The late comedian’s son, Bob Cryer, offers an intimate and astute portrait of his father’s skill and wit, and the vulnerability beneathI never met Barry Cryer, but I do have a memory of him, which seems characteristic of those generated by this great l…
Continue ReadingA mixed bill of standups, presented by the Nanette star and due to be recorded for the streamer, is a valuable response to its Dave Chappelle controversyWhen Dave Chappelle released his Netflix special The Closer, widely condemned for its transphobia, …
Continue ReadingThe standup, writer and actor, who co-hosted The Great Australian Bake Off and appeared as a guest on Thank God You’re Here, died after a short illness in SydneyCal Wilson, the New Zealand standup comedian who became a mainstay on Australian television…
Continue ReadingAs it fills the Royal Albert Hall on tour, the comedians’ ‘dream restaurant’ show questions what ingredients a live performance really needs‘I can’t believe this many people like your podcast!” That’s Elis James talking, as he and his pals James Acaste…
Continue ReadingThe comedian was booked in for a biopsy after noticing a neck abnormality. Standups are used to leaving audiences jolly but he could not share his diagnosis without causing worryI felt an actual breeze flutter, blowing my hair. The consultant had told …
Continue ReadingWhether running for parliament or in multiple marathons, performing on film and in multilingual standup, the star will be here to tell you how on earth she does itFrom running 32 marathons in 31 days to performing shows in French, Arabic, German, Russi…
Continue ReadingAssembly Hall theatre, Tunbridge Wells Heartfelt two-act show revels in the manic, painful and sometimes amusing fallout of recovering from alcoholismHas the advent of trauma-comedy been a boon to standup, broadening its emotional range? Or has it, as …
Continue ReadingOff the heels of publishing a memoir, the star of Taskmaster and Mel Giedroyc: Unforgivable discusses unhappy readers, deleting Twitter, and outing Russell Brand“Can you say I wafted in looking stunning?” asks Lou Sanders, dissolving into laughter befo…
Continue ReadingSoho theatre, LondonThe comedian launches her campaign to become a national treasure with a show that has charm, smut, irony and laughs in equal measureRosie Jones was going to write a gag-packed show, she tells us – but then she got too busy. Delivere…
Continue ReadingSoho theatre, LondonThe standup’s loud and proud show about female self-sufficiency presents her as an attention-hogging misfit parading her indignities for our delightAged 32, Helen Bauer has never had a boyfriend and her “empath” friends think they k…
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