90 stories by "Leo Benedictus"
He may not be a warrior of comedy counterculture, but don't let Bill Cosby's cosy delivery fool you: he is a master of the formTitle: Bill Cosby: HimselfDate: 1983The set-up: For a standup, …
He's better known as the big-collared star of TV Burp, but this versatile performer has done some quacking work on stageTitle: HoovesDate: 2005The setup: To me, the very greatest comedy is t…
The silky smooth Sinatra of standup is the perfect mainstream comic " this is observational comedy at its most orthodox, but at the very highest level Continue reading...
An eight-minute riff during this show saw Rock take on a controversial subject close to home " and it made him a starTitle: Bring the PainDate: 1996 Continue reading...
In this remarkable comeback gig, one of comedy's great survivors demonstrates her superbly polished style " and her fearless honestyTitle: Margaret Cho: I'm the One That I WantDate: 1999The …
Making childhood beatings, heart attacks, abuse and prison sentences funny is an achievement " making them this funny takes genius Continue reading...
With the critics horrified and wondering why they came, this revival of Edward Bond's grimfest must be a successFor a certain kind of play, unanimous acclaim is not quite the ideal reaction.…
Reviews of the new pre-Beatles musical range from scathing to ecstatic, but it's slightly more Help! than A Taste of HoneyReviews don't always find a common ground; sometimes it's best to ad…
Poor Marc Warren: stuffed with boiled eggs yet still no match for Paul Newman. The critics deal a blow to the West End showPity the producers of the West End's Cool Hand Luke. The trouble is…
Robert Sheehan's performance in this Irish classic divides reviewers " but everyone agrees that they can't understand a wordOne hundred and four years ago, John Millington Synge's The Playbo…
Dire, repellant absurdity or infantile fun? The critics were shriller than an extended solo but didn't harmonise on this one"There's no doubt that Rock of Ages is absurd," says Kieron Tyler …
The Wire stars divided the critics when they swapped urban grit for Shakespearean tragedy " but everyone swooned over DesdemonaSheffield's Crucible theatre deserved something special for its…
The critics take their hats and hoodies off to this funny, dark and superbly topical 75th play from the prolific playwrightWhat is Alan Ayckbourn's secret? Because there has to be a secret. …
As a new retrospective of the French impressionist's work pirouettes into the Royal Academy this weekend, we ask: how much do you know about the man and his work?Leo Benedictus
The critics are transfixed and confused by this sprawling, mixed bag of 19 playlets about 9/11. But how unforgettable will it be?Something rather unusual has happened. After leaving Decade, …
Trevor Nunn's latest Shakespeare doesn't impress the critics much " even with a movie star at the helm (although they do at least like Ralph Fiennes's Prospero)This again: Shakespeare made m…
In the year of his centenary " and a major UK-wide season of his work " check your knowledge of the debonair English playwright with quizmaster Leo BenedictusLeo Benedictus
The critics wish someone had sexed up this sanctimonious account of life with Tony Blair's chief of staffIf one had to summarise the reaction to Sarah Helm's Loyalty in a single word, then t…
As Sarah Helm's Loyalty at the Hampstead Theatre joins David Hare, Richard Norton-Taylor and Gregory Burke's scathing portrayals of the Iraq war, test your theatrical defencesLeo Benedictus
Spacey commands the stage " and a big screen " in Sam Mendes's Richard III. But it's all too much for some criticsWith his talent for camp villainy, Kevin Spacey really couldn't find a role …
It's got Kristin Scott Thomas, a hotshot director and flawless writing " so why are some critics pausing over this revival of Harold Pinter's classic?Super groups and dream teams do not alwa…
Shrek began life as a less-than-likeable character in a children's picture book before turning into the lovable green ogre of four films, and now a West End musical. Follow Shrek's journey f…
David Tennant and Catherine Tate " would there be as much ado about Josie Rourke's joyously 80s-esque production without their celebrity draw?Stars cast off the telly, Shakespeare's text rew…
As George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion hits the West End, test your knowledge of the great playwrightLeo Benedictus
The critics are fawning over the Gavin and Stacey star as he returns to the National with a masterful performanceJames Corden must be more or less numb to reviews by now. In his short career…
