Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose, EdinburghThe US comic plays a fast-talking agent, a straight-talking sex therapist and a six-year-old divorcee in this high-energy hourLinda Hollywood is an old-school actor turned agent and she is going to deliver a master…
Continue ReadingThree years ago, the caustic comic had a fatal aortic dissection mid-show. Now a new documentary about the self-proclaimed ‘most banned act in Britain’ reveals a saga of booze and outrageWhen Ian Cognito walked on stage in Bicester, Oxfordshire, on 11 …
Continue ReadingScary movies can exorcise the audience’s own demons but silliness can also help you process rage, says the comedian“Stop being hysterical!” “You are over-reacting!” “Put that watermelon down!” If I had a pound for every time I’d heard one of these rebu…
Continue ReadingThe rise of an Islamic arts industry is celebrated by its screen, music and comedy stars, but the view rarely strays beyond a western perspectiveIn this survey of the expanding Islamic entertainment industry, The Balance presumably refers to the line f…
Continue ReadingBarbican, LondonThe veteran film-maker is on fine form in this motor-mouthed show, which mixes slick anecdotes with gleeful transgressionCommon as it now is for well-loved figures to bring their life stories, gossip and opinions to the touring stage, o…
Continue ReadingAs his hotly anticipated tour arrives in the UK, audiences are wondering whether Rock will share some freshly minted material on the Oscars bust-upMight “the slap” – when Will Smith walloped Chris Rock at the Oscars ceremony – have been a publicity stu…
Continue ReadingThe standup comic, also known for voicing Iago in Disney’s animated Aladdin, has died after a long illnessComedian and actor Gilbert Gottfried has died at the age of 67.His family announced his death after a long illness via his Twitter page. Gottfried…
Continue ReadingFour seasoned standups, all with the comic’s dread of hosting awards shows, on what to do when a gig goes very wrong – and how they might have reactedIt was the slap that was heard around the internet – Will Smith’s outraged stage invasion at the Oscar…
Continue ReadingTate’s sweary grump went from TV to stage show to a misfiring film, proving how tricky it is to keep audiences on a lifelong journey with a comic creation‘Brutally unfunny.” “Lacking in charm and good jokes.” “As interminable as it is revolting.” The r…
Continue ReadingFrom a mind-scrambling breakup drama to a tender video game, our critics suggest popular culture inspired by matters of the heartYes, it all takes place after Joel (Jim Carrey) and Clementine (Kate Winslet) have bitterly broken up, but Michel Gondry’s …
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