Isy Suttie review – charming comic on a wild childhood chase

Old Market, Brighton A thoroughly likable autobiographical show, comparing Suttie’s domestic midlife and her past daredevilry, hits the comic jackpot with its songsWhen Isy Suttie was a girl in Matlock, Derbyshire, she always had “an urge to look for t…

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Isy Suttie review – charming comic on a wild childhood chase

Old Market, Brighton A thoroughly likable autobiographical show, comparing Suttie’s domestic midlife and her past daredevilry, hits the comic jackpot with its songsWhen Isy Suttie was a girl in Matlock, Derbyshire, she always had “an urge to look for t…

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Noises Off review – Frayn’s exquisite farce-within-a-farce finds new humanity

Felicity Kendal, Tracy-Ann Oberman and especially Joseph Millson are comic gifts in this 40th anniversary version that fits our times almost too well Well, here’s a surprise. Michael Frayn’s exquisite farce – now celebrating its 40th anniversary – has …

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Stewart Lee review – underpowered show still stronger than most

Leicester Square theatre, LondonLess richly structured than his best work, this looser-limbed evening has given the comic wing-spreading room to experiment“Pure. Simple. Classic.” That’s the refrain – a little tongue-in-cheek, would you believe? – in S…

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‘Suga Mama by Beyoncé is the aspirational milf anthem’: Olga Koch’s honest playlist

The comedian is a karaoke evangelist and had a religious experience watching Maggie Rogers. But which ‘cool band’ does she lie about liking?The first single I ever boughtI don’t know if I bought a single, but I do remember distinctly buying my first ev…

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‘I felt a responsibility to get it right’: the male standups using jokes to cope with miscarriage

Even though it affects one in five pregnancies, the loss of a baby is rarely talked about, especially among men. But standups Jacob Hawley and Will Duggan are using comedy to break that tabooIn 2019, the comedian Jacob Hawley was in his mid-20s and thi…

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Sarah Keyworth: Lost Boy review – serious self-analysis whips up gales of laughter

Soho theatre, LondonThe standup was planning an altogether sillier show, but life got in the way, resulting in a set that spins grief and loss into an uproarious hourBefore Covid, and in contrast to the two thoughtful shows ruminating on gender that ma…

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Kim Noble: Lullaby for Scavengers review – strange, tender and endlessly funny

Soho theatre, LondonThe notorious comic and performance artist explores loneliness and the human/animal divide in an intricately assembled scrapbook showIt’s taken Kim Noble seven years to make Lullaby for Scavengers. Just as well: I doubt any of us co…

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‘We need an intervention’: five ways to fix the Edinburgh festival fringe

Too pricy, too elitist, just too big? After the criticisms of this year’s event, a panel of festival regulars consider the way forward for Edinburgh’s summer spectacularKaty Koren, co-artistic director, Gilded Balloon Continue reading…

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Andy Matthews: the 10 funniest things I have ever seen (on the internet)

The comedy writer shares his favourite jokes and sets, including a weirdly sexy Grover photo, a modern silent comedy and some badly designed ducksGet our weekend culture and lifestyle emailI have a theory about comedy. Or rather, I have a theory about …

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