standup comedy
Edinburgh Fringe: Daniel Kitson/ Leisa Rea/ MisconceptionFriday, 13 August 2010![]() Daniel Kitson only occasionally performs at comedy venues at the Fringe these days - perhaps a late-night spot here and there, though not a full set - but it has become almost a tradition that he writes a new piece for the Traverse each year. On the... Read more... |
Edinburgh Fringe: Jason Cook/ Lee Kern/ Barrow Street TheatreMonday, 09 August 2010![]() He may describe himself as “a Geordie chancer”, but in reality Jason Cook is a warm comic whose material is utterly devoid of cynicism. Yet he’s far from being pious - he spices up his act with caustic barbs for deserving targets (quite often... Read more... |
The Unforgettable Bob Monkhouse, ITV1Sunday, 08 August 2010![]() He wasn't a jack of all trades, said his friend June Whitfield, "he was a master of all trades". The charge of "smarminess" dogged Bob Monkhouse throughout his career, but as this quietly penetrating documentary made clear, he was highly intelligent... Read more... |
Alan Moore's Unearthing, Old Vic TunnelsFriday, 30 July 2010![]() It's very hard to ever know what to expect from Alan Moore, the Mage of Northampton. The author of era-defining comics like Watchmen, V For Vendetta and From Hell has long maintained that art and magic are one and the same, and since the mid-1990s... Read more... |
Andy Hamilton, Blackheath HallsSunday, 16 May 2010![]() Most people know Andy Hamilton from his frequent (and very droll) appearances on panel shows such as Have I Got News For You and The News Quiz on television and radio, but he is also a prolific writer. His writing credits could take up the whole of... Read more... |
Hans Teeuwen, Soho TheatreFriday, 14 May 2010![]() “You pay money I be funny?” There are times in stand-up when it seems the wrong kind of transaction has taken place. A comedian brings a warped vision of the world to a paying public. He – and the weirder ones are always a he – parade neurosis,... Read more... |
American: The Bill Hicks StoryTuesday, 11 May 2010![]() If I had a fiver for every time I have heard a comic described (usually by the comic himself) as “the new Bill Hicks”, I would be rather comfortably off. It’s tosh, of course, and, as his brother astutely says in American: The Bill Hicks Story, only... Read more... |
Ricky Gervais, Wembley ArenaWednesday, 28 April 2010![]() Do look away now if you’re squeamish. Why? Because before the star turn has even made his entrance, a film is shown on the screen suspended above the stage. An earnest American advises that there is a global shortage. Jumbo jets have been spraying... Read more... |
Ken Dodd, Richmond TheatreWednesday, 31 March 2010![]() This is the first gig I have attended where a sign at the door states: “First act - long. Second act - even longer”. So we have been warned, and as soon as Ken Dodd takes to the stage he refers to his (by now) legendary ultra-lengthy shows. “This... Read more... |
Sean Lock, touringTuesday, 30 March 2010![]() Sean Lock, as well as being an acclaimed stand-up for many years, has also written for other comics, including Bill Bailey, Lee Evans and Mark Lamarr, and his profile has risen hugely through his stints as team captain on 8 Out of 10 Cats on Channel... Read more... |
Q&A Special: Comedian Jan RavensThursday, 01 October 2009Jan Ravens is probably best known for several series of Dead Ringers, broadcast first on Radio 4 then BBC2, when she voiced all the female characters from Kirsty Wark and Fiona Bruce to Ann Widdecombe and Nigella Lawson. Before that she was part of... Read more... |
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