Arcola theatre, LondonThis riff on Arthur Conan Doyle’s detective stories has flashes of promise but its comedy and purpose never landShouldn’t that be Flat 2b? Then again, there are bigger problems in this gender-switched reworking of Arthur Conan Doy…
Continue ReadingLyric Hammersmith, London A sinister giant computer and a meat-eating headmaster have a sinister plan for shy Jack and his schoolfriends. Meanwhile, the Fairy Godfather has the hots for the dame This is not your bog-standard Jack and the Beanstalk. In …
Continue ReadingResearchers say results underline large language models’ poor grasp of humour, empathy and cultural nuanceComedians who rely on clever wordplay and writers of witty headlines can rest a little easier, for the moment at least, research on AI suggests.Ex…
Continue ReadingSoho theatre, LondonTim Foley’s conspiracy-fuelled comedy pits reason against delusion as a palaeontology lecturer faces a dean who believes Jurassic Park is realLogic and reason are torn to shreds in Tim Foley’s sharp, silly satire about fossils and f…
Continue ReadingBirmingham RepHumphrey Ker and David Reed’s witty thriller blends Victorian sleuthing, meta gags and new songs by the great musical-theatre duoA serial killer working through the alphabet (Agatha Christie’s The ABC Murders) or Catholicism’s list of gra…
Continue ReadingRoyal Court theatre, LiverpoolPaul Duckworth’s sweary Scrooge has romantic history with Marley’s widow in a pun-heavy festive showWhether it’s Paul Hilton at London’s Old Vic this winter or Marti Pellow in Glasgow next year, you’re never far from a Scr…
Continue ReadingRoyal Court theatre, LiverpoolPaul Duckworth’s sweary Scrooge has romantic history with Marley’s widow in a pun-heavy festive showWhether it’s Paul Hilton at London’s Old Vic this winter or Marti Pellow in Glasgow next year, you’re never far from a Scr…
Continue ReadingHe’s been in everything from Love Actually to Shakespeare with Al Pacino – but will he always be thought of as the string-vest-wearing boozy Glaswegian? Ahead of a tour as himself, the actor and Instagram cookery guru looks backFew actors are more inde…
Continue ReadingThe Yorkshire comic was going nowhere with his act which relied on gimmicks, set-pieces and standing on tables. So he decided it was time to live a more interesting – and stressful – lifeWhat’s the opposite of an overnight success? Should we call Ian S…
Continue ReadingSoho theatre, LondonThe comedian considers his Brummie and Middle East identities in a polished set about belongingBritish-Iraqi comedian Hasan Al-Habib’s eye-catching show is about coming from a part of the world blighted by poverty, danger and the wo…
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