standup comedy
Veronica Lee
Ania Magliano has built a solid body of work over the past few years with her thoughtful, self-reflective shows (gaining an Edinburgh Comedy Award nomination on the way), and a following boosted by her appearances on Taskmaster and SNL UK.After her television sojourn she’s back to stand-up with Peach Fuzz (which I saw at Soho Theatre), another walk through her life, this time her relationship with her body.Before she dives into that, though, there’s some “heat admin” in the very hot room during this blessedly warm summer many of us are having. She has even brought along some ice lollies for Read more ...
Veronica Lee
Phil Ellis has been plying his trade for a while and is an established performer at the Edinburgh Fringe, where he has won awards – including the Edinburgh Comedy Award Panel Prize in 2014. And now happily he has come to a wider audience through his appearance on series 20 of Taskmaster.He makes a wry reference to the Channel 4 show during his mock bigging-up introduction by DJ sidekick (played by comic Tom Short) – who points out “loser” Ellis didn’t win. It’s typical of the self-mockery in Bath Mat, his touring show which I saw at the Leicester Square Theatre, in which Ellis paints a Read more ...
Veronica Lee
It wasn't exactly a stellar year for comedy but there were plenty of shows that shone brightly and have stayed with me, even if the Edinburgh Fringe – for so long the highlight of the comedy year – increasingly disappoints.Where once comics based their working year on appearing at the Fringe each August, building an audience year by year in increasingly bigger rooms, many younger comics now build their audience much more quickly on social media. Having a sellout run, crowned by winning the prestigious Perrier award (now the Edinburgh Comedy Award) is no longer the career achievement it once Read more ...