Thursday, June 12, 2014
Soho theatre, LondonRahman's flippancy deficit flouts standup convention and his approach to racial politics is both outspoken and unsentimental How Aamer Rahman's 'reverse racism' joke save…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:34AM[SHARE]Tuesday, June 10, 2014
In tune with our sceptical times, magicians debunk the supernatural But are they really as rationalist as they claim?Richard Dawkins may or may not approve, but I was reading my daughter a s…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 03:10AM[SHARE]Monday, June 9, 2014
From his violent slapstick act in the the Dangerous Brothers to his anarchist poet Rick, his acts must have seemed outrageous to a generation reared on Jim Bowen and Tom O'Connor. Today's co…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 12:59PM[SHARE]Wednesday, June 4, 2014
Soho theatre, LondonPart White Stripes, part Dresden Dolls with added facial slap, this double act makes for an enjoyably silly hour of good tunesDie Roten Punkte are sibling duo Astrid and …
SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:08AM[SHARE]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…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 02:00AM[SHARE]Monday, June 2, 2014
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 …
SOURCE: The Guardian at 03:46AM[SHARE]Friday, May 23, 2014
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…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 09:29AM[SHARE]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…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 05:20AM[SHARE]Friday, May 16, 2014
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…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 09:37AM[SHARE]Thursday, May 15, 2014
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…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:06AM[SHARE]Wednesday, May 14, 2014
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 …
SOURCE: The Guardian at 01:02PM[SHARE]Sunday, May 11, 2014
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…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 05:44AM[SHARE]Friday, May 9, 2014
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 (…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:58AM[SHARE]Wednesday, May 7, 2014
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…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 07:23AM[SHARE]Tuesday, May 6, 2014
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…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 06:53AM[SHARE]Monday, May 5, 2014
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…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 07:54AM[SHARE]Friday, May 2, 2014
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…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 11:22AM[SHARE]Wednesday, April 30, 2014
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…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 10:52AM[SHARE]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. …
SOURCE: The Guardian at 03:00AM[SHARE]Saturday, April 19, 2014
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…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 06:30AM[SHARE]Wednesday, April 16, 2014
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…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 01:07PM[SHARE]Monday, April 14, 2014
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 …
SOURCE: The Guardian at 11:20AM[SHARE]Sunday, April 13, 2014
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 …
SOURCE: The Guardian at 10:54AM[SHARE]Saturday, April 12, 2014
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…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 05:30AM[SHARE]Wednesday, April 9, 2014
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…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 12:54PM[SHARE]Friday, April 4, 2014
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…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 04:00AM[SHARE]Monday, March 24, 2014
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 …
SOURCE: The Guardian at 12:31PM[SHARE]Friday, March 21, 2014
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…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:54AM[SHARE]Wednesday, March 19, 2014
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…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 09:43AM[SHARE]Friday, March 14, 2014
After their YouTube video went viral, the comedy duo are expanding their Stop Ukip tour. But do they have anything new to say about Nigel Farage's party?' Stewart Lee: a vision of life under…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 12:16PM[SHARE]Arcola Tent, LondonKey combines theatrics and whimsy to hilarious effect " but at times style triumphs over substanceAfter a sell-out Soho theatre run, Tim Key has taken up residence in a b…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 10:07AM[SHARE]Loading more stories…
