In the first of a series exploring the stage origins of hit comedies, the actor remembers creating the delusional letting agent at Bristol University“For a lot of series one, I don’t like Stath as a character,” says Jamie Demetriou, the comedian, actor…
Continue ReadingIn our weekly series, funny people share the links that make them laugh online. For Nath Valvo, it’s impressions, pranks and Diane KeatonHello. My name is Nath Valvo. I’m a comedian by trade and I have almost finished the internet. You can finish the i…
Continue ReadingAvailable onlineSofa-bound audiences help the team behind The Play That Goes Wrong to create spontaneous and funny stories on screenThey cornered the West End comedy market. They made it on TV. Now Mischief Theatre is coming for your streaming devices,…
Continue ReadingAvailable onlineSofa-bound audiences help the team behind The Play That Goes Wrong to create spontaneous and funny stories on screenThey cornered the West End comedy market. They made it on TV. Now Mischief Theatre is coming for your streaming devices,…
Continue ReadingThe idea that the artform skews left is widespread, but the prevalence of comedians punching down suggests otherwise“Three-quarters of BBC comedians are liberals,” scream the headlines; or “New BBC boss targets ‘leftwing’ comedy shows.” In the ongoing …
Continue ReadingWhile ‘cancelled’ comedians continue to succeed after making transphobic jokes, their trans peers are still finding it an often unwelcome industryA month before the transgender comedian Jaye McBride was supposed to appear at a festival, she got a phone…
Continue ReadingWhen venues were closed by the pandemic, James Acaster, Maria Bamford and other top comics got to work on a web series to rescue The Bill Murray in LondonIt sounds like the premise for a sitcom – and now it is. The Bill Murray in north London, home to …
Continue ReadingThe BBC’s new comedy series brings together half-hour sets from Kiri Pritchard-McLean, Imran Yusuf and Joz Norris Netflix, Amazon Prime … Radio 4? It’s not just global content platforms carving up the standup market. Radio 4 has broadcast sets in recen…
Continue ReadingSouthbank Centre onlineThis Zoom gig of eyecatching diversity closed the Unlimited festival and felt like a family gathering with its affectionate mutual mockery‘‘Disabled entertainment,” jokes comedian Steve Day, “is a dog-eat-dog world.” He does some…
Continue ReadingNetflix The standup is back with an extended version of his 2018 special Tamborine that better captures the spirit of a live gigWhat persistent itch, I wonder, persuaded Chris Rock to revisit his 2018 special Tamborine, re-edit it, and release an exten…
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