Thursday, August 10, 2023
Pleasance Courtyard, EdinburghPlumbing the realms of the unexpected, O’Neill plays both parts of a clowning double act, masterfully testing the limits of freak-out comedy
‘One banana, tw…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 07:25PMWednesday, August 9, 2023
Summerhall, EdinburghThe comic relives being a carer for a lovably eccentric adopted uncle in a heartfelt show that demonstrates caring’s reciprocal flow
The “dead dad show” is a fring…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 03:07PMMonkey Barrel at the Tron, EdinburghThis part-improvised, largely mimed and entirely chaotic comic play about guinea pigs and bank robbery is ramshackle fun
Edinburgh comedy award-nominated …
SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:37AMTuesday, August 8, 2023
Pleasance Dome, EdinburghThe polarising comic overthinks relationships and family ties before leading his audience into territory where he’s not after laughs
Drew Michael’s first televis…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 05:37PMMonkey Barrel Comedy, EdinburghNational stereotypes aside, the cordial TikTok star delivers lively cross-Channel observations and adds a soupçon of substance
Social media rewards high conce…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 04:33PMPleasance Courtyard, EdinburghThis relentlessly upbeat call to relish life’s little boons was an awardwinner at Melbourne’s comedy festival and is a fun hour
Misery loves comedy, they sa…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 03:33AMMonday, August 7, 2023
Pleasance Courtyard, EdinburghThe comedian rebrands as angry for her second show, but it’s her likable comic persona that proves irresistible
Not the least achievement of Chloe Petts’ de…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 11:13AMUnderbelly Cowgate, EdinburghUS comedians Anne Gregory and Rebekka Johnson front a satire of girl bossing, with guest acts including the British pop star
It’s a bit of one thing and a bit …
SOURCE: The Guardian at 10:07AMAssembly Hall, EdinburghIs the fringe veteran stretching himself? No, but his laconic style is deceptive: he’s never less than beadily alert
Might knob gags be defended on the basis of cul…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 04:37AMSunday, August 6, 2023
Pleasance Courtyard, EdinburghAfter moving to Glasgow, the Yorkshire standup dreams of reinventing himself as a Scotsman – but will faking an accent and ordering vegan haggis be enough?
Th…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 05:43PMTuesday, August 1, 2023
The Norwegian clown, whose hi-vis strip show won BGT and took over TikTok, is bringing his silliness to a yurt in Edinburgh. ‘Something bigger than me is happening,’ he says. ‘It’s o…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 10:25AMThursday, July 20, 2023
Soho theatre, LondonThe Irish standup’s new show swerves from the problems with getting older to 80s nostalgia, and just about pulls it off
“I’m ageing by the minute,” says Deirdre O…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 07:25AMThursday, July 13, 2023
Soho theatre, LondonAn AI comedian cracks jokes tailored to the audience’s internet search history in this spoof corporate presentation
Streaming platforms increasingly tailor content to o…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 01:37PMSoho theatre, LondonAnything goes in this oddball show that sees the two American TV comics veer from deliberately duff jokes to tricksy absurdity
‘Most comedians do one type of comedy. We…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:07AMFriday, July 7, 2023
Preston Park, BrightonMatafeo offers up heartbreak hilarity and Wang brings his dad jacket to the charming outdoor event with the nastiest hecklers on the south coast
It is, says host Suzie …
SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:49AMAt a late hour, the former Perrier has found new sponsors. Some winners have mixed feelings about it but the prize brings attention to an art form that doesn’t get enough appreciation
The …
SOURCE: The Guardian at 07:43AMWednesday, July 5, 2023
Soho theatre, LondonNewman’s boffin-ish routines reach for huge ideas about humankind and its ancestors via Gary Numan and DH Lawrence
The closing song of Rob Newman’s new show hymns hom…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 09:07AMCracking comedy, an eclectic mix of theatre – and aerial dance in an ice rink. Our critics share their picks for the August arts extravaganza
Rhod Gilbert: Work in Progress Gilded Balloon …
SOURCE: The Guardian at 09:07AMWednesday, June 28, 2023
Theatre Royal, Drury LaneParks and Recreation actor is his own modest self in a show that has rugged charm in spades, from his rocking-chair-on-the-stoop delivery of stories to entertaining …
SOURCE: The Guardian at 09:55AMSunday, June 25, 2023
The Other Palace, London Be prepared to be won over to the pleasures of scouting by Gigglemug’s winning mix of knots, knockabout games and infectious songs
You could look at the Scout move…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 11:04AMThursday, June 22, 2023
Old Fire Station, Oxford The Drag Race Down Under judge plays an amused, sometimes confused, observer of social foibles through an arch anthropological lens
I’m all for standup that feels …
SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:13AMFriday, June 16, 2023
Brighton CentreIn Settling Down, the standup promises more mature work to match his imminent parenthood but the material remains superficial
A new comedian struggles to be born in Jack White…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 10:37AMThursday, June 15, 2023
The duo’s First Final UK Tour is more amusing than astonishing but demonstrates what drew them to the confounding craft in the first place
Penn & Teller’s professional relationship i…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 04:07PMSoho theatre, LondonThe Indian standup’s Unalive show is stronger for its satire on her native country’s super-rich than its mild, middling musings on coronavirus
A show of two halves, …
SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:25AMWednesday, June 7, 2023
Soho theatre, LondonReminiscing about her Irish upbringing, and later being wallflowered at children’s parties, Doran is an assured if reticent performer
‘One of the hottest young stars …
SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:33AMWednesday, May 31, 2023
Soho theatre, LondonThe Irish drag queen and activist, AKA Rory O’Neill, feelingly recounts her journey in a country long hostile to difference
What am I for any more? That’s the questio…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 10:06AMMonday, May 29, 2023
In the run-up to the festival, our writers will choose new productions that have caught their eye – but here’s a selection of those we’ve already reviewed
Richard Marsh has clearly see…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 10:24AMFriday, May 26, 2023
Komedia, BrightonThe standup delivers the finest set of his career – touching on fatherhood, bin bags and Van Gogh Lego
You could watch John Kearns’ act for a long time before thinking o…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 07:12AMMonday, May 22, 2023
Royal Festival Hall, LondonIn a quietly confident show with gags from the sophisticated to the stupid, the comic is consistently enjoyable
There’s something for everyone in a Phil Wang sho…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:32AMFriday, May 19, 2023
The standup has successfully used laughter as a balm, creating a safe space for himself and the audience to engage with this most difficult of subjects
The death of a loved one. It’s the l…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 10:36AMThursday, May 18, 2023
Criterion theatre, LondonCaroline Leslie’s production sends up the less problematic Victorian foibles with a terrifically spirited barrage of juicy one-liners, blunt anachronisms and pleas…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 09:42PM 
