Jazz Emu: Knight Fever review – fun synthpop pastiche about a frontman striving for glory

Soho theatre, LondonHalf musical comedy, half party, Archie Henderson’s show ranges far and wide over the travails of his slinky singer vying for a knighthoodIt’s the Royal Variety Performance – or at least, a pre-show rehearsal in the dingy room downs…

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Crizards: This Means War review – a lovably larky send-up of old combat tales

Soho theatre, LondonThe daffy duo follow up their westerns parody Cowboys with a silly but still oddly respectful musical-comedy about their grandads’ generationIt’s quite the pivot going from blanket coverage of the D-day anniversary straight to Criza…

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Rachel Parris: Poise review – satirical songs elevate standup’s acerbic wit

Leicester Square theatre, LondonThe Mash Report comedian’s material on middle age is sharp but it’s her political musical numbers that really hit homeIf life begins at 40, where does that leave the decades already under your belt? Rachel Parris fashion…

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Greta Titelman: Exquisite Lies review – mesmeric standup with plenty to shriek about

Soho theatre, LondonThe comic traces a path from Arizona to Manhattan with a musical set that never quite landsThe comedian as self-fascinated ego-monster is quite the pose these days. Kate Berlant, Leo Reich and Catherine Cohen recently entered that t…

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Stevie Martin: I auditioned for Ed Gamble and Nish Kumar in a haze of fear

The comedian on strange encounters with fans, performing to a room full of silence and the state of sketch comedyHow did you get into comedy?I auditioned for Durham University’s sketch group when I was a fresher because I was slightly drunk and wanted …

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Steen Raskopoulos: the 10 funniest things I have ever seen (on the internet)

The comedian and actor shares what makes him laugh online including James Acaster’s cabbage story, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, and the madness of Creed BrattonGet our weekend culture and lifestyle emailHere’s a selection of some of my favourite clips tha…

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Rhod Gilbert and the Giant Grapefruit review – hilarity and horror on standup’s cancer journey

Cliffs Pavilion, SouthendNow free of cancer, Gilbert looks back on his illness with a characteristic mixture of emotional candour and uproarious humourA standup show about cancer? It’s a far cry from the brand of comedy – wild overreactions to trivial …

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‘Punching up against colonialism is glorious!’ The unstoppable rise of Indian comedy in the UK

Standup has enjoyed a rapid rise in India over the last decade, and now its leading lights are conquering the Edinburgh fringe and packing out the Royal Albert Hall. Where better to take aim at the legacy of Empire …In the summer of 2010, Anuvab P…

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The Government Inspector review – Ghosts stars team up for cartoonish corruption satire

Marylebone theatre, LondonKiell Smith-Bynoe and Martha Howe-Douglas ably embody Gogol’s schemers, but this show doesn’t hit any 21st-century targetsYou can see why, in 2024, one might revive Gogol’s play about rampant government corruption, and adaptor…

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Dawn of the Big Yin: rediscovered film shows Billy Connolly on the road to comedy glory

The 1975 tour documentary Big Banana Feet captures a comic growing into his extraordinary talents – and adjusting to unprecedented fameIn an age where our every selfie, photogenic breakfast and “thing I’m ashamed to admit” is preserved eternally online…

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