All hail Tina Fey: the funniest comic of the 21st century

From skewering Sarah Palin to handing us Liz Lemon on 30 Rock, here are 10 of the SNL legend’s most hilarious moments The 50 best comediansA nice girl with an anarchic bent and a tongue as sharp as a boning knife, Tina Fey has dominated sketch comedy (…

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The 50 best comedians of the 21st century

From apocalyptic standup Frankie Boyle to the many hilarious faces of Tina Fey, Steve Coogan, Sharon Horgan and Kristen Wiig, we present the funniest comics of the eraOur No 1 comedian’s funniest momentsMore of the best Theatre | TV | Dance | Film | Al…

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Richard Blackwood: ‘I was in a bubble, thinking I had the Midas touch’

Comedian, TV presenter, pop star … the ‘British Will Smith’ was geared for Hollywood stardom until his life came crashing down. Now, in a powerful play about death in custody, he’s making a fresh bid for stardom ‘People are going to come to the show th…

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Going to see standup comedy? Don’t fear the front row!

Sitting near a performer puts you in the firing line – but it also makes you an invaluable part of any comedy showJohn Oliver looked into my eyes and cocked his head. We held each other’s gaze. On the “stage” of an upstairs room in a grimy little pub, …

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‘Coolest night in town’: the club where Phoebe Waller-Bridge created Fleabag

Once based in a rundown boozer, DryWrite nights encouraged risk and giddy game-playing – their spirit is felt in Killing Eve and across British theatre todayWhen Phoebe Waller-Bridge performed her script Fleabag at the Edinburgh fringe in 2013, it land…

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Wild oversharing comic Phoebe Robinson: ‘I do dumb things. That’s who I am!’

Is the fringe ready for the brash standup who used to get paid in nachos and chicken wings? We meet one half of 2 Dope Queens as she fills her shoes with sweatWhat does Phoebe Robinson want to see when she arrives at the Edinburgh fringe? “Just tons of…

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‘I should have died in 1992’: Craig Ferguson’s comedy comeback

He quit booze and Scotland – and became a chat show sensation in the US. As he returns to standup on his home turf, we rescue him from selfie-takers on the streets of GlasgowOn the morning we meet, Glasgow seems especially delighted to have Craig Fergu…

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What Seinfeld can teach us about science

From micro pigs to the doping dangers of a poppy seed bagel, how life may be imitating the US sitcomWhen Jerry Seinfeld starts his UK tour, listen out for a science joke. From early on in his TV career, the comedian poked fun at science. In his 1981 HB…

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‘Stormzy inspired me’: Mo Gilligan, the selfie comic turned chatshow star

His viral videos earned him a sell-out tour and a new late night TV show – can the character comedian become the Instagram era’s Chris Evans?Two years ago, Mo Gilligan was selling jeans in the Levi’s store in Covent Garden. This month, he’s fronting – …

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TV channel Dave is new Edinburgh comedy awards sponsor

Awards, with three categories including £10,000 prize for best comedy show, will be known as DavesThe television channel Dave is to follow fizzy water, finance, lager and online travel as the sponsor of the Edinburgh comedy awards.The announcement was …

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