Michelle Brasier on turning cancer into comedy – and kicking her life into overdrive

After losing her father and brother, the Aunty Donna comedian was told she had a 97% chance of cancer herself. With a new album, musical and memoir to promote, she’s not slowing downGet our weekend culture and lifestyle emailAt the end of her first yea…

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The best theatre to stream this month: Andrew Scott’s Vanya and an Othello with three Iagos

The Fleabag star delivers a bravura solo version of Chekhov’s classic, plus new perspectives on Shakespeare and a starry Rodgers and Hammerstein hoedownAndrew Scott plays every role in Simon Stephens’ Olivier award-winning version of Uncle Vanya, ingen…

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A Six follow-up, an LA clown … and War Horse rides again: theatre, comedy and dance autumn preview

Why Am I So Single sets dating angst to music; more Hollywood stars hit the West End; and a Brummie dance trilogy reaches its finale Continue reading…

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Sir Ken Dodd’s new ‘happiness centre’ tickles me but should be taken seriously | Michael Billington

A £15m, four-storey space in Liverpool is to be dedicated to the man once known as Professor Yaffle Chuckabutty. Let’s hope it will delve as deeply as he did into comedy’s infinite variationsWhat is the legacy of a great comedian? In the past it lay pr…

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Larry Dean: Dodger review – crowd-pleasing gags with a tender twist in the tale

Monkey Barrel Comedy, EdinburghThe Scottish standup retains his bouncy charm in a show that parallels his recent autism diagnosis with the story of his grandmother’s descent into Alzheimer’sWith victory in last week’s So You Think You’re Funny? prize f…

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Colin Hoult: Colin review – portrait of the artist as a young grande dame

Pleasance Courtyard, EdinburghThe fringe veteran unpacks his idiosyncratic childhood in a vividly realised show about class, family and neurodiversityColin Hoult has been performing at the fringe for 20 years, but never with what most comics give us at…

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Graham Dickson: No One Deserves This More Than You review – dependably funny desperation

Pleasance Dome, EdinburghThe improv star showcases all his charm and skill playing a delusional actor who keeps pausing his show to record self-tapes for superior productions elsewhereFew figures are more dependably funny than the delusional, disappoin…

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Double win for Yorkshire in Edinburgh comedy awards

Hull’s Amy Gledhill wins best show and Huddersfield’s Joe Kent-Walters named best newcomer, with Rob Copland winning Victoria Wood award The winners of the 2024 Edinburgh comedy awards have been revealed, with a double win for Yorkshire as Hull’s Amy …

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Edinburgh comedy awards champ Amy Gledhill is a delightful standup now set for breakout success | Brian Logan

The festival’s top prize has gone to a warmly witty act, previously nominated for best newcomer, with the chops to become a household nameSo Amy Gledhill has won the Edinburgh comedy award, catapulting herself into an elite pantheon that includes Tim K…

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Chloe Petts: How You See Me, How You Don’t review – a former head girl’s life lessons

Pleasance Courtyard, EdinburghThe standup delivers another intelligent and compelling hour, exploring sport, gender, trolls and her schoolingWhen Chloe Petts got a regular Saturday morning slot on Sky Sports News, it was a dream come true for the comic…

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