EartH Hackney, LondonADHD, Tory supremacy and the limited appeal of ‘Sir Keir’ combine in another unrestrained report from the standup’s struggles to hang on to optimismSome comics alight on a new theme for each show. Josie Long’s theme remains the sam…
Continue ReadingNew Wolsey theatre, IpswichThis riff on HG Wells’s sci-fi novella has a sharp cast but relies on a wearisome play-within-a-play concept and lacks momentumIn 2021, HG Wells fans were aghast at the Royal Mint giving the Tripods an extra leg and the Invis…
Continue ReadingThe comedian on getting permission to be silly from Eric Morecambe, meeting the Spice Girls and how Comic Relief brings people togetherWhat made you get into comedy?It seems like a scripted setup when I reflect on it now. It was as clear as day to me, …
Continue ReadingThe comedian on getting permission to be silly from Eric Morecambe, meeting the Spice Girls and how Comic Relief brings people togetherWhat made you get into comedy?It seems like a scripted setup when I reflect on it now. It was as clear as day to me, …
Continue ReadingThe Vaults, LondonKatie Arnstein’s captivating show about her mum’s treatment for cancer lies somewhere between storytelling and standupThe crowd carries you along in a marathon, says Katie Arnstein towards the end of this winning show about family and…
Continue ReadingThe comedian shares her thoughts on Sunday roasts, winding down peacefully and doing whatever her daughter tells herUp early or lie-in? I’d love a lie-in, but for the past six years we’ve had a child alarm clock. You could put Elsie to bed at midnight …
Continue ReadingHenry Naylor travelled to Afghanistan in 2003 to research his fringe farce Finding Bin Laden. His sobering new show takes stock of the country’s fate sinceWas Henry Naylor’s agent right when he warned the writer and comic, at the height of the “war on …
Continue ReadingThe Spanish-Welsh comedian on cut-throat critics, dying on stage in the dark and why telling thousands of people to shut up was a career highWhat drew you to standup comedy?In my family’s bar in Spain we had satellite TV for the football and I used to …
Continue ReadingThe self-deprecating star has won two Edinburgh awards but remains a niche concern. Will a recent breakout turn on Taskmaster and a huge nationwide tour bring his absurdist comedy to the mainstream?In 2014 John Kearns became the first – and thus far th…
Continue ReadingThe comedian spends too much time on the internet, but this means she can recommend the likes of Susie Dent, an Instagram dedicated to nihilism and Wanda SykesGet our weekend culture and lifestyle emailLike any well-put-together human being, I spend a …
Continue Reading