Comedy
Josie Long, Brighton Festival 2021 review - giddy post-lockdown spin on pregnancy-based showWednesday, 26 May 2021
Introduced by Brighton Festival 2021 Guest Director, poet Lemn Sissay, Josie Long, clad in blue denim dungarees and a black tee-shirt, initially hits the stage for a celebratory introduction. She’s here to perform her Tender show about pregnancy and... Read more... |
Reclaim These Streets fundraiser, 21Soho review - entertaining mixed bill hosted by Sarah KeyworthWednesday, 19 May 2021
London's weather – a day of huge downpours – underlined the point that we should be rushing inside as entertainment venues (in parts of the UK, at least) reopened. It was lovely to be back at 21Soho, a welcoming and well run venue, particularly as... Read more... |
Mark Watson's Carpool Comedy Club, Henley-Marlow review - Nish Kumar sticks it to the ToriesMonday, 17 May 2021
Heckling at a drive-in gig is rather pointless, don't you think? The audience, mostly listening through their car radios, will be unable to hear the interruption, while the comic can deliver a slam-dunk put-down that we can all enjoy. And so it... Read more... |
Mark Watson's Carpool Comedy Club, the Hop Farm review - strong kick-off to 2021 live comedyMonday, 03 May 2021
What a pleasure it was to go to the first drive-in date of 2021 as Mark Watson's Carpool Comedy Club, produced in association with The Alfresco Theatre, rocked up in the picturesque surroundings of the Hop Farm, near Tunbridge Wells in Kent. The... Read more... |
Comedy podcasts round-up 5: politics, relationships and spooferyThursday, 29 April 2021
Tiny Revolutions With Tiff StevensonThis gem is now in its second series and the back catalogue is worth searching out, as well as the most recent episode with US comedians W. Kamau Bell and Nato Green. It's a collection of conversations... Read more... |
Loyiso Gola, Netflix review - South African muses on race, religion and friendshipWednesday, 07 April 2021
Loyiso Gola, twice nominated for Emmy awards for his satire show Late Nite News, has been a big star in South Africa for some years now but this show should help cement his reputation abroad. UK fans will remember his 2018 appearance on Live at the... Read more... |
Working From Home online review - Johnny Vegas and Jason Byrne in a strong line-upWednesday, 31 March 2021
Comedy promoters Just the Tonic have been keeping occupied during various lockdowns, and are continuing with livestreamed shows until comics can perform live in clubs and theatres again. This show was presented as part of JTT's fortnightly variety... Read more... |
Comedy podcasts round-up 4: plus a vodcast and some retro audioMonday, 22 March 2021
Fawlty Towers: For the RecordA special, limited-edition vinyl release of the entire comedy series written by John Cleese and Connie Booth to celebrate the BBC sitcom's 40th anniversary. The 12 episodes offer a masterclass in comedy writing and... Read more... |
Chinese Arts Now Festival review - comedy of the diasporaSaturday, 13 March 2021
Chinese Arts Now was founded in 2005 and aims to produce and present work that explores Chinese themes, stories and art forms in the UK. Its annual festival includes a comedy night (presented in conjunction with Soho Theatre), and this year three... Read more... |
Rachel Parris and Marcus Brigstocke's Tuesday Night Club review - daft and good-heartedWednesday, 24 February 2021
Lockdown has been mostly pants for live performers, comics included. There was that brief foray into open-air performances last summer, made even more fun by some lovely weather (although not always) – and I sincerely hope that promoters and comics... Read more... |
First Night Funnies, Leicester Comedy Festival review - uneven start to 2021's online gatheringMonday, 08 February 2021
The Leicester Comedy Festival, always great fun, was one of the last to be able to run fully in 2020, but this year it's not so lucky. Instead of several hundred events in and around Leicester, the 2021 iteration is an online-only version with many... Read more... |
Comedy podcasts round-up 3: from home and abroadWednesday, 03 February 2021
There's something in the water, as no fewer than three comics are launching podcasts related to the one thing we can't do at the moment – travel. They're having a laugh, aren't they? Other offerings include escapist fun with superheroes, music... Read more... |
