Gary Delaney, Purist, Leicester Square Theatre, London by Julian Hall

Leicester Square Theatre, London: Kudos to the amiable Gary Delaney for trying to deconstruct the often deadpan world of one-liners. It's a risky gamble to break up salvos of quality li…

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 5:48am on April 9, 2013☆⚑

Paul F Tompkins: Crying and Driving, Soho Theatre, London by Julian Hall

Soho Theatre, London: The comedy year wouldn't be complete without an overseas visitor to get excited about. It's only April, and we've had three: cheeky girl Sarah Silverman,…

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 5:55am on April 8, 2013☆⚑

Pappy's Last Show Ever, Soho, London by Julian Hall

Soho, London: Nominated for a Foster's Edinburgh Comedy award, three-piece sketch group Pappy's (once also nominated as a four-strong troupe) delivered one of the feel good shows o…

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 6:45am on April 5, 2013☆⚑

Louis CK, 02 Arena, London by Julian Hall

02 Arena, London: A jazz trumpet solo is one of the more unusual support acts I have seen, but then Louis CK is one the more sophisticated comedians I have seen. Read the full review

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 6:41am on March 21, 2013☆⚑

Jamie Kilstein, Soho Theatre, London by Julian Hall

Soho Theatre, London: Though one might quickly feel at ease with the nerdy 30-year-old Brooklynite, Jamie Kilstein, it does take the whole hour to truly appreciate him. Read the full review

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 6:59am on February 20, 2013☆⚑

Alan Davies: Life Is Pain, Hammersmith Apollo, London by Julian Hall

Hammersmith Apollo, London: The Hammersmith Apollo tonight is alive with a genteel hubbub generated by a clientele of a certain age. It is a good natured vibe, and it is one that is seemingl…

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 5:22am on February 18, 2013☆⚑

Josh Widdicombe: The Further Adventures of..., Soho, London by Julian Hall

Soho, London: Though his attire tonight is a two-tone shirt, Josh Widdicombe proves that he is a three-dimensional proposition who has more than a couple of gears to show off. Read the full …

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 5:28am on February 13, 2013☆⚑

The Boy With Tape on His Face, The Duchess, London by Julian Hall

The Duchess, London: Red balloons festoon the stage of The Duchess Theatre at the end of Sam Wills' show, a celebration of 75 minutes of frivolity led by his playful mime persona. It�…

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 6:22am on December 20, 2012☆⚑

The Black Sheep Show, Leicester Square Theatre, London by Julian Hall

Leicester Square Theatre, London: The good news is that the efforts of The Black Sheep, Ciaran Murtagh and Andrew Roberts, will make you forget the lingering "eau de latrine" odour…

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 5:42am on November 23, 2012☆⚑

John Bishop: Rollercoaster Tour, 02 Arena, London by Julian Hall

02 Arena, London: John Bishop's press release describes him as 'an irresistibly charismatic performer'. Well it would say that. But, on this occasion, the hype is right. There…

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 6:28am on October 25, 2012☆⚑

Greg Davies: The Back of My Mum's Head, Hexagon Theatre, Reading by Julian Hall

Hexagon Theatre, Reading: Greg Davies was a drama teacher for 13 years before starting out in comedy. Some of his former pupils from Sandhurst School are in the audience tonight, and it is e…

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 6:31am on October 15, 2012☆⚑

Rob Delaney, Bloomsbury Theatre, London by Julian Hall

Bloomsbury Theatre, London: At the time of writing, Boston-based comedian Rob Delaney had 619,322 Twitter followers, enough to help him cross the pond and sell out a run at the Soho Theatre,…

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 6:33am on October 8, 2012☆⚑

Paul Merton, Out Of My Head, Vaudeville, London by Julian Hall

Vaudeville, London: Many of us have perhaps wondered what goes on inside Paul Merton's head when the popular entertainer has a moment of genius on Have I Got News For You. Sadly the inv…

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 6:25am on October 3, 2012☆⚑

Al Murray: The Only Way is Epic, The Orchard, Dartford by Julian Hall

The Orchard, Dartford: A few days before I am due to see Al Murray a friend of mine asks incredulously, "is he still doing the Pub Landlord?" Indeed he is, and for nearly 20 years …

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 7:19am on September 28, 2012☆⚑

Michael McIntyre - Showtime, 02 Arena, London by Julian Hall

02 Arena, London: There's no better sign that an act has made it big than when it has become fashionable to dislike them. By this measurement, Michael McIntyre has exceeded expectations…

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 6:48am on September 27, 2012☆⚑

The Real Variety Show 2012, Cadogan Hall, London by Julian Hall

Cadogan Hall, London: The annual <a href="http://www.jla.co.uk/real-variety-show/">Real Variety Show, held by Jeremy Lee Associates</a>, is an intriguing curiosity. For…

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 7:10am on September 25, 2012☆⚑

Rhys Darby - This Way to Spaceship, Shepherd's Bush Empire, London by Julian Hall

Shepherd's Bush Empire, London: Rhys Darby was once in the army, but, on the basis of his latest live show, he might have done well to have carried over more of a sense of discipline to his …

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 9:05am on July 23, 2012☆⚑

Mike Birbiglia: My Girlfriend's Boyfriend, Soho Theatre by Julian Hall

Soho Theatre: A routine about call centres might seem like an ordinary way to start a stand up show but it quickly becomes apparent that US comedian Mike Birbiglia operates on another level …

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 6:54am on May 17, 2012☆⚑

Late Night Gimp Fight, Soho Theatre, London by Julian Hall

Soho Theatre, London: In 2010 the five-strong Late Night Gimp Fight were nominated as newcomers for the Foster's Edinburgh Comedy Awards. Anyone keen on their boisterous puerility will …

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 6:36am on April 24, 2012☆⚑

Seven Years in the Bathroom, Soho Theatre by Julian Hall

Soho Theatre: The prospect of watching the average human life of 79 years elapse within the space of an hour seems a rather melancholic way to spend an evening. However, in the hands of amia…

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 7:19am on March 14, 2012☆⚑

Dave Cohen - Songs in a Flat, Etcetera Theatre, London by Julian Hall

Etcetera Theatre, London: Describing himself as "the most averagely successful stand-up comedian of the 80s and 90s", Dave Cohen coyly undersells himself to his tiny audience at th…

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 6:21am on March 12, 2012☆⚑

Jackie Mason - Fearless, Wyndhams Theatre, London, until March 17 by Julian Hall

Wyndhams Theatre, London, until March 17: Jackie Mason is undoubtedly an elder statesman of comedy, but this farewell UK tour would be best described as workmanlike rather than a goodbye wit…

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 5:05am on February 27, 2012☆⚑