The Edinburgh festival: a ‘cultural hypermarket’ – from the archive
See how the Guardian and Observer have reviewed the festival since the very first one in August 194723 August 1947 Continue reading…
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Derry Girls effect boosts Northern Irish talent at Edinburgh fringe
Record number of NI performers at this year’s festival, with C4 comedy hailed for raising awareness of nation’s comic giftsThe biggest ever cohort of playwrights, comedians and artists from Northern Ireland are bringing their work to the Edinburgh frin…
Continue ReadingMarkus Birdman: ‘If anything bad happens to a comic, we think: this will make a good routine!’
The standup on writing material about two strokes, his comedy bugbears and how the Edinburgh fringe has changedHow did you get into comedy?By mistake really. My girlfriend’s friend thought I was funny and entered me into the Daily Telegraph’s new act c…
Continue ReadingThe best theatre to stream this month: Edinburgh fringe, Jane Eyre and more
Our roundup of drama to watch at home includes highlights from the world’s biggest arts jamboree and startling fresh takes on Charlotte Brontë and Henrik Ibsen“I was struck by her spirit and strong will, her peculiar and brilliant mind. She lashes out …
Continue Reading‘I’ve come to say thank you’: big names return to support Edinburgh fringe
Comedians such as Omid Djalili and Rachel Parris are back after festival’s tough two years due to CovidWhen Omid Djalili first performed at the Edinburgh festival fringe in 1993, it was to an audience of three, and they all requested refunds after it w…
Continue Reading‘Standup was a weapon to him’: Ian Cognito, the comedian who died on stage – literally
Three years ago, the caustic comic had a fatal aortic dissection mid-show. Now a new documentary about the self-proclaimed ‘most banned act in Britain’ reveals a saga of booze and outrageWhen Ian Cognito walked on stage in Bicester, Oxfordshire, on 11 …
Continue ReadingSara Barron: ‘My show has something for everyone – it’s properly good or extremely mediocre’
The standup on changing her role models, her pre-performance rituals, and the frustration of being asked to audition for ‘mom’ rolesHow did you get into comedy?I saw the film A Chorus Line and decided I should be an actor. But when I finally tried it p…
Continue Reading‘It’s a feeling I’ve been chasing ever since’: Edinburgh festival debuts
Alan Cumming did a gig for a cat, Tiff Stevenson was drowned out by samba and some performers even made a profit … fringe veterans discuss their first time and how the festival has changedIt was when I still had a fringe of my own: 1974 seems like yest…
Continue ReadingSarah Keyworth on grief and doing comedy ‘when you’re not feeling particularly funny’
The standup’s new Edinburgh fringe show, Lost Boy, is about rediscovering silliness after difficult life events“When bad things happen, there is a lot of comedy if you look in the right places,” says standup Sarah Keyworth. We’re in a bar in central Lo…
Continue ReadingNewsRevue review – 43-year-old formula is still good fun
Canal Cafe theatre, LondonThis high-energy hour of songs and sketches includes a Conservative leadership medley from The Greatest Showman and Boris Johnson’s Jailhouse RockIn the 43 years since NewsRevue first made merry at current affairs – it’s now t…
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