All stories by Brian Logan on BroadwayStars

Sunday, May 11, 2014

Jimmy Carr review does he enjoy being himself? by Brian Logan

Dorking HallsIn Funny Business, Jimmy Carr looks like a rich man making all the usual cruel remarks about Poles, lesbians and rape victimsDoes Jimmy Carr enjoy being Jimmy Carr? As an intell…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 05:44AM
Friday, May 9, 2014

Andrew Maxwell: a local comedy show for local people by Brian Logan

The Dubliner is touring London, and only London, with an act about the capital. Is regionalism the next big thing in comedy?The comedian Andrew Maxwell is doing something unusual next week (…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:58AM
Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Gruff Rhys review dotty prog-pop cabaret that tells an irresistible tale by Brian Logan

Soho theatre, LondonThe Super Furry Animals frontman brings his concept album, American Interior, to the stage in a ramshackle showIn 1170, as you no doubt know, America was discovered by th…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 07:23AM
Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Breakin' Convention: a comedy critic's take on the hip-hop festival by Brian Logan

From Street Kingdom's jittery krumping to Ukweli Roach's thoughtful dance about addiction, the best performers used visual punch lines and strong stories to reach audiences Breakin' Conventi…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 06:53AM
Monday, May 5, 2014

David Baddiel's Fame: Not the Musical review tales of trolls and groupies by Brian Logan

Menier Chocolate Factory, LondonIn a two-hour show on the perks and perils of fame, the comic strikes a deft balance between modesty and self-regardWe live in a celebrity-obsessed age, so it…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 07:54AM
Friday, May 2, 2014

Is Jeremy Paxman set to become Britain's Jon Stewart? by Brian Logan

The Daily Show and John Oliver's HBO gig prove that politics coverage benefits from a humorous touch. Now the Newsnight host looks set to explore a career in comedyJeremy Paxman quit Newsnig…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 11:22AM
Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Katherine Ryan review anti-sexist comedy ... with a bit of booty-shaking by Brian Logan

Katherine Ryan explores celebrity, sex and single motherhood in a flamboyant, sharp-tongued routine Behind the joke: Katherine Ryan "All I've ever wanted to be is a strong, powerful, beauti…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 10:52AM

Cardinal Burns: the comedy duo shaking up TV sketch shows by Brian Logan

They wear prosthetic penises as noses and turn Banksy into a suburban dullard. Brian Logan meets Cardinal Burns, the comedy duo bringing cinema values to the TV sketch showLittle and large. …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 03:00AM
Saturday, April 19, 2014

TV loves a tragic standup - but who's next? by Brian Logan

We've had Kenneth Williams, Kenny Everett, Frankie Howerd and Steptoe and Son now Tommy Cooper is getting the tears-of-a-clown dramatic treatmentDoes it sometimes seem to you that televisio…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 06:30AM
Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Russell Howard review 'beige comedy with nothing to say' by Brian Logan

Royal Albert Hall, LondonThere's no denying Howard's technical mastery, but his show relies on funny voices rather than contentAt one point in this show, Russell Howard in one of his many c…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 01:07PM
Monday, April 14, 2014

The Malcontent review Globe Young Players stage authentic but flat revival by Brian Logan

Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, LondonA company of actors aged 12 to 16 has trouble bringing psychological depth to John Marston's murderous dramaWritten for boy actors' troupe the Children of the …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 11:20AM
Sunday, April 13, 2014

Alan Davies review the QI man plays it safe by Brian Logan

Fairfield Halls, CroydonCleaving far too much to conventional 90s laddish standup, Davies is best when he goes further back in time"It's marvellous being a standup comedian," says …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 10:54AM
Saturday, April 12, 2014

Can Edinburgh resurrect Jim Davidson, comedy dinosaur? by Brian Logan

A surprise run at the Assembly Rooms this August is a chance for Davidson to fall in with more progressive comedy trends. But will he take it?It sometimes seems as though anyone can be rehab…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 05:30AM
Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Pam Ann review 'Comedy of casual smut and insult' by Brian Logan

Leicester Square theatreHer misanthropic nymphomaniac shtick may be purposefully provocative, but Pam Ann's lewd talk, Asian accents and airline industry stereotypes make for deadening humou…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 12:54PM
Friday, April 4, 2014

Louis CK exposes the existential dread of mobile phones brilliantly by Brian Logan

Few comedians go as deep as Louis CK, who uses a chatshow to expose the sad hollowness of technology and existenceThe best comedy doesn't just make you laugh in the moment, it depth-charges…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 04:00AM
Monday, March 24, 2014

Norman Lovett review – Droopy Dogg standup is fatally underpowered by Brian Logan

Ex-Red Dwarfer Lovett's personality is attractive, but this show needs an editorIn a basement under Leicester Square, 67-year-old Norman Lovett is putting a dog-poo bag on his head. And why …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 12:31PM
Friday, March 21, 2014

Do Miranda's knowing nods to camera burst the live audience's bubble? by Brian Logan

