All stories by Rachel Aroesti on BroadwayStars

Friday, March 15, 2024

‘Maybe everybody feels socially awkward’: the standups turning being autistic into a comedy superpower by Rachel Aroesti

From Fern Brady to Hannah Gadsby, a host of comedians have discovered that they are autistic. What is it about standup that lends itself so well to neurodivergent people? In 2020, Pierre Nov…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 11:32AM
Wednesday, February 14, 2024

‘It’s almost like karaoke’: classic UK TV sitcoms transfer to stage – and thrill the superfans by Rachel Aroesti

Fawlty Towers, The Fast Show, Only Fools and Horses … the vogue for screen-to-stage shows taps into our need for nostalgia If you were craving a hit of comedy nostalgia, where would you go…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 10:02AM
Friday, October 6, 2023

Comedian Lou Sanders: ‘It blows my mind that people still don’t want to believe women’ by Rachel Aroesti

Off the heels of publishing a memoir, the star of Taskmaster and Mel Giedroyc: Unforgivable discusses unhappy readers, deleting Twitter, and outing Russell Brand “Can you say I wafted in l…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 09:34AM
Friday, September 1, 2023

Comedian David Cross: ‘A lot of people in America would think I’m a terrible father because I believe in diversity’ by Rachel Aroesti

As he gears up for his new tour, the cult US standup muses on parenthood, ‘offensive’ comedy, and the biggest regret of his career Most people aren’t exactly delighted when their preci…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 10:13AM
Wednesday, March 15, 2023

Comic James Acaster on his plunge into experimental music: ‘I don’t know what I’m doing – but I see that as a strength’ by Rachel Aroesti

Could the celebrated standup knock out an album of his own tunes? Yes, he says, with the aid of a dusty old drum kit, 40 musicians – and a novelty animal costume It started off, as many gr…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 12:09PM
Saturday, December 31, 2022

The anti-hibernation culture guide: something to enjoy for every day in January by Rachel Aroesti, Catherine Bray, Andrew Clements, John Fordham, Miriam Gillinson, Jonathan Jones and Lyndsey Winship

You can spend the next few weeks under the duvet and in front of the telly, or enjoy world-class art, theatre, music, film and standup – here’s an event for each of the next 31 days MUSI…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:06AM
Wednesday, June 29, 2022

‘I’m the perfect person to show life at rock bottom’ – comic Jayde Adams becomes the life guru next door by Rachel Aroesti

The comedian’s new podcast plunders neighbourhood messageboards for fun, feuds, gossip and second-hand goldfish. She explains all – and looks ahead to her Edinburgh show, a support group…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 01:33AM
Monday, June 27, 2022

Isy Suttie: ‘I was like: are they just here to see Dobby?’ by Rachel Aroesti

The actor, writer, musician, podcaster and comedian is returning to standup after overwork and parenthood left her burnt out. She discusses motherhood, Fomo and life after Peep Show In one v…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 03:54AM
Tuesday, June 7, 2022

Thrifty summer: free films, folk and standup – 25 cost-free ways to enjoy arts in the UK by Jenessa Williams, Graeme Virtue, Jonathan Jones, Kate Wyver and Rachel Aroesti

You don’t have to shell out to enjoy the best in music, film, theatre, art and comedy – from a Francis Bacon in Aberdeen to Notting Hill’s unique and spectacular carnival Music Continu…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 12:42PM
Friday, April 29, 2022

James Acaster and Josh Widdicombe: ‘Comedy is meant to make you happy. We lose sight of that’ by Rachel Aroesti

With the return of their unashamedly nice TV gameshow Hypothetical, the duo are out to prove you don’t need to be mean-spirited to get laughs Josh Widdicombe is holding a banana to his ear…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 06:37AM
Thursday, April 14, 2022

‘Everyone has one cancellation in them’: standup Joanne McNally on her unfiltered comedy by Rachel Aroesti

From career doldrums to fending off pantless stage invaders, the straight-talking Irish comic’s journey to becoming a must-see act has been a wild ride At a recent gig, an audience member …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 10:33AM
Friday, March 4, 2022

Jacqueline Novak: ‘My show is not a takedown of the penis’ by Rachel Aroesti

Can you do a whole standup set about blowjobs? The New York comedian thinks so, but don’t assume her show is a feminist rallying cry “Even I would be irritated hearing about this show i…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 12:24PM
Wednesday, September 29, 2021

Collapsed laughing: how the gap between music and comedy has disappeared by Rachel Aroesti

Comedy and music have always co-existed – but with artists from Dry Cleaning to Bo Burnham cleverly blurring the two, it’s hard to tell where the jokes begin and end Some of my favourite…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 04:24AM
Tuesday, August 10, 2021

Cancel culture killing comedy? What a joke by Rachel Aroesti

Chris Rock, Jennifer Saunders and more have argued that ‘wokeness’ is stifling comedy. But the idea of the joke police is actually nonsense Is cancel culture destroying comedy? A lot of …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 10:42AM
Saturday, June 5, 2021

Rachel Sennott: ‘A male comedian would throw pieces of paper at my nipples. It was not fun’ by Rachel Aroesti

After surviving the ‘gross’ world of standup, the comic is now starring in funny and frank film Shiva Baby. She talks about satirising erotic selfies and why cinema gets sex workers wron…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 06:48AM
Tuesday, August 13, 2019

'Horrifyingly absurd': how did millennial comedy get so surreal? by Rachel Aroesti

From Adult Swim to ‘dank memes’, modern comedy is confronting the illogicality of life in 2019 There is an episode in the first season of Broad City – the US sitcom about two twentysom…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 04:54AM
Monday, October 16, 2017

