Teacher who ran school outside Paris was a formative influence on generations of comedians and actors including Helena Bonham Carter and Emma ThompsonMaster clown Philippe Gaulier, the influential founder of France’s École Philippe Gaulier, has died ag…
Continue ReadingOur sitcom character Jim Hacker continues to cling on – as he takes to the West End stage, nothing has really changedWhen people praised Tony Jay and me for Yes Minister’s prescience, we accepted the compliments graciously. But the reason the TV series…
Continue ReadingDarlington HippodromePerkins’ return to live comedy features some lurid stories of her personal and professional ineptitude, and jaunty tales about vacuum cleaners and a drug-addled trip to a shamanShame is what Sue Perkins promises us in this return t…
Continue ReadingBarn theatre, CirencesterSimon Nye brings back the characters from his hit TV series for a misconceived comedy set on millennium eveIn a nervy theatre economy, with familiar material most likely to sell tickets, nights out often feel nostalgic for nigh…
Continue ReadingPark theatre, LondonBill Rosenfield reimagines the playwright’s early work about the souring relationship between newlywed artistsHell is other people – especially if you’re married to them. Noël Coward’s characters often struggle to fit their romantic…
Continue ReadingBristol BeaconIf the comic’s political fervour is dialled down, there is much to enjoy in a show delivered with flair and 10-ton sarcasmInner peace and contentment are not always gifts to the comedian, and – who knows? – maybe that’s why Bridget Christ…
Continue ReadingThe comedian and podcast host on his cringeworthy interview with Heath Ledger, his perfect comedy movie, and the secret to improvising a new show every nightGet our weekend culture and lifestyle emailDo you have a nemesis?I know Adam Hills did one of t…
Continue ReadingWhen it comes to origin stories, comedians have some of the strangest – from performing for a £5 bet to getting back at their boss to making an unlikely pact with a friendNot all standup comedians wake up one day and decide to be funny for a living. Th…
Continue ReadingSoho theatre, London The standup mines familiar comedy scenarios, but dazzling one-liners and shaggy dog stories elevate the setPierre Novellie protests that life is getting harder for observational comedians because, in these siloed times, we have so …
Continue ReadingPark theatre, LondonLeigh Douglas plays a sorority girl turned White House receptionist – as well as lecherous side characters – in a timely showThis show arrives in London in a week that US politics couldn’t be more inescapable. While on one hand, aud…
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