Swarm review – a scathing appraisal of Britain’s political parasites

Camden People’s theatre, LondonDonning an insect costume, the magnetic Liv Ello uses clowning to land a deeply serious point about our timesLiv Ello is the director of Frankie Thompson’s delightful show Catts, so I had high expectations for their solo …

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‘You should remain silent’: John Shuttleworth squares up to his own creator

Graham Fellows’ film Father Earth records the Sheffield comedian’s trip to Orkney with his dad – and a bid to step out of his alter ego’s shadowWhen I last saw Graham Fellows in character as northern singer-songwriter John Shuttleworth, back in 2015, I…

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Five of Peter Kay’s most memorable comedy moments

With comedian to embark on first live tour for 12 years, we choose some of his funniest routinesPeter Kay has announced he will perform his new standup show in a year-long monthly residency at London’s O2 arena. Here are five of his best comedic moment…

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Peter Kay to perform a show each month at London’s O2 for a year

Comedian says response to news he is to embark on first live tour for 12 years has been ‘proper overwhelming’ The comedian Peter Kay has announced he will perform his new standup show in year-long monthly residency at London’s 02 arena.Speaking in a r…

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Peter Kay to perform a show each month at London’s O2 for a year

Comedian says response to news he is to embark on first live tour for 12 years has been ‘proper overwhelming’ The comedian Peter Kay has announced he will perform his new standup show in year-long monthly residency at London’s 02 arena.Speaking in a r…

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Panto first-timers prepare to party: ‘I’ll wave that wand with everything I’ve got!’

Jason Manford, Keala Settle, Carrie Hope Fletcher and Chelsea Hall get set for the glitter and gags of festive seasonPanto was my first experience of going to the theatre. At school in south Manchester, there were free tickets for kids from underprivil…

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Peter Kay announces first live tour in 12 years

Comedian will kick off with shows in Manchester later this year as tickets go on sale on 12 NovemberPeter Kay has announced his first live standup tour in 12 years.Tickets will go on sale for the UK gigs at 10am on 12 November from his website, followi…

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Comedian Tom Allen: ‘All high ceremony is camp. In a way, church is like Drag Race’

The Bake Off regular on the complexity of grief, the importance of dressing well and why he’s always fancied himself as a vicarComedian Tom Allen, 39, grew up in Bromley and trained with the National Youth theatre. He started standup aged 22, winning S…

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Elf Lyons: Raven review – fierce and funny fright-night

Soho theatre, LondonLyons raises her personal demons so she can publicly refuse to play by their rules in this complex comedy-horror crossoverThe eye-popping final sequence of Elf Lyons’s Raven unfolds to Rage Against the Machine’s cacophonous Killing …

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Rich Hall: ‘America is on the edge of the apocalypse – Britain is a shuffling of weird ghoulish political figures’

The standup and author on American-British rants, why Saturday Night Live wouldn’t work in the UK and the joy of offending Winnebago ownersYour current show is called Shot from Cannons. What is it about?The first half is grampa throwing slippers at the…

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