Tim Key: from living-room poetry jams to comedy ubiquity by Rachel Aroesti

Best known as Alan Partridge's Sidekick Simon, the self-proclaimed Single White Slut has found a keen audience for his weird, unsettling comedy"I didn't have an elaborate cover story that I'…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 05:06AM
Friday, September 22, 2017

Mae Martin: ‘Waiting for Guffman is the funniest film I’ve ever seen’ by Rachel Aroesti

The Canadian standup and actor on the things that make her laugh the most, from suede waistcoats to PG WodehouseThis is so hard. I feel sick. OK, I’m going to say Tom Allen taking out a dr…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:18AM
Friday, September 15, 2017

Deborah Frances-White: ‘Fleabag’s Phoebe Waller-Bridge is a genius’ by Rachel Aroesti

The Guilty Feminist podcast host on the things that make her laugh the most, from Tim Minchin to Better Off DeadA tie between two Australians: Tim Minchin’s Ready for This? and Hannah Gads…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:18AM
Friday, September 8, 2017

Cariad Lloyd: ‘The funniest heckle I’ve had came from Nancy Dell’Olio’ by Rachel Aroesti

The actor, podcaster and improv star on the things that make her laugh the mostBroad City. It was the first time I saw female characters allowed to be just funny: not having to facilitate pl…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 09:12AM
Friday, September 1, 2017

Alex Horne: ‘You’ve Been Framed is the funniest TV show I’ve ever seen’ by Rachel Aroesti

The comedian and Taskmaster creator on the things that make him laugh the most, from Tim Key to The Blues BrothersEvery time I see Tommy Tiernan talking about sex or nothing or God I howl wi…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:48AM
Friday, August 25, 2017

Mark Steel: ‘Richard Pryor changed everything for me’ by Rachel Aroesti

The standup stalwart and TV host lets us in on the things that make him laugh the most, from The Simpsons to Monty PythonI watched the Monty Python spam sketch when it first went out – tha…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:48AM
Friday, August 18, 2017

Ivo Graham: 'Shaving my head was meant to give me an air of mystery and menace. It did not’ by Rachel Aroesti

The up-and-coming standup whiz spills the beans about the things that make him laugh the most, from Lucky Jim to A Fish Called WandaHenry Paker at Edinburgh in 2010. Him, the surrealist mave…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 09:04AM
Friday, August 11, 2017

Simon Brodkin: ‘I ate some off tuna and ended up in an ambulance’ by Rachel Aroesti

The prankster character comic behind Lee Nelson dishes the dirt on the things that make him laugh the mostJerry Sadowitz. His seething, bile-fuelled, offend-all-and-don’t-give-a-fig approa…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:12AM
Friday, August 4, 2017

Ingrid Oliver: ‘I thought I’d cheer myself up by dressing like a Bavarian barmaid’ by Rachel Aroesti

The actor and sketch show comic opens up about the things that make her laugh the most, from The Thick of It to German nipplesI love the Nazi sketch by Mitchell and Webb. Two Nazis worrying …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:42AM
Friday, July 28, 2017

Rhys James: ‘All my favourite books are written by Steve Martin’ by Rachel Aroesti

The angst-mining millennial standup on the things that make him laugh the most, from Frank Skinner to tight vestsFrank Skinner’s routine on jealousy changed how I viewed standup. It has ev…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:48AM
Friday, July 21, 2017

Phil Nichol: ‘There’s something strangely emotive about vomiting’ by Rachel Aroesti

The Edinburgh award-winning Canadian comic on the things that make him laugh the most, from suede clogs to Phil KayPhil Kay once turned a 700-strong crowd in the Queens Hall, Edinburgh into …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:54AM
Friday, July 14, 2017

Harriet Kemsley: ‘I really enjoy the meninist movement’ by Rachel Aroesti

The standup and podcaster on the things that make her laugh the most, from Sunil Patel to Curb Your EnthusiasmKatherine Ryan is the queen. I opened for her on tour and she would just kill ev…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 09:04AM
Thursday, June 29, 2017

Tim Key: ‘Man Bites Dog is the funniest film I’ve ever seen’ by Rachel Aroesti

The eccentric poet, standup and actor on the things that make him laugh the most Continue reading...

SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:48AM
Friday, June 23, 2017

Sofie Hagen: ‘I was a chubby, white four-year-old, talking like Will Smith’ by Rachel Aroesti

The Danish comedian and podcast host on the things that make her laugh the most, from Will Smith to The Green ButchersIrish comic Alison Spittle. She will candidly talk about peeing in a pin…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:18AM
Friday, June 16, 2017

Joseph Morpurgo: ‘I once got dive-bombed by a bird on stage’ by Rachel Aroesti

The cult character comic on the things that make him laugh the most, from Corbyn kebabs to Hans TeeuwenThe [00s MTV sketch show] Human Giant deserves more shine than it gets. My favourites a…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:54AM

All that Chat

2023-2024 BROADWAY SEASON
May 30, 2023: Grey House - Lyceum Theatre
Jun 26, 2023: Just For Us - Hudson Theatre
Jul 24, 2023: The Cottage - Hayes Theater
Nov 16, 2023: Spamalot - St. James Theatre
Dec 18, 2023: Appropriate - Hayes Theater
Mar 07, 2024: Doubt - Todd Haimes Theatre
Apr 14, 2024: Lempicka - Longacre Theatre
Apr 17, 2024: The Wiz - Marquis Theatre
Apr 18, 2024: Suffs - Music Box Theatre
Apr 25, 2024: Mother Play - Hayes Theater
Jun 10, 2024: The Drama Desk Awards