Sophie McCartney: One Foot in the Rave review – the ‘comedimum’ riffs on wild youth and motherhood

Bloomsbury theatre, LondonProfundity is in short supply in this celebration of received thinking about wrinkles and randy husbands – but McCartney makes the familiar shine‘Give me a shout if you’re here on a girls’ night out!” There’s no point pretendi…

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The Government Inspector review – Tom Rosenthal stirs up Gogol’s political satire

Chichester Festival theatreThe standup brings his easy stage command to the role of a penniless nincompoop who tricks his way into authority in Gregory Doran’s productionA satire by a Ukrainian-born writer in which Russians trust a chancer who cruelly …

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Studio3 review – triple whammy of comedy is ferociously funny

Tron theatre, GlasgowA quick-witted trio star in three plays, in roles ranging from an Ulster unionist Homer Simpson to a pandemic prophetIf you were the gambling kind, you would have hedged your bets on A Play, a Pie and a Pint. What chance of surviva…

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Search Party’s John Early: ‘You can only take a narcissistic monster for so long – it grates after 10 years’

Dropping the droll, self-obsessed character from his early standup shows, the comic and TV star is swapping millennial irony for the sincerity of songThere was a time when comedians weren’t just about the jokes, they were about the crooning, too. I saw…

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‘It’s Fleabag’s home – the audience is unshockable’: Phoebe Waller-Bridge and more on 25 years of Soho theatre

The central London institution champions new talent, amplifies LGBTQ+ voices and always takes risks. With a new outpost opening in Walthamstow, artists discuss how the West End venue is not just a place – it’s a philosophyA fixture on London’s Dean Str…

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Charlene Kaye: the 10 funniest things I have ever seen (on the internet)

The millennial musician and comedian on the clips that melt her brain, from Christian rap to 2012-core esoterica and an epic televised free-jazz failGet our weekend culture and lifestyle emailI’m a millennial musician who was there at the buttcrack of …

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Greg Larsen: Geggy review – a very funny standup on why he’s quitting comedy

Melbourne international comedy festival, then SydneyAssured performer leads a chaotic journey through his career’s highs and lows – and the decisions that led him to a McDonald’s drive thru …Greg Larsen is broke. Having his card declined at a McDonald’…

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Lou Wall: Breaking the Fifth Wall review – a silly and profound standup masterpiece

Melbourne international comedy festival, then touringThe Australian comedian’s latest show takes a straightforward story about Facebook Marketplace and unravels it into something much more metaComedians frequently lie – but if the stories funny, does i…

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Chloe Petts: the 10 funniest things I have ever seen (on the internet)

The British comedian shares what makes her laugh, including Eddie Izzard, a spectacular burp and some small children saying the darndest thingsGet our weekend culture and lifestyle emailYou know when you’re at a party and there is someone who you’re re…

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‘I stole material from my dad’s funeral!’ Sarah Silverman on her outrageous and tender show about her parents’ demise

It’s got sex jokes, Hitler gags and endless gallows humour. The comedian once famed for being ‘ignorant-arrogant’ reveals why she’s written a show about the deaths of her stepmother and the father who taught her to swear‘There was one night,” says Sara…

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