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comedy · Saturday 19 September 2026 · 8:00pm 
William Thompson - Touch
At The Playhouse Derry · 5-7 Artillery St, Londonderry BT48 6DA
At The Playhouse Derry · 5-7 Artillery St, Londonderry BT48 6DA
William Thompson brings his show “Touch” to The Playhouse Derry this September - a sharp, surreal stand-up hour from one of Northern Ireland’s most talked-about comedians. Thompson is a Belfast native and BBC New Comedy Awards finalist who has sold out runs at the Edinburgh Fringe and performed on Dave, Channel 4, and the BBC. His material mixes dark personal anecdotes with surreal observations on the world as it is right now, delivered with the kind of fluid, natural stage presence that tends to get audiences leaning forward. This is a good pick if you enjoy comedy that has something to say rather than just filling time.
The show’s working title “Touch” - part of a broader tour also billed as “Touch Grass” - places social media and screen culture under the microscope, examining the gap between online life and the real thing. Thompson is not a shouter. His reputation rests on punchy writing and a strong connection with the room, and his sets have a habit of finding darkness in ordinary situations without becoming grim. Expect an hour of well-crafted stand-up from a comedian who has earned his place on the circuit through strong material rather than hype. The Playhouse is an intimate city-centre venue, so there is no bad seat in the house.
The Playhouse sits on Artillery Street, just inside Derry’s medieval walls. It is a short walk from the bus station on Foyle Street and easily reached from the city’s main car parks, including Foyle Street and Quayside. If you’re driving from Belfast, the A6 brings you into Derry in around an hour and a half. Trains run from Belfast to Derry (Londonderry station) on the Derry Line, with the venue around a ten-minute walk from the station.
Artillery Street puts you steps from the city walls, the Guildhall, and the Bogside murals - all worth time before or after the show. The stretch of bars and restaurants around the Diamond and Shipquay Street is a short walk away if you’re looking for somewhere to eat first. There is more to see in Derry and across Co. Derry.
Heading to The Playhouse Derry in Derry? Derry has plenty more to see. Read the Derry area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.