All stories by Brian Logan on BroadwayStars

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Jerry Sadowitz – review by Brian Logan

Leicester Square Theatre, London"It doesn't interest me," said Jerry Sadowitz in a recent interview, when asked about his now notorious 1980s routine that branded Jimmy Savile a paedophile. …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 12:28PM
Thursday, December 6, 2012

Nick Mohammed – review by Brian Logan

Invisible Dot, LondonThree hundred and sixty-four presents. That's how many you'd get if you were given everything mentioned in The Twelve Days of Christmas. Nick Mohammed has worked this ou…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:03AM
Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Morecambe and Wise nearly uncoupled, and cocaine is heckler's best line by Brian Logan

How close we came to losing a classic double act, standup discovers suspect package and Frankie Boyle's latest scrapThis week's comedy newsMorecambe and … no one? A "what if?" story from c…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 11:54AM
Monday, December 3, 2012

Merrie Hell: David Hoyle and Richard Thomas do Christmas the weird way by Brian Logan

Performance artist David Hoyle has paired up with the composer of Jerry Springer: the Opera for an alternative take on Christmas cabaret. The pair talk satanists, gay soldiers and why their …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 07:11AM
Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Judith Lucy – review by Brian Logan

Soho Theatre, LondonJudith Lucy is a household name in Australia, but making her London debut at the Soho Theatre, she's asking us to "think of this less as a gig, more as a worksh…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 12:40PM
Thursday, November 8, 2012

Josie Long – review by Brian Logan

Soho theatre, LondonThe show is called Romance and Adventure, but that's deceptive, says Josie Long: it should be called "how do you carry on when you're in the pit of despair?" Long makes p…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 12:26PM
Monday, November 5, 2012

Greg Davies – review by Brian Logan

Orchard theatre, DartfordI don't think you should ever have to grow up, says Greg Davies – and the Inbetweeners and Cuckoo star puts the point into practice in his new touring show. You m…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 02:08PM
Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Ian McKellen and Derek Jacobi tie the knot, while Tina Fey lets rip at Republicans by Brian Logan

In this week's roundup: illustrious actors to star in a new sitcom called Vicious Old Queens, and Fey makes her displeasure known at 'grey-faced men' sounding off about rapeThis week's comed…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 12:25PM
Monday, October 29, 2012

Russell Kane – review by Brian Logan

Hammersmith Apollo, LondonIs it laughable for a young, single male to fret that he may never have children? Is the biological clock something that only ticks for women? Russell Kane is alien…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 01:26PM
Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Joan Rivers – review by Brian Logan

Royal Albert Hall, LondonThe Albert Hall doesn't look as stately as it did – but it's still incongruous to see Joan Rivers in this grand old rotunda, making the air curl with malice, …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 01:27PM

Joan Rivers review by Brian Logan

Royal Albert Hall, London Continue reading...

SOURCE: The Guardian at 01:27PM

Rowan Atkinson defends freedom of speech, while Frankie Boyle wins it in court by Brian Logan

Mr Bean star campaigns against act outlawing 'insulting words', Frankie Boyle wins more than £50,000 in libel damages … and one standup spectator laughs so hard she goes into labourThis w…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 09:00AM
Sunday, October 21, 2012

Richard Herring – review by Brian Logan

Purcell Room, LondonWhy are penises funny? Why is there so much anxiety surrounding their size? Half sex seminar, half comedy show, Richard Herring's Talking Cock has risen ag…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 11:56AM
Thursday, October 18, 2012

Shappi Khorsandi – review by Brian Logan

Soho, LondonThis isn't Shappi Khorsandi's first show about a failed relationship, but it is the first where her niceness doesn't get in the way. On her current tour, she is talking about an …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 12:49PM
Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Frankie Boyle sues, while Sarah Silverman falls foul of fellow Jews by Brian Logan

Boyle sues the Mirror for libel, Silverman learns not to cross a rabbi, and Stephen K Amos gets the last – and longest – laughThis week's comedy newsWe've been arguing about "offensive" …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 09:11AM
Monday, October 8, 2012

Rob Delaney – review by Brian Logan

Soho theatre, LondonIt's not assured that a standup who is huge on Twitter will translate to the stage. Good to report, then, that US comic Rob Delaney – 619,000 followers and counting –…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 01:45PM
Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Michael Richards revisits his racist rant … and the bonuses of being Brucie by Brian Logan

The Seinfeld star discusses the episode that ended his standup career, Daniel Radcliffe and Jon Hamm get revolutionary – and an unexpected side to Bruce ForsythThe week's comedy newsThis w…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 11:01AM

Michael Richards revisits his racist rant … and the bonuses of being Brucie by Brian Logan

The Seinfeld star discusses the episode that ended his standup career, Daniel Radcliffe and Jon Hamm get revolutionary – and an unexpected side to Bruce Forsyth Continue reading...

