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Monday, September 30, 2019

Volcanic smash: meet Ari Eldjárn, Iceland's hottest comic by Ben Williams

The former flight attendant started standup as a dare – now he’s a sellout star. But how will his Nordic innuendos work in England? This winter, comedian Ari Eldjárn will play to thousa…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 04:48PM

Wednesday, August 1, 2018

Booze, bankruptcy, brain haemorrhage: the comics turning tragedy into laughs by Ben Williams

A former alcoholic, a cancer survivor and a man who lost all his money in a Bitcoin crash are among the comics coming back from the brink at the Edinburgh fringe ‘I didn’t start drinking…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 01:18AM

Monday, March 12, 2018

Ken Dodd, the man from Mirthy-side: a career in clips and 10 of his best jokes by Ben Williams

From the Diddymen to dissecting northern humour, the Liverpudlian’s sense of absurdity never deserted himMy agent died at 90. I always think he was 100 and kept 10% for himself. Continue r…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 12:31PM

Thursday, March 8, 2018

Is Facebook killing online comedy? by Ben Williams

Job cuts at Funny or Die suggest making money from comedy videos is harder than ever – and some blame the social-media titan. But a new wave of creators are finding ways to thriveEarlier t…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:38AM

Friday, March 2, 2018

Barry Crimmins: the standup comic who stood up for those who couldn't by Ben Williams

The late satirical comic was an early name in an underpopulated subgenre and spent his life campaigning to protect children from sexual abuseSince the birth of alternative comedy, many stand…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 12:13PM

Monday, February 5, 2018

'My accent's ridiculous so it's great for comedy': standups on their home town's humour by Ben Williams

Does a regional accent give you a headstart in standup? Are some places funnier than others? Jayde Adams, Tez Ilyas and Ardal O’Hanlon explore laughter and localityAn Englishman, an Irishm…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 05:00AM

Friday, November 3, 2017

Don't go there? Standups on Weinstein, taboos – and the gags they regret by Ben Williams

Is it ever OK for comedians to joke about sexual assault? Is there such a thing as ‘too soon’? Margaret Cho, Doug Stanhope, David Cross and other fearless comics on the fine line between…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 09:36AM

Tuesday, July 11, 2017

Heard the one about the standup who built lift shafts? Comedians on their previous careers by Ben Williams

Modelling bras for Asda, giving tours of parliament, proving yourself on a building site … top comics relive their old day jobs Continue reading...

SOURCE: The Guardian at 01:54PM

Friday, February 3, 2017

How Bridget Christie found the funny side of Brexit by Ben Williams

After the EU referendum result, Bridget Christie ripped up her Edinburgh show and created a new one in just a few weeks. This is an anatomy of a standup set that has changed with the headlin…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 09:18AM

Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Seriously funny: the new comedy agents steering standups' careers by Ben Williams

An alternative style of artist management is helping talents such as James Acaster and Dane Baptiste take a long-game approach. Rule No 1? Be niceBack in the 1990s, when club comics such as …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 01:06PM

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