An Ideal Husband review – Oscar Wilde’s comedy gets the gleefully camp glow-up it deserves

Lyric Hammersmith, London The dissolute aristocrats from 1895 remain sharply funny, and bitingly relevant, in this flamboyant new spinOscar Wilde’s comedy was billed as a “play of modern life” when it premiered at the Haymarket theatre in London in 189…

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A leak at No 11: Rachel Reeves and the satire about the urinal she couldn’t get rid of

When she broke through the glass ceiling and became chancellor, Reeves found her office had its own latrine. Rosie Holt reveals why she turned the story into a play called Churchill’s UrinalBritain is a conservative country, we are repeatedly told. So …

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Lenny Henry: Still at Large review – comic brings back greatest hits for a victory lap

Dudley Town HallWith bits about Prince, Tiswas, his Jamaican family and his long career, the standup treads familiar ground and the home-town crowd love itIn this new standup show – his first tour since 2010 – Lenny Henry says he generally turns down r…

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‘Being offended isn’t the worst thing. Being poor is’: how Robby Hoffman became a controversial comedy sensation

She has suddenly become one of the world’s most successful comedians, with a hit Netflix special, an Emmy-nominated role in Hacks and another opposite Steve Carell. But many of her jokes raise hackles. Is she a genius – or an edgelord?‘Once in a while,…

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Rove McManus: ‘My most memorable interaction with a fan? I was asked to sign a baby’

The former chatshow host and Taskmaster Australia contestant on his nemesis, the celebrity interaction he’s still cringing over and his deep dislike of GoggleboxGet our weekend culture and lifestyle emailWhat’s your most controversial pop culture opini…

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Fourteen Again review – make a new musical out of Victoria Wood’s warmly witty songs? Let’s do it!

The Victoria Wood theatre, Bowness-on-WindermereMarking 10 years since the late comic’s death, this affectionate show blends her songs with a time-slip tale of friendship, regret and middle ageThis Lake District venue was called the Old Laundry theatre…

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Ashley Gavin review – a close look at the clitoris, gender and the ‘manly’ business of getting pregnant

Glee Club, GlasgowThe masc lesbian comic from New York delivers a superb set with big laughs and twisty logicOld-school standup celebrating the traditional masculine virtues? It’s fallen a little out of fashion. But it’s a different story when a masc l…

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Michael Spicer: ‘Monty Python taught me that authority figures must earn our respect’

The Room Next Door star on overnight success, ‘sneaky follows’ from politicians and how internet commenting has dragged society downHow did you get into comedy?I was submitting sketches to Spitting Image when I was 17 and making my own sketches pre-int…

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Guy Montgomery: ‘One fan took us back to his house and showed us all his guns’

The host of Guy Montgomery’s Guy Mont Spelling Bee on saying goodbye to former sidekick Aaron Chen, how he became friendly with Jacinda Ardern, and his secret to falling asleepHave you ever won a spelling bee?No! I don’t think I’ve entered any formalis…

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Guy Montgomery: ‘One fan took us back to his house and showed us all his guns’

The host of Guy Montgomery’s Guy Mont Spelling Bee on saying goodbye to former sidekick Aaron Chen, how he became friendly with Jacinda Ardern, and his secret to falling asleepHave you ever won a spelling bee?No! I don’t think I’ve entered any formalis…

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