Miranda Hart uses some of her conspiratorial TV sitcom moves in her arena show, but the best comics can make big venues seem intimate without resorting to screen tricksMiranda Hart likes thr…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:54AM
Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Lynn Ruth Miller: Granny's Gone Wild review – sparky octogenarian standup by Brian Logan

Soho Theatre, LondonIt's debatable whether this challenges or reinforces stereotypes about age, but the carpe diem message is undeniably appealingWe're used to standups complaining about fee…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 09:43AM
Friday, March 14, 2014

Jonny and the Baptists v Ukip: aren't there better targets to lampoon? by Brian Logan

After their YouTube video went viral, the comedy duo are expanding their Stop Ukip tour. But do they have anything new to say about Nigel Farage's party?• Stewart Lee: a vision of life und…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 12:16PM

Tim Key: Single White Slut review - 'Leagues ahead of most standup' by Brian Logan

Arcola Tent, LondonKey combines theatrics and whimsy to hilarious effect – but at times style triumphs over substanceAfter a sell-out Soho theatre run, Tim Key has taken up residence in a…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 10:07AM
Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Miranda Hart review – 'Jolly and child-hearted, but not ambitious' by Brian Logan

Hart's My What I Call Stand Up tour is cause for celebration, but some of her material is so old it needs carbon-dating"This isn't just a show," Miranda Hart tells her 16,000-strong crowd. "…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:57PM
Monday, March 10, 2014

Mitch Benn review – 'Fun for the sheer militancy of his Beatles devotion' by Brian Logan

North Wall, OxfordEven if you don't like the Beatles, Mitch Benn's jaunty lecture on the Fab Four makes for an engaging eveningMany people have been credited as "the fifth Beatle" over the y…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 09:44AM
Thursday, March 6, 2014

Jack Whitehall: standing up for Cameron's Britain by Brian Logan

In Whitehall's routines, poshness is a depoliticised quirk, like being tall. You can only laugh at his jokes if you think disadvantage isn't worth getting upset about• Jack Whitehall inter…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 04:56AM
Friday, February 28, 2014

Debut standup comedy tour puts TV star Miranda Hart on the spot by Brian Logan

Nation's pratfaller-in-chief gambles on shift from eponymous sitcom and Call the Midwife to live show in UK's largest arenasIt was announced over a year ago; she has being giving interviews …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 02:00AM
Friday, February 21, 2014

Chris Ramsey – review by Brian Logan

Stables, Milton KeynesRamsey's boisterous storytelling establishes a strong rapport with his audience – but his material too often lacks insightComedians are the canaries in the mine of mo…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:38AM
Thursday, February 20, 2014

Chris Morris: the comeback starts here by Brian Logan

After a rare stage appearance at Stewart Lee's recent standup gig, the Brass Eye comedian is returning to TV. Now, more than ever, we need a satirist with his fearlessnessBrendon Burns wrote…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 09:12AM
Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Miles Jupp – review by Brian Logan

Ambassadors, London His suitcase gags are cute, but this show goes from strength to strength as Jupp finds subjects worthy of his moral outrageIt's a keen pleasure to see a comedian bust out…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:17AM
Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Danny Cohen's panel-show gender pledge won't halt the comedy rot by Brian Logan

The gender imbalance is a problem – but the smugness, scripted improv and stale formats are beyond satireEnchanting comments below the line on my review of Sarah Millican the other day. "…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 07:53AM
Sunday, February 9, 2014

Sarah Millican – review by Brian Logan

Corn Exchange, CambridgeBritain's favourite funny woman is a deft comic, but her frankness about vibrators, pubic grooming and anal bleaching trades on shock that quickly wears offSarah Mill…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 09:26AM
Thursday, February 6, 2014

The Rubberbandits – review by Brian Logan

Soho theatre, LondonMoving from underground phenomenon to recognisable comedy stars hasn't dulled the masked duo's dissent in songs on abortion, misbehaviour and dust-ups in churchThe tissue…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 10:57AM
Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Leicester comedy festival: from student project to tourist attraction by Brian Logan

The east Midlands' foremost festival of funniness is 21 this year, and with a mouthwatering array of big names and one-off events it seems to have come of ageWhat would you guess to be the l…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 09:38AM

All that Chat

2024-2025 BROADWAY SEASON
Jun 05, 2024: Home - Todd Haimes Theatre
Jul 11, 2024: Oh, Mary! - Lyceum Theatre
Jul 30, 2024: Job - Hayes Theater
Sep 12, 2024: The Roommate - Booth Theatre
Nov 14, 2024: Tammy Faye - Palace Theatre
Dec 12, 2024: Cult of Love - Hayes Theater
Dec 19, 2024: Gypsy - Majestic Theatre
Mar 17, 2025: Purpose - Hayes Theater
Apr 01, 2025: Glengarry Glen Ross
Apr 10, 2025: Smash - Imperial Theatre
TBA: Titanic