She unleashed Phoebe Waller-Bridge on the Edinburgh fringe. The former actor with the Midas touch tells us her recipe for a hit show‘We had wine. It was late.” Producer Francesca Moody shrugs as if that combination is where all genius lies. Six years a…
Continue ReadingThe queen of the caustic punchline talks about plastic surgery, embarrassing her daughter – and turning her life as a single mum into a sitcomKatherine Ryan is busily scrolling through a neighbourhood Facebook group when we meet. “Someone’s dog attacke…
Continue ReadingAged seven, comic Steve Bugeja helped his mum find a new partner. They had to watch his magic tricks – and know how to handle a trellisWhen I told my mum that my fringe comedy show was going to be all about her being single when I was growing up, she s…
Continue ReadingSoho theatre, LondonThe Saturday Night Live writer has skill but hits bum notes and wanders into incoherence at the endIt takes more than a few smart routines to make a show. I left Boston comic and Saturday Night Live writer Sam Jay’s UK debut in no d…
Continue ReadingAfter the smart-aleck sitcom Community and the outrageous Hangover movies, the rude and raging comedian is returning to standupRage, mania and disinhibition are the common factors in Ken Jeong’s comedy. That’s whether he’s springing naked from the boot…
Continue ReadingThe comedian’s life was upended in 2016 when his wife died. He discusses her role in the Golden State Killer case, the ‘shadow slog’ of grief – and the reaction to his remarriageThe sad clown. The chronic depressive comedian. It is one of the greatest …
Continue ReadingBournemouth International CentreCasting himself as a taboo breaker for his Netflix show Supernature, the cacklesome comic delivers a squarely liberal-baiting set‘That’s not going in … That won’t make it in … ” Ricky Gervais’s new standup set Supernat…
Continue ReadingThe Grand, Clapham, London The Inbetweeners’ actor gears up for her 30s with a look back at her regrets and a plea for us all to be nicer to one anotherEmily Atack isn’t your regular standup. Despite selling out a cross-country tour, this is the first …
Continue ReadingThe performer – who died this week – found fame as a musician and an impressionist, but could never escape a notorious Sun front pageThe career of the comedian and singer Freddie Starr, who has died aged 76, was defined less by any particular performan…
Continue ReadingThe death of the SNL star 30 years ago robbed the industry of one its finest voices – but not before she had blazed a trail for women such as Tina Fey to followThere is no shortage of excellent critical writing about the US comedy scene in the 80s, and…
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