. Tickets start from £25. 21 Dec

The Last Supper Club, Shoreditch

Make your last meal a memorable one at this exclusive dining experience in Shoreditch. You can choose between dining in the Ark, which has an eclectic and regularly changing selection of three-course menus, or make your apocalypse a bit more casual in the street food area. A doom-fuelled selection of drinks is also available and booking in advance is highly recommended – see their website for full details. 6-22 Dec

Popstarz at Hidden, Vauxhall

The world’s first alternative gay night is hosting a special End of the World Party in Vauxhall, featuring giveaways, apocalyptic makeovers and a special stage show at midnight. Entry is free before 11pm, see the flyer for full details. 21 Dec

Real Nice and Eta Present the End of the World, West London

Spending your final hours in a West London warehouse might not sound too appealing, but when you factor in world-class DJs, a killer light and sound system and a fair few apocalyptic surprises it suddenly sounds like a plan. Tickets are £20. 21 Dec

Pirate Radio Party Presents Aztec Mixdeck: A World’s End Boat Party

Cruise down the Thames with the Pirate Radio Party, who promise music, theatrics and “the best atmosphere this side of the apocalypse”. Seen from the river, London at night is certainly one of the prettiest last views you can get. Tickets are £20 if you’re quick. 21 Dec

Loud Noise End of the World Party at Cable

Head to South London for an apocalyptic party featuring a huge line-up of top DJs. Tickets start from £8. 21 Dec

Top comedy acts are trying out their new shows in London before heading to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August. Edinburgh previews in June and July are a great way to see established stars and up-and-coming acts in small venues and often at bargain prices.

Do bear in mind that previews are works in progress – lineups may change at late notice and some shows may not yet be finished (although this can result in additional laughs as a performer takes risks to test things out.)

Hen and Chickens

A stalwart choice for previews, the upstairs of the Hen and Chickens pub in Highbury is home to an intimate theatre. Among the previews, two Edinburgh Comedy Award Best Newcomer nominees from last year will be teaming up for a new sketch show – Totally Tom (23 July).

Pleasance Theatre

A stream of top acts will try material out at Pleasance in Islington, which has a sister venue in Edinburgh. Highlights include BBC Radio 1 DJ Tom Deacon (9-10 July) and the warm-up from Carl Donnelly (11 and 16 July), whose routine Different Gravy promises excerpts from his unpublished and hugely embellished autobiography.

Words Words Words at Off Broadway

Off Broadway bar in Hackney puts on its Words, Words, Words comedy night every Wednesday. One preview to see if you haven’t had the delight is Helen Arney, the geeky ukulele-playing lady who isn’t afraid to blend science with laughs in her show Voice of an Angle (18 July).

Downstairs at The King’s Head

Head to this friendly pub in Crouch End for a first look at gigs from the likes of Paul Sinha (31 July), who will tell the tale of his “horrifyingly misjudged” trip to the Himalayas last Christmas.

TOP PREVIEWS TO CATCH

Joe Lycett: Some Lycett Hot

Who? Lycett is one to watch after winning the Chortle Award for Best Newcomer 2010 and making it as a BBC Radio 2 New Comedy Award finalist last year. He has supported Jack Whitehall on tour and this is his debut show.

Where? Pleasance, Hen and Chickens, Crack Comedy Club, Camden Head and more.

Iain Stirling: Happy to be the clown?

Who? Another debut show from a rising star – Scottish Stirling is doing some self-analysis in his routine, to work out why he is such a clown. He’s also a presenter of the CBBC kids show Help! My Supply Teacher’s Magic.

Where? Pleasance and more.

Fran Moulds: Significant Human Error 

Who? You might have heard Moulds on BBC Radio 4 as part of the all-female sketch troop the Umbrella Birds. Now she’s going it alone in her first solo show which sees her inhabit six original characters – such as base-jumping Aussie Ryan and Morgana, a celeb newspaper correspondent.

Where? Pleasance, Lost Theatre and more.

Do you have any tips for Edinburgh previews in London?

This summer’s London 2012 Festival will feature acrobats on London landmarks, an inflatable Stonehenge and an appearance by Wallace and Gromit at The Proms. The full programme for the 12-week festival was unveiled this morning. Highlights include:

• A full-scale bouncy Stonehenge by artist Jeremy Deller, which will pop up at various locations
• Sports-themed plays, conversations and comedy with Stephen Fry and guests
• A comedy barge setting off from London and travelling through the UK to the Edinburgh Festival
• A collection of BMW Art Cars with bodywork designed by artists including Andy Warhol and Jeff Koons
• Streb Extreme Action, awe-inspiring acrobatics in and around London landmarks
• A special appearance at The Proms by Wallace and Gromit, who will star in a new Proms adventure

London 2012 Festival, 21 June to 9 September 2012 www.london2012.com/festival

Glamorous in-flight professional Pam Ann has been touring the world for more than a decade, imparting her insider knowledge of the highs and lows – so to speak – of the airline industry.

