standup comedy
Mark Thomas, Soho Theatre review - new state-of-the-nation showThursday, 10 June 2021
Mark Thomas comes on stage unannounced. It's not a show of humility – rather, he told us, amused at his own mistake, that his hearing isn't what it used to be and he had misheard his music cue. It was a modest start to his new show 50 Things About... Read more... |
Arthur Smith, Brighton Fringe review - touching memoir of his dadMonday, 31 May 2021
“A real live audience,” said Arthur Smith delightedly as he kicked off the Brighton Fringe with Syd, his touching and funny tribute to his late father, “an ordinary man who lived in extraordinary times” – his life included a stint in Dad's Army (the... Read more... |
Josie Long, Brighton Festival 2021 review - giddy post-lockdown spin on pregnancy-based showWednesday, 26 May 2021
Introduced by Brighton Festival 2021 Guest Director, poet Lemn Sissay, Josie Long, clad in blue denim dungarees and a black tee-shirt, initially hits the stage for a celebratory introduction. She’s here to perform her Tender show about pregnancy and... Read more... |
Reclaim These Streets fundraiser, 21Soho review - entertaining mixed bill hosted by Sarah KeyworthWednesday, 19 May 2021
London's weather – a day of huge downpours – underlined the point that we should be rushing inside as entertainment venues (in parts of the UK, at least) reopened. It was lovely to be back at 21Soho, a welcoming and well run venue, particularly as... Read more... |
Mark Watson's Carpool Comedy Club, Henley-Marlow review - Nish Kumar sticks it to the ToriesMonday, 17 May 2021
Heckling at a drive-in gig is rather pointless, don't you think? The audience, mostly listening through their car radios, will be unable to hear the interruption, while the comic can deliver a slam-dunk put-down that we can all enjoy. And so it... Read more... |
Mark Watson's Carpool Comedy Club, the Hop Farm review - strong kick-off to 2021 live comedyMonday, 03 May 2021
What a pleasure it was to go to the first drive-in date of 2021 as Mark Watson's Carpool Comedy Club, produced in association with The Alfresco Theatre, rocked up in the picturesque surroundings of the Hop Farm, near Tunbridge Wells in Kent. The... Read more... |
Loyiso Gola, Netflix review - South African muses on race, religion and friendshipWednesday, 07 April 2021
Loyiso Gola, twice nominated for Emmy awards for his satire show Late Nite News, has been a big star in South Africa for some years now but this show should help cement his reputation abroad. UK fans will remember his 2018 appearance on Live at the... Read more... |
Working From Home online review - Johnny Vegas and Jason Byrne in a strong line-upWednesday, 31 March 2021
Comedy promoters Just the Tonic have been keeping occupied during various lockdowns, and are continuing with livestreamed shows until comics can perform live in clubs and theatres again. This show was presented as part of JTT's fortnightly variety... Read more... |
Chinese Arts Now Festival review - comedy of the diasporaSaturday, 13 March 2021
Chinese Arts Now was founded in 2005 and aims to produce and present work that explores Chinese themes, stories and art forms in the UK. Its annual festival includes a comedy night (presented in conjunction with Soho Theatre), and this year three... Read more... |
Rachel Parris and Marcus Brigstocke's Tuesday Night Club review - daft and good-heartedWednesday, 24 February 2021
Lockdown has been mostly pants for live performers, comics included. There was that brief foray into open-air performances last summer, made even more fun by some lovely weather (although not always) – and I sincerely hope that promoters and comics... Read more... |
First Night Funnies, Leicester Comedy Festival review - uneven start to 2021's online gatheringMonday, 08 February 2021
The Leicester Comedy Festival, always great fun, was one of the last to be able to run fully in 2020, but this year it's not so lucky. Instead of several hundred events in and around Leicester, the 2021 iteration is an online-only version with many... Read more... |
Natalie Palamides: Nate: A One Man Show, Netflix review - deep dive into toxic masculinity still has powerThursday, 03 December 2020
Edgy comedy runs the risk of discomfiting the audience so much that they can't relax and enjoy the show. But Natalie Palamides, appearing as Nate, her alter ego, in Nate: A One Man Show on Netflix, pulls it off, and then some.The show, which has a... Read more... |
