The Aussie comic on his YouTube hit, why teachers are using his video and how his 'police-related activity' means he won't be touring the US anytime soonLate last year, Aussie comic Aamer Ra…
When critics analyse a standup routine it's considered pedantic and joyless what's wrong with being serious about comedy?Theatre critics are seldom called pedants for analysing how a stage …
Gulbenkian theatre, CanterburyGrist's tale of his rapid rise from English teacher to YouTube phenomenon is a great mix of playful verse and self-examinationMark Grist is the self-styled &quo…
The Have I Got News for You star is not "temperamentally suited" to standup but the artform's audience has changedThere are macho myths surrounding standup comedy, and initiation rites uncom…
Are the Python's comments damagingly off-message or warming us up for shows that will be more than a cynical nostalgia fest?Were you excited when you heard Monty Python were reuniting for li…
Soho theatre, LondonBrigstocke's confessional standup gives this show its edge: he should lose the standard comedy shtick that surrounds itThis show, says Marcus Brigstocke, is about "s…
Soho theatre, LondonTruscott's satirical broadside against rape culture transfers perfectly from the Fringe with firecracker wit Emma Brockes interviews Adrienne Truscott, the naked comicAt …
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…
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 (…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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. …
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…
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…
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 …
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 …
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…
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…
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…
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 …
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…
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…