SOURCE: The Guardian at 11:01AM

Michael Richards revisits his racist rant … and the bonuses of being Brucie by Brian Logan

The Seinfeld star discusses the episode that ended his standup career, Daniel Radcliffe and Jon Hamm get revolutionary – and an unexpected side to Bruce ForsythThis week, we finally get th…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 11:01AM
Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Rory Sheridan's Tales of the Antarctic – review by Brian Logan

Invisible Dot, LondonCaptain Scott, Amundsen, Shackleton: their heroic exploits are well documented. But until now, who knew about Rory Sheridan's error-strewn 1914 voyage to Antarctica – …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 01:06PM
Sunday, September 23, 2012

John Shuttleworth – review by Brian Logan

Bloomsbury theatre, LondonThose of us who have long believed John Shuttleworth's songs to harbour untapped reserves of musical and emotional potency could hardly resist this breast cancer ch…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 11:16AM
Friday, September 21, 2012

The Establishment Club – review by Brian Logan

Ronnie Scott's, LondonComedy is "a conveyor belt of idiots who want to make a career out of panel shows", a belligerent Keith Allen tells us at the relaunch of Peter Cook's legendary comedy …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 12:52PM
Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Idiots of Ants: Model Citizens – review by Brian Logan

Soho theatreIn their current show, Model Citizens, sketch troupe Idiots of Ants make a big deal of the audience. One of their number, Elliott Tiney, becomes (to the musical accompaniment of …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 09:04AM
Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Peter Cook and Frank Sidebottom rise again – and Airplane flies to the top of the polls by Brian Logan

As cult comics speak to us from beyond the grave, Julian Clary and Airplane display their enduring popularityBest of this week's newsCult comics speak to us from beyond the grave this week, …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 11:07AM
Thursday, September 6, 2012

Jon Richardson – review by Brian Logan

Orchard, DartfordNeurosis makes for good comedy. It certainly isn't doing Jon Richardson's career any harm. The 8 Out of 10 Cats team captain is now taking his fretfulness and borderlin…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 01:14PM
Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Fascinating Aïda – review by Brian Logan

Southbank Centre, LondonNot for the first time, a cheap flight takes us from somewhere pedestrian to somewhere delightful. I found the first half of Fascinating Aïda's gig easy to admire bu…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 11:41AM
Tuesday, September 4, 2012

John Cleese launches attack on Iran and Armando Iannucci starts fight with America by Brian Logan

Cleese declares war in an Israeli advert, but redeems himself in the trailer for a Monty Python film about the late Graham Chapman – and Armando Iannucci says the US version of The Thick o…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 11:49AM
Monday, August 27, 2012

Sandi Toksvig – Edinburgh festival review by Brian Logan

PleasanceWhy, after so many years, am I still so enthusiastic about life? That's what Sandi Toksvig explores in this new sort-of standup show. It's a measure of her charm that she gets away …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 01:00PM

Edinburgh festival 2012: the highlights by Lyn Gardner and Brian Logan

David Hasselhoff lost his kilt, Arthur's Seat glowed, and there was a steamy Miss Julie. Brian Logan and Lyn Gardner pick their Edinburgh festival highlightsWhat was different about the Edin…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 12:32PM
Thursday, August 23, 2012

Doctor Brown – Edinburgh festival review by Brian Logan

UnderbellyFrank Skinner, Steve Coogan, Dylan Moran ... Doctor Brown? The prospect of this sexually charged clown act joining the rollcall of Edinburgh comedy award winners is a delicious one…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 12:51PM
Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Pappy's: Last Show Ever – Edinburgh festival review by Brian Logan

Pleasance DomeComedy fans in Edinburgh will have seen the posters reading "Last Show Ever" and shuddered. Perish the thought that this lovable anarcho-sketch-comedy act should call it a day.…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 10:26AM