Apollo, ManchesterThere’s ample room in comedy to tease at woke over-earnestness but this weak and boorish set fails to engageRicky Gervais gives us a little lecture after curtain call tonight about taking offence. Laughter is always good; no one’s get…
Continue ReadingIn keeping with tradition, jokes chosen by Gold TV poll more likely to elicit groans of despair than laughterJokes about Phil Schofield, Liz Truss, and the cost of living crisis are among the best contemporary Christmas cracker jokes selected by the Br…
Continue ReadingComedian appeared overwhelmed by reception as he took to stage at start of first comedy tour in 12 yearsPeter Kay was moved to tears on the opening night of his first live comedy tour in 12 years.The comedian received a rapturous standing ovation that …
Continue ReadingManchester ArenaAfter 12 years away from the stage, the slimmed-down entertainer is more unapologetically nostalgic than everNo hotcake ever sold in greater quantity than tickets for Peter Kay’s new tour: at one stage in my own bid for access, I was nu…
Continue ReadingSoho theatre, LondonEven when the grouchy wannabe game-show host’s set is buffering he still delivers a winning formula of hi-tech comedy and twisty jokesIn Danger Money, we find Mat Ewins hacked off that he can’t catch a telly break. The annoyance cou…
Continue ReadingThe character comedian and TV star on meeting angry fans, his first UK tour as megalomaniac magician Mr Swallow and taking inspiration from Torvill and DeanWho did you look up to when you were starting out?French and Saunders were probably the most ins…
Continue ReadingSoho theatre, LondonThe tale of two ‘mucky northern oiks’ on a quest for success is less important than the joyful jokes, backchat and smutty puns en routeThe barely realised comic play, for ever suspended between the fictional world and the fun its cr…
Continue ReadingSoho theatre, LondonThe tale of two ‘mucky northern oiks’ on a quest for success is less important than the joyful jokes, backchat and smutty puns en routeThe barely realised comic play, for ever suspended between the fictional world and the fun its cr…
Continue ReadingThe festival will celebrate 40th anniversary in 2023 with London shows featuring the actor talking to Rob Delaney, plus host of standup actsJust for Laughs, the comedy festival that began in Canada in 1983, will celebrate its 40th anniversary next year…
Continue ReadingIt will take more than multiple Edinburgh nominations to convince comedy duo Amy Gledhill and Chris Cantrill that they’re a success. Perhaps a TV sitcom would do it?When Amy Gledhill and Chris Cantrill received the life-changing news that they’d been n…
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