Friday, April 21, 2017
Richmond theatreHunter’s mercurial logic takes him into territory other comics don’t occupy … but sometimes leads him astrayReginald D Hunter begins with an apology to audiences who kn…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 10:18AMThursday, April 20, 2017
South Hill Park, BracknellSkype sex and confetti cannons are harnessed to full effect by a likable performer who breathes new life into a time-honoured persona‘Who here saw me on I’m a C…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 09:02AMWednesday, April 12, 2017
Soho theatre, London The Chicago pair show they are masters of their art with an off-the-cuff performance that is as poignant and sharply observed as any scripted showMost writers and comics…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 07:02AMTuesday, April 11, 2017
Soho theatre, LondonAs well as diagnosing the entertaining eccentricities of patients, musical comic Kay issues an electrifying clarion call on behalf of NHS staffMusical comic Adam Kay is a…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 07:36AMTuesday, April 4, 2017
Pleasance, LondonThis lovably stupid group breathe fresh air into traditional material – even the throwaway jokes are hilariousI’m all for the shock of the new – but sometimes the old,…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:42AMMonday, April 3, 2017
Hammersmith Apollo, LondonChappelle kicks off with gleeful, scorching indelicacy, but his cock-of-the-walk comedy doesn’t always match his considerable charisma You’d think it was a rock…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 05:24PMThe onstage returns of Ricky Gervais and Dave Chappelle have both brought criticism of their jokes about trans people. Can their approach of tackling taboos with a sledgehammer ever work or …
SOURCE: The Guardian at 04:18PMFriday, March 31, 2017
Leicester Square theatre, LondonIn his upbeat new show, Westphalia Is Not an Option, the playful standup tackles the EU referendum resultIn the age of Brexit, is self-styled German comedy am…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 05:18AMMonday, March 27, 2017
Nuffield, SouthamptonParsons’ cynicism about comedy’s transformative potential doesn’t stop him impaling his political targets with some smart barbsSatire has minimal effect, Andy Pars…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 06:54AMThursday, March 23, 2017
Soho theatre, LondonLight-hearted but trenchant, Ilyas’s show Made in Britain keeps the audience on their toes as he focuses on what unites, rather than divides usAfter the EU referendum r…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 06:42AMTuesday, March 21, 2017
Soho theatre, LondonThe US standup takes a bull-in-a-china-shop approach to social anthropology – and riffs on the horrors of sleeping with someone born in the 90sAmerican comedian and the…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 10:18AMSaturday, March 18, 2017
The US actor sparks a fresh debate about racial jokes – and isn't the only one. Meanwhile, could Ricky Gervais swing a record deal for David Brent? And Spotify launches a comedy appComedia…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 10:32PMThursday, March 16, 2017
With his vicious puppet and heavy drinking, Jeremy Lion is no ordinary clown. His creator talks to Brian LoganBy day, he is Justin Edwards: a modest and mild-mannered comic, one third of ske…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 01:02PMSoho theatre, LondonThe standup’s letter to her teenage self prompts some fine routines about maturity, parenthood and suburban livingThere are only three types of standup show, jokes Lucy…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 10:48AMTuesday, March 14, 2017
The comic has been accused of transphobia after riffing about Caitlyn Jenner in his standup show. So does giving him a favourable review endorse those gags?Ricky Gervais sometimes gets peopl…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 02:36PMMonday, March 6, 2017
Soho theatre, LondonThe Austentatious comedian divides the audience into competing teams in this frivolous, sometimes surreal and very likable showThe improv group Austentatious has become q…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 11:42AMThursday, March 2, 2017
Lyttelton, LondonKate Fleetwood plays an American soldier returning home from a tour of duty in a striking, hi-tech production directed by Indhu RubasinghamWe know virtual reality is changin…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 11:32AMThe comic who presented a TV series on the rise of the far right is back with a show that combines goofballery with cultural commentaryDid you see Hate Thy Neighbor on Viceland TV? A sizeabl…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 02:42AMSunday, February 26, 2017
Theatre Royal, Brighton Walsh wears his comic curmudgeonliness well as he rebels against sober maturity, clean eating, Tinder, vapes and smartphonesProfessional curmudgeon is a familiar stan…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 09:06AMFriday, February 24, 2017
Also this week, Ronnie Corbett couldn't make it in comedy now, Billy Connolly smoked the Bible and Marmite man Judd ApatowIn the week we lost Richard Briers, one of the all-time TV comedy gr…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 07:18AMColston Hall, BristolGervais’s new set, Humanity, is pumped with scorn and provocation but the inclusion of more personal material gives a rare glimpse of a gentler man In his new standup …
SOURCE: The Guardian at 07:18AMThursday, February 23, 2017
Soho theatre, LondonLike a British Doug Stanhope, the provocative comic oozes scorn, cynicism and sardonic spleenThere’s a gap in the market for a British Doug Stanhope, although Alfie Bro…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 04:48PMWednesday, February 22, 2017
Soho theatre, LondonScout leaders haunt the woods with crossbows and there are groansome puns aplenty in this deliciously silly coming-of-age showAfter half a dozen shows together, Max Olesk…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 12:36PMMonday, February 20, 2017
Corden’s US TV debut is a success, but the mutual back-slappery of such chatshows is almost unwatchable – all the more so when the hosts are comediansDid you ever watch Simon Amstell on …
SOURCE: The Guardian at 10:18AMThe Stables, Milton Keynes The standup reveals she’s taken up boxing on her Calman Before the Storm tour, and the show swipes energetically at a formidable array of targets“No one says, …
SOURCE: The Guardian at 09:06AMFriday, February 17, 2017
Cambridge Corn ExchangeThe ex-Bake Off presenter’s show is a droll self-portrait full of nostalgia with hints at hidden depths, though risks are scarceNeither standup show nor book tour, b…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 07:48AMSunday, February 12, 2017
London Palladium, LondonThe US comedian’s first standup show in the UK got personal with segments about the indignities of getting old and her resentment for her child-friendly reputation …
SOURCE: The Guardian at 01:24PMWednesday, February 8, 2017
A white coat is often a sign of funny bones, as periodic outbreaks of medically trained comedians demonstrateIs there an affinity between comedy and medicine? Certainly, a notable number of …
SOURCE: The Guardian at 11:42AMSoho theatre, London The comic alter egos of Dan Renton Skinner and Alex Lowe claim to be the New Power Generation come to save us in a thin but skilfully written showIt’s a match made in …
SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:24AMThursday, February 2, 2017
City Varieties Music Hall, Leeds The broadcaster’s first standup tour, Cradle to the Stage, is a lucky-dip of nostalgic childhood stories and showbiz anecdotesYou’ve read the autobiograp…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:04AMThursday, January 26, 2017
Soho theatre, LondonThe Iranian-born comic, marking 40 years since her arrival in the UK, makes a compelling argument for the multifaceted nature of nationhoodThe first 10 minutes of Shappi …
SOURCE: The Guardian at 03:48AM 
