Andy Zaltzman: Political animal

Given the dire state of the world, it’s an enjoyable consolation that times of global meltdown at least provide plenty of fodder for satirists, and this double bill of stand-up was brimming with topical comedy.

A stalwart of Radio 4 and half of an acclaimed duo with Daily Show correspondent John Oliver, Andy Zaltzman has been one of Britain’s most engaging satirists for a number of years, blending sharp political insights with surreal humour and a surfeit of sporting metaphors. Read the rest of this entry »

What a trooper

In a week when the standards of taste and decency were ritually poured over in the media, it’s refreshing to see a 2-hour stand-up show that is both controversy free and frequently hilarious - although after one section about inducing labour you’re unlikely to want to eat a pineapple in the near future.  Perhaps the BBC should consider hiring Michael McIntyre for a chat show

Anxious start

There was an anxious start to a show for both audience and performer as McIntyre entered the fray, right arm in a sling. As we held our breaths awaiting some Daniel Craig stunt joke, he assured us that his dislocated shoulder was real. Read the rest of this entry »

Andy Hamilton: devilishly funny

“Oi! Satan!” It’s a rather unusual greeting, but one which Andy Hamilton has had directed towards him. The creator of award-winning radio sitcom Old Harry’s Game – in which he also stars as a neurotic, disenchanted Prince of Darkness – recalled such an incident during his one-man show, Andy Hamilton’s Hat of Doom.

As unlikely as it may be for someone who has been working in comedy for more than three decades, this is Hamilton’s first ever tour, but the observational humour and gentle satire would have come as little surprise to anyone familiar with the many shows he’s been involved in during a prolific career. Read the rest of this entry »

Manford enough

Not quite being famous enough to be able to pick your own venues is how Mancunian comic Jason Manford has ended up appearing at the Birmingham Town Hall, a venue more likely to accommodate a Mozart violin concerto.

This leads to an eclectic audience from teenagers to pensioners (Manford had earlier commented, “It’s not the first place people think of.  I hope I’m not just where the people get birth certificates.”).  The tour doesn’t have a name but only because the “poster people charge by the word” and is linked by things that annoy Manford.

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Bloomin marvellous

In these halcyon days of comedy when Ricky Gervais and Lee Evans can sell out the NIA and Hippodrome, the Comedy Junction is a refreshingly traditional venue. Situated above the Station Pub in Sutton Coldfield, it seats less than 100 and you could probably even get away without a microphone.

As Adam Bloom took to the stage, there was be no escape. Audience interaction was a foregone conclusion. The front row were so close you could spit on them (and Bloom actually did in a slightly gross but hilarious accidental expulsion).

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Beyond a reasonably normal interest in making funny remarks at (mostly) appropriate opportunities, I had little experience of stand-up comedy when, following an abortive try at music promotion, I found myself in a pub hearing about running a comedy club from a friend. Something about it attracted me and we ended up running a pub comedy gig - the GAG Club - for several years. I quickly fell in love with stand up - a gloriously free form of artistic expression and a wonderful way to spend an evening.

An expensive hobby

Promotion, though undoubtedly rewarding, can be difficult and uncertain work - the comedy scene was much smaller back in 1997 and although we had a website, not many people were using the web that regularly back then. Giving out flyers to confused strangers in town does have its entertaining moments, but can be a bit wearing in the long run. Read the rest of this entry »

Young meets old as Richard Herring looks back on his teenage self

The educational system might have its flaws, but is it to blame for the way that Richard Herring’s life has turned out? That was the premise of his latest show, The Headmaster’s Son, where he attempted to gauge how being the offspring of the head teacher at his school has impacted on everything that has happened to him since.

The endearing stand-up, whose partnership with Stewart Lee saw them both propelled onto mainstream television in the 1990s – with Fist of Fun, This Morning With Richard Not Judy, and radio success as part of the team behind On the Hour - has written a string of critically acclaimed one-man shows and well as presenting his hit podcast with friend and writing partner Andrew Collins, and this saw him on terrific form. Read the rest of this entry »

Mark Steel: Comedy with a political conscience

Few comedy shows pivot on the link between Subway and Marxist theory. But when it’s Mark Steel holding the microphone, you can expect such routines told with unique wit and conviction. Having made this transition – from discussing the bizarre experience of visiting major food outlets to recounting left-wing philosophies – anything was possible.

So, the Radio 4 regular and ardent cricket fan deftly moved from topical rants – each one seemingly spat with more venom than the last – to more personal subjects, where Steel candidly regaled the audience with tales of how his life began to change uncontrollably after reaching the age of 40. Read the rest of this entry »

For Queen and Country: Simon Munnery and Miles Jupp in Elizabeth and Raleigh - Late But Live

Following on from last year’s Johnson and Boswell, this year’s humorous historical adventure from the pen of Stewart Lee finds Simon Munnery and Miles Jupp in the titular roles of the Virgin Queen and Sir Walter Raleigh respectively.

From the outset, the play was an exercise in surreal humour and whimsy, delivered in Munnery’s characteristically droll style. Several European countries, and even the Celtic nations, were served up with dry put-downs. “To the Italians I say this: Rome wasn’t built in a day. Perhaps it would have been if you spoke less with your arms.” Touche. Read the rest of this entry »

Coogan's run

Returning to theatres while his career on the big screen appears to be moving in the right direction seems an odd move, but that’s exactly what Steve Coogan has done with his latest tour, the first since The Man Who Thinks He’s It back in 1998.

The posters for the show exclaimed, rather self-deprecatingly, Steve Coogan is Alan Partridge and Other Less Successful Characters, which is frustratingly near to the truth. Despite the cheers that greeted the supporting cast of characters, it was obvious that the majority of the audience was there for Norwich’s most celebrated broadcaster. Read the rest of this entry »