Comedians’ old YouTube skits are enjoying a revival in lockdown. And now standups are returning to online video – to push its possibilities even furtherAt a house party in the north-east of England, teenagers are congregating around a computer, recitin…
Continue ReadingThe Australian comedian and musician on social media, the anxiety of love and Abba hitsBorn in Western Australia, Tim Minchin, 44, began his career as a comedian, winning the 2005 Perrier best newcomer award at the Edinburgh festival fringe. In 2009, t…
Continue ReadingThe comedian, drag act and entertainer on the things that make her laugh the mostWhen an inebriated Antony Costa from Blue urinated on a cash machine outside a post office near Covent Garden. He was stood up for that, and I did laugh. The cash machine …
Continue ReadingA new study suggests more than three-quarters of our comedy venues face permanent closure – we must save themOne Saturday in my late teens I went to the Glee Club in my home town of Birmingham to see a mixed bill of standup with my friends. On the bill…
Continue ReadingBec Hill, Laura Davis and Eshaan Akbar can be watched on this online home for comedy’s rising stars and circuit regularsWith gig venues closed, where do you turn for your comedy fix? You can find the creme de la standup creme on Netflix – or so Netflix…
Continue ReadingFears sector will be overlooked when £1.57bn emergency arts funding is allocated Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThree-quarters of British comedy venues face closure within a year without financial support, according to a su…
Continue ReadingWhile they wait for clubs to reopen, standups are returning to the stage in car parks, with audiences tuning in on the radioIn his new Netflix special, US standup Dave Chappelle reflected on the drive-in comedy shows that have sprung up while clubs are…
Continue ReadingArts venues have been hit hard by the pandemic and are still unable to stage live performances. In the second part of a new series, we celebrate their essential rolePaul Chahidi is in all three series of This Country, available on BBC iPlayer. Read mor…
Continue ReadingYouTubeBuress revisits the story of his 2017 arrest for disorderly intoxication in an enjoyable online set that uses technology creativelyCross a comedian at your peril. They can put their revenge on a very visible pedestal – as Hannibal Buress now doe…
Continue ReadingYouTubeIn Stalter’s sharply observed, bittersweet character comedy, a string of awkward talkative types bare their souls Disastrous for many comedians, lockdown has propelled others to prominence – notably, those who’d already made a home online. Meg S…
Continue Reading