The creation of Australian comic Caroline Reid, Pam has gathered a cult following in every port with her risqué humour. We caught up with her between long-haul flights and quizzed her about her favourite international hub, London:

VL: Pam, where do you stay when you are in London?
PA: I will be staying in an apartment in Mayfair

VL:  What was the most decadent night out you have had in London?
PA: There’s been so many and it’s been so decadent I can’t remember

VL: Where do you think serves the best breakfast in London?
PA: I am never up for breakfast but I guess the Dean St Townhouse have a great room service menu

VL: Which is your favourite London icon?
PA: The London Eye but they should make the pods open air and make it really fast

VL: Do you have a London secret?
PA: Heathrow’s T5 was built on a swamp

VL:  What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever seen in London?
PA: The sun

VL: What do you think “makes” a typical Londoner?
PA: Sense of humour

VL: What do you miss most when you’re away from London?
PA: Irony

VL: Given the necessary skills, which Olympic event would you choose to win Gold in?
PA: Gymnastics

VL: What advice will you be giving athletes flying in to London for the Games?
PA: Don’t fly Ryan Air

Don’t miss Pam Ann’s latest show, You F’ Coffee at The Bloomsbury Theatre from 17 April to 5 May. Book your tickets now through visitlondon.com.

I hadn’t known what to expect from Jerry Seinfeld at The O2. He’s best known for co-creating and starring in American sitcom Seinfeld, which was phenomenally successful in the US but wasn’t as popular here in the UK. While other US imports such as Friends, Sex and the City and ER were enjoying prime time TV slots on Channel 4, Seinfeld was being shown somewhere else late at night. I didn’t watch it and I didn’t know anyone else who did.

What I did know is that Jerry Seinfeld’s comedy is valued pretty highly – he reportedly turned down a $5 million dollar an episode deal to continue starring in Seinfeld, and tickets for his show at The O2 on Friday night cost a minimum of £70. From the packed arena on Friday, it was obvious that plenty of people were willing to pay that.

And so it came to Jerry Seinfeld’s stand-up show – 90 minutes of observational comedy, starting with the notion that “life sucks” and running through topics including marriage, mobile phones, Twitter, sitting, coffee and kids.

Jerry Seinfeld has been in the comedy business for more than 20 years – and that experience shows. There were no gaps, no going off on a tangent, despite the diverse range of topics, the comedy flowed easily from one thing to the next.

There were a lot of “it’s funny because it’s true” moments in the show and the next day I found myself constantly recalling (and annoying my friends with) anecdotes. “That reminds me of something Seinfeld said last night,” was my most-used sentence of the day.

Did you see Jerry Seinfeld at The O2? What did you think?

This week’s video comes from the Southbank Centre, and is a tantalizing glimpse at what’s coming up for the venue this summer.

The Southbank Centre is celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Festival of Britain with a four-month festival of British culture and creativity.

Highlights include Ray Davies curating Meltdown  in June; a major show by Tracey Emin at the Hayward Gallery (18 May to 29 August); plus appearances by Lang Lang, Heston Blumenthal, Billy Bragg, John Berger, Meera Syal and Tony Benn.

Themed weekends celebrate some of the highlights of British culture: a weekend of comedy and music curated by Stewart Lee (27 to 30 May), a hip-hop weekend (22 to 24 July) and Wayne Hemingway’s vintage weekend (29 to 31 July).

Find out more here.

Are you excited about the Festival of Britain 2011? Let us know in the comments below.

• Jerry Seinfeld at The O2: 3 Jun
• Lee Evans at Wembley Arena: 14-18 Sep
• Peter Kay at The O2: Apr & Jun dates
• Stephen K Amos at Hammersmith Apollo: 20-21 May
• Jenny Eclair at Bloomsbury Theatre: 28 May

The brilliant reviews for An Ideal Husband made me particularly excited to see the play. As the programme comments: Oscar Wilde‘s play is a “stylish critique of politicians and social morality”. I was immediately reminded of the J. B. Priestley play I saw a few weeks earlier, When we are Married. Both productions have a Victorian grandeur and an eloquent comedic buzz.

The action happens over 48 hours when a devastating political scandal about successful Government minister, Sir Robert Chilton is brought about by the conniving Mrs Cheveley. A secret from the distant past manages to turn all their lives upside down, with agonisingly hilarious consequences.

Elliot Cowan is absolutely delightful as the smug Viscount Goring. The play is a mixture of serious subject matter and farcical script and Cowan captures this combination beautifully. He strides about the stage with an air of calm charisma; he is clearly enjoying himself and that makes him very likeable. Rachael Stirling is powerful as the “ideal wife” Lady Chiltern, but I found her a tad irritating to watch after a while.  I was pleased to see Fiona Button as the chirpy Miss Mabel Chiltern, I previously saw her in TV series Lip Service and she interacts adorably with Cowan. Samantha Bond causes a stir as blackmailing Mrs Cheveley, known for her part in the Bond films, she is a familiar face to the audience. She occasionally stumbled over her words but was impressive and commands attention in her glorious gowns.

An Ideal Husband continues at The Vaudeville Theatre until 19 Feb 2011, book An Ideal Husband tickets here.