225 stories by "James Kettle"
The Beta Males, The Boom Jennies, BrightonComedy on this year's Brighton festival fringe is a mixed bag. There are some promising new names, such as laidback Canadian Pat Burtscher or geezer…
Helen Keen, Edinburgh & BrightonHelen Keen's comedy is pretty niche. She's not a performer who gets laughs by drawing attention to experiences everyone can share; instead, she draws the audi…
Joe Lycett, LondonMany comedians devote themselves to noble causes " from Mark Thomas's tireless activism against Coca-Cola to Robin Ince's fearless defence of the spirit of rationalism. But…
The Camden Comedy Crawl/Liverpool Comedy FestivalTwo very different festivals get underway this week, with very different agendas. Liverpool's Comedy Festival (to 8 May) is a classic example…
Diane Spencer, On tourIn this royal wedding week, it seems fitting to draw attention to a young comedian blessed with strong material, a winning delivery and a fairly familiar name. Diane Sp…
The Twitter touchpaper is lit again as comics vent their rage over the competition's new £15 entry fee. Are they going overboard?It doesn't take much to get standups venting spleen on Twi…
Gareth Richards, On tourThe Omnichord is not an instrument you often see in musical comedy. Actually, it's not an instrument you often see, full stop. A cross between an early synth and a ba…
Doug Stanhope, On tourDoug Stanhope is a little bit extreme. Not simply with regard to his personal habits " namely the pre-gig recreational pursuits that sometimes threaten to refresh him a…
His TV pilots keep getting axed, and he believes there's 'no realistic limit' to what you can say in stand-up. But this Edinburgh fringe favourite takes his responsibilities seriouslyFrankie…
Elis James: Daytripper, Cardiff & LondonJust one of a phalanx of exciting young comic talent coming through from Wales, Carmarthen-born Elis James is rapidly building a reputation for himsel…
Barry And Stuart: Powered By Demons, LondonBBC1's recent Saturday night offering The Magicians might have been a bit of a hit-and-miss affair, based on the questionable idea that audiences w…
Aziz Ansari: The Dangerously Delicious Tour, LondonThe latest cult US comic to visit us over here is Aziz Ansari, known to connoisseurs of US TV as Tom Haverford, the feckless civil servant …
James Sherwood's Piano Bar, LondonThere's something very civilised about the idea of a piano bar. Instead of knob gags and beery whooping, it conjures up images of white wine, polite chat an…
Daniel Kitson: The Interminable Suicide Of Gregory Church, On tourIt seems extraordinary to think that 10 years ago Daniel Kitson was appearing alongside Peter Kay in Phoenix Nights and his …
Andi Osho: Afroblighty, On tourIt was a tiny bit disappointing to see Jo Brand picking up Best Female Comic at last month's British Comedy Awards. Yes, she's had a remarkable career and a pa…
The Horne Section, LondonWhen Alex Horne stages a live show, you can expect him to push the boundaries. A member of BBC4's We Need Answers team alongside Mark Watson and Tim Key, his solo w…
Andrew O'Neill: Occult Comedian, Balleybofey & DumfriesAndrew O'Neill doesn't spend a lot of time in the middle of the road. A committed vegan, anarchist and occasional transvestite, he's as…
Paul Foot, LondonYou don't always know what you're going to get with Paul Foot, but you can be assured that it'll be wholly original and frequently very funny. A typical set sees him trottin…
Jack Whitehall, LondonIt'd be easy to take a dislike to Jack Whitehall. As well as cropping up incessantly on Channel 4 (hosting Big Brother spin-offs, roasting Chris Tarrant, and taking par…
Jackson's Way: The Jacksathon, LondonEngage a positive mental attitude, tape a drinking straw to the side of your face and prepare to enter the upbeat but ludicrous world of life coach Chris…
Henning And Otto's German Christmas Do, LondonHere's something to alarm the mouth-breathers of the BNP: the extent to which Germany seems to be exerting more and more influence over the Brit…
Brendon Burns: Y'Know " Love'N'God'N'Metaphysics And Shit, On tourThe Edinburgh Comedy Award isn't exactly a poisoned chalice, but some acts seem to find it difficult to live up to. For a su…
Lee Mack: Going Out, On tourLee Mack's sitcom Not Going Out is one of the more under-the-radar successes of recent years; so far under the radar that the BBC initially axed it at the end of …
Mark Watson, On tourMark Watson's a strange mixture. At first glance, he could easily pass as yet another of the lairy-but-likable, perkily laddish stand-ups that make up so much of the curr…
The standup community's displeasure at Cheggers recycling gags online shows how comedy's rulebook has changed Continue reading...
