Listen Up review – a standup, a rapper and a playwright in a lonely theatre

Available onlineLauren Pattison, Kay Greyson and Richard Boggie deliver audio plays about stage disasters, a sobering drinks interval and playing to an audience of noneSome of the finest lockdown digital theatre has addressed the absence of its real-wo…

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Dylan Moran: ‘I’ve offended people, I regret it and I’ll probably do it again’

The comedian’s 2018 show Dr Cosmos addressed mental health, midlife and Brexit – little knowing a crisis lurked around the corner. Now it’s being streamed, might no mention of Covid be a selling point?Dr Cosmos will see you now – or will he? Dylan Mora…

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‘You’ll be whooping from your sofa!’ 25 hilarious standup sets to make everything better

From classic Chris Rock to Sarah Millican at her bluntest, these are the routines that have got comedians, readers and Guardian writers through a difficult yearFrench comic Fary Lopes caused a stir at the Molière theatre awards in 2019 by addressing th…

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Al Roberts: ‘I’ve never been heckled. They can tell it would destroy me’

The actor, writer and director on the things that make him laugh the mostRose Matafeo’s Horndog, on iPlayer, is the best I’ve seen. There’s the material for two shows in there, delivered at breakneck speed. Related: The Guide: Staying In – sign up for…

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Tell us: what standup comedy set has been making you laugh lately?

It hasn’t been the liveliest year for live comedy. For the sake of sharing some laughs, we want your stand-up recommendationsThere might not have been many opportunities to go and watch live stand-up comedy in the past year, but with most of us in need…

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General Secretary review – satire of world politics misses its targets

Available onlineNot sure what you would do if you were given absolute power? Unfortunately, nor do the duo Thick’n’Fast in this lightweight fantasyWe may all, under lockdown, have fallen prey to feelings of powerlessness. In reaction, Georgie Thomas an…

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Poppy Hillstead: ‘My mum made me dress as a dog for non-school uniform day’

The illustrator, animator, actor and podcaster on the things that make her laugh the mostI love Vic and Bob’s MasterChef sketch where Vic is this horrific, grey, lightbulb-headed, levitating Loyd Grossman. There are so many weird details in it and it’s…

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Poppy Hillstead: ‘My mum made me dress as a dog for non-school uniform day’

The illustrator, animator, actor and podcaster on the things that make her laugh the mostI love Vic and Bob’s MasterChef sketch where Vic is this horrific, grey, lightbulb-headed, levitating Loyd Grossman. There are so many weird details in it and it’s…

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All white on the night: the perennial problem with TV panel shows

The format should give comic talents a time to shine. So why don’t our flagship shows reflect the diversity of comedy in 2021?Panel shows have been a pillar of British comedy for decades. The News Quiz began in 1977 and Have I Got News for You in 1990,…

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Athena Kugblenu: ‘The more you get cancelled, the more immune you are to it’

The standup comedian’s new Radio 4 series picks through the minefield of cancel culture – and offers up a few mea culpas“If real life was like social media, it would look like The Good Place,” says standup Athena Kugblenu, referring to the sitcom about…

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