King’s theatre, GlasgowOn his first home tour for a decade, Boyle tempered bad-taste gags by trying to decide whether his trademark humour has any worth in extreme timesAustralian standup Hannah Gadsby’s 2017 show Nanette bagged a clutch of awards, too…
Continue ReadingSoho theatre, LondonThe standup riffs on the oddness of memory in a show that takes in Danish queens, Welsh sex breaks and a late gutpunchSofie Hagen’s last three shows – including her award-winning debut Bubblewrap – mined personal trauma for comedy. …
Continue ReadingSoho theatre, LondonThe standup riffs on the oddness of memory in a show that takes in Danish queens, Welsh sex breaks and a late gutpunchSofie Hagen’s last three shows – including her award-winning debut Bubblewrap – mined personal trauma for comedy. …
Continue ReadingThe standup, actor and writer on the things that make him laugh the mostBack in 1993 I went to see Michael Redmond and Phil Kay at a comedy club on a boat on the Clyde in Glasgow. I’m not sure which one of them did it to me but I laughed so much I burs…
Continue ReadingSoho theatre, LondonFrom being spat at by male audience members to mum riding ‘groin first’ to the rescue, Mittal delivers an irreverent setWhen Aditi Mittal made her UK debut two years ago, it was with a lightweight guide to India for outsiders. You g…
Continue ReadingComedian, 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…
Continue ReadingThe soul-baring comedian has turned his experience of being stalked into a gripping piece of theatre, Baby ReindeerIt had all ended so well. When Richard Gadd won the Edinburgh Comedy award three years ago with Monkey See Monkey Do, it wasn’t just a pr…
Continue ReadingThe industry remains dominated by privately educated standups who have the right connections and can afford all the risks of a career in comedyAs a comedian, one of the first jokes I make when I pick up the mic is about my sexuality. Coming out on stag…
Continue ReadingThe Australian standup and actor on the things that make her laugh the mostNeil Hamburger has this bit about Steven Tyler in a dunce’s cap that kills me even when I think about it. Continue reading…
Continue ReadingImpressionist Jon Culshaw, playwright James Graham, comedian Bridget Christie and critic Mark Lawson on the prime minister’s opening week in WestminsterI’ve been doing Boris impressions ever since he emerged as Boris the Menace in Private Eye. He stuck…
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