The social media star on performing to silent audiences, turning spite into success and still having to prove herself as a ‘proper’ comedianCan you recall a gig so bad, it’s now funny?I was once booked for an outdoor, family friendly village fete where…
Continue ReadingSoho theatre, LondonHalf musical comedy, half party, Archie Henderson’s show ranges far and wide over the travails of his slinky singer vying for a knighthoodIt’s the Royal Variety Performance – or at least, a pre-show rehearsal in the dingy room downs…
Continue ReadingSoho theatre, LondonThe daffy duo follow up their westerns parody Cowboys with a silly but still oddly respectful musical-comedy about their grandads’ generationIt’s quite the pivot going from blanket coverage of the D-day anniversary straight to Criza…
Continue ReadingLeicester Square theatre, LondonThe Mash Report comedian’s material on middle age is sharp but it’s her political musical numbers that really hit homeIf life begins at 40, where does that leave the decades already under your belt? Rachel Parris fashion…
Continue ReadingSoho theatre, LondonThe comic traces a path from Arizona to Manhattan with a musical set that never quite landsThe comedian as self-fascinated ego-monster is quite the pose these days. Kate Berlant, Leo Reich and Catherine Cohen recently entered that t…
Continue ReadingThe comedian on strange encounters with fans, performing to a room full of silence and the state of sketch comedyHow did you get into comedy?I auditioned for Durham University’s sketch group when I was a fresher because I was slightly drunk and wanted …
Continue ReadingThe comedian and actor shares what makes him laugh online including James Acaster’s cabbage story, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, and the madness of Creed BrattonGet our weekend culture and lifestyle emailHere’s a selection of some of my favourite clips tha…
Continue ReadingCliffs Pavilion, SouthendNow free of cancer, Gilbert looks back on his illness with a characteristic mixture of emotional candour and uproarious humourA standup show about cancer? It’s a far cry from the brand of comedy – wild overreactions to trivial …
Continue ReadingStandup has enjoyed a rapid rise in India over the last decade, and now its leading lights are conquering the Edinburgh fringe and packing out the Royal Albert Hall. Where better to take aim at the legacy of Empire …In the summer of 2010, Anuvab P…
Continue ReadingMarylebone theatre, LondonKiell Smith-Bynoe and Martha Howe-Douglas ably embody Gogol’s schemers, but this show doesn’t hit any 21st-century targetsYou can see why, in 2024, one might revive Gogol’s play about rampant government corruption, and adaptor…
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