Sam Browne’s blend of brutal honesty and droll observation has made him a viral sensation. He talks about growing up in Southend, mental health and the healing power of poetryOn a cold night in east London, 21-year-old performance poet Sam Browne is te…
Continue ReadingDaytime gigs where parents can bring their infants without fear of judgment are proving a sellout successWhen Nick Page saw the exhaustion of the new mothers arriving at his comedy gig, he suggested turning the hour-long set into a sleepover. He had be…
Continue ReadingSoho theatre, London These deftly sprung riffs on extended family and motherhood gain in power when mayhem offsets the tightly controlled setThe last time I saw Janine Harouni perform she was eight months pregnant and delivering a show about imminent p…
Continue ReadingWhen artist Krishna Istha and their partner went to sperm banks they were told ‘eye colour, height, PhD or no PhD’; wanting to know a donor’s values led to the creation of their live show First TrimesterGet our weekend culture and lifestyle emailFor th…
Continue ReadingIt’s got sex jokes, Hitler gags and endless gallows humour. The comedian once famed for being ‘ignorant-arrogant’ reveals why she’s written a show about the deaths of her stepmother and the father who taught her to swear‘There was one night,” says Sara…
Continue ReadingThe comedian on mining his very large family for material, avoiding the celebrity circus, and being an unashamed standup fanboyBorn in Bath in 1980, Russell Howard is one of the UK’s most successful comedians. He started his career on the standup circu…
Continue ReadingThe comedian and novelist on the stress of sudden success, her disordered relationship with food, and how hobbies have replaced her libidoBorn in Kuala Lumpur in 1960, Jenny Eclair is a comedian, actor and author. The daughter of a major in the British…
Continue ReadingSoho theatre, LondonInspired by joint therapy sessions with her father, the standup’s joyful show has vivid portraits of her ‘borderline-delusional’ parentsHow would you describe my vibe, Sophie Duker asked friends one day, and – quelle surprise – she …
Continue ReadingAlex Horne, Joe Auckland and Ben Reynolds on being best friends since childhood, their shared love of comedy, and spending their birthdays togetherBorn in 1978 in Chichester, West Sussex, Alex Horne is a comedian and co-host and creator of&nb…
Continue ReadingSalisbury PlayhouseA fitfully funny play from the creator of Broadchurch considers the terrifying prospects of parenthood yet never quite deliversHere’s a perfect prop for farce: a huge, baby-blue birthing pool, stubbornly resisting inflation, plonked …
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