Comedian John Tothill is taking his acclaimed Edinburgh Comedy Award-nominated show on the road.
In 2024, John Tothill nearly died. In 2025, he went on an underwhelming cruise. Both events were equally life changing.
Join John in his own personal paradise as he attempts to monetise what life he has left.
This Must Be Heaven is the third chapter in John’s increasingly baroque saga of poor health, fabulously bad luck, and flamboyant overcommitment. But if John had his way, it would simply be a light-hearted pre-drinks for like-minded sinners… In fact, he WILL have his way. Join John Tothill for a light-hearted pre-drinks for like-minded sinners.
In late 2023, John took part in a paid clinical trial in which he deliberately contracted malaria to fund his Fringe run. It made the headlines in 2024, when journalists discovered the full scope of what artists are willing to do to take a show to the largest arts festival in the world. Then, during that 2024 run, in a theatrical gesture of one-upmanship, his appendix burst mid-show. Quietly. The culprit? A late-night cheesy chips. Didn’t know junk food could cause your appendix to rupture? Well, it can…
John proceeded to deliver five more performances with, he later discovered, “a completely obliterated” organ. He was then rushed into emergency surgery, where doctors informed him that he’d been just 24 hours away from fatal sepsis. But, inevitably, he came back, resurrected like Lazarus, gloriously performing the last few shows of the run. A true showman until the very end.
He returns to the stage with This Must Be Heaven – a show about bodily betrayal, moral misadventure, the 19th-century oyster thief Edward Dando, and the loud indignity of being heckled on-stage on a cruise ship.
It’s 60 minutes. It probably won’t teach you anything. But it might just be heaven.
Support for Alan Davies, Emma Sidi, Mitch Wood, Sheeps & Fiona Allen. As seen on Comedy Central Live.
This Must Be Heaven is directed by Alex Cartlidge and Kathryn Craigmyle.
Tour Dates:
Monday 6th October-Saturday 11th October 2025 - London | Soho Theatre
Saturday 21st February 2026 - Edinburgh | Monkey Barrel Comedy
Wednesday 25th February 2026 - Brighton | Komedia
Thursday 26th February 2026 - Bristol | Alma Tavern
Friday 27th February 2026 - Manchester | Fairfield Social Club
Saturday 7th March 2026 - Birmingham | Glee Club
Sunday 8th March 2026 - Oxford | Glee Club
Thursday 12th March 2026 - Cambridge | Junction
Friday 20th March 2026 - Glasgow | Òran Mór (Glasgow International Comedy Festival)
Picture Credit: Rebecca Need-Menear
