Script, what script? Why Parks and Recreation star Ben Schwartz can’t quit improv

The beloved sitcom’s scene-stealer may now be hot Hollywood property, starring alongside Jim Carrey and Nicolas Cage, but he refuses to move on from his first love. As he scores a Netflix special and heads for the UK, he explains its allurePlenty of Ho…

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Jon Richardson and Lucy Beaumont: ‘All couples argue – but we put our arguments on TV’

Meet the Richardsons sees the married standups play fictional versions of themselves – but that doesn’t mean reality doesn’t creep in from time to time“We don’t stay in posh hotels in London,” says Jon Richardson. In a posh hotel in London. “We’re not …

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‘I’m Lily Savage, the blonde bombsite’ – the genius of Paul O’Grady, by Eddie Izzard, Russell T Davies and more

A boundary-busting standup, a radio sensation, a knockout on TV, a champion for LGBTQ rights, and a pet-lover extraordinaire … stars and writers pay tribute to the many lives of Paul O’GradyA life in picturesAn icon: tributes to Paul O’GradyNews: TV pr…

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Feelgood factor: Mae Martin’s Sap on Netflix is comedic open-heart surgery

In the standup’s first solo set since the huge success of their queer romcom Feel Good, we are taken on an emotional rollercoaster with confidence and charmIt’s always interesting to see a standup’s first show since becoming a superstar. The wait’s bee…

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Judi Love: ‘Working in a hairdresser was the best education’

The comedian, 42, talks about growing up shy, forgetting names, loving being a mum, and getting free haircuts​​I lived in my own world as a kid. I sang Whitney Houston songs to imagined crowds. While watching films, I’d pretend to be the star of my own…

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Miranda Hart: ‘My preshow rituals? A banana and a poo’

The comedian on getting permission to be silly from Eric Morecambe, meeting the Spice Girls and how Comic Relief brings people togetherWhat made you get into comedy?It seems like a scripted setup when I reflect on it now. It was as clear as day to me, …

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Miranda Hart: ‘My preshow rituals? A banana and a poo’

The comedian on getting permission to be silly from Eric Morecambe, meeting the Spice Girls and how Comic Relief brings people togetherWhat made you get into comedy?It seems like a scripted setup when I reflect on it now. It was as clear as day to me, …

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Ignacio Lopez: ‘I’m trying to figure out how to most effectively wind up the English’

The Spanish-Welsh comedian on cut-throat critics, dying on stage in the dark and why telling thousands of people to shut up was a career highWhat drew you to standup comedy?In my family’s bar in Spain we had satellite TV for the football and I used to …

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Cult standup John Kearns: ‘You might not like my show for 20 minutes, but you’ll leave happy!’

The self-deprecating star has won two Edinburgh awards but remains a niche concern. Will a recent breakout turn on Taskmaster and a huge nationwide tour bring his absurdist comedy to the mainstream?In 2014 John Kearns became the first – and thus far th…

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Tig Notaro: ‘Can I recall a bad gig? The first two years of my career’

The US comedian on heckling, why she gravitates towards silly people and the best and worst advice she’s ever been givenWho did you look up to when you started out?In the open mic comedy scene I was coming up in, I loved my friends Maria Bamford, Zach …

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