Despite not being such an active part of our lives as television, the relationship we have with radio – and the presenters we habitually listen to – is every bit as important and perhaps even more so. This is the philosophy of poet and author John Osborne, whose show John Peel’s Shed assessed the impact which radio has had on his life.

There was much to admire in Osborne’s engaging theatre piece – a sparse set, decorated with armchair, lamp stand, rug and a swathe of records scattered across the stage, it was every bit as intimate as the best radio can be, and his soft-spoken delivery instantly brought the audience into his well-drawn tale. Read the rest of this entry »

“I’m a bit darker than on the telly,” says Andrew Lawrence. In the packed studio at Warwick Arts Centre, for the first of his two performances at the venue – his current show is called The Best Kept Secret in Comedy – there were probably several people who first came across the stand-up via his appearance on Live at the Apollo. The sharp intake of breath after one gag suggested they might not get exactly what they bargained for.

Those more familiar with Lawrence, either from his previous stand-up shows or his Radio 4 series What to Do If You’re Not Like Everybody Else, won’t have been surprised at all. He’s positioned himself as a literate misanthrope – his comedy walking the tightrope between cheeky and cantankerous and back again, sometimes within the same joke. Read the rest of this entry »

As we edge ever closer towards spring, it’s quite fitting that a tour billed as “comedy’s new wave” is heading to Coventry. Stand-up, both live and on television, is perhaps getting more attention than ever before, but the shiny suits, brash lighting and celebrity guests of Live at the Apollo aren’t for everyone.

Those whose tastes err towards more left-field acts, and the more esoteric end of the stand-up spectrum, are probably already aware of The Invisible Dot. And if they aren’t, they’ll certainly be familiar with some of the names that Invisible Dot have worked with, as it reads like a roll call of some of the most talented performers on the UK comedy scene.

Poet Tim Key is the name they’re most commonly associated with, as the poet-turned-comic has released an album and two books through the imprint. They’ve also worked with Key’s fellow member of sketch group Cowards, Stefan Golaszewski, Mark Watson, Daniel Kitson, David O’Doherty, Alex Horne and Simon Amstell.

The tour will feature a host of hotly-tipped comics such as Edinburgh Comedy Award winner Adam Riches, Nick Helm, Toby, Nick Mohammed, Tom Basden and Ben Target.

On Thursday March 8th, the tour reaches Warwick Arts Centre and will feature headliner Jonny Sweet, with support from sketch troupe Sheeps and stand-up Will Andrews. Tickets are £12 and are available online.

What better way to see the most exciting comedy talent ahead of everyone else?

Several generations of music fans grew up cherishing the tones of the late, celebrated DJ John Peel and the records he used to play. A decade on from winning a box of records from the much-missed broadcaster’s shed, poet John Osborne has turned this experience into a critically acclaimed one-hour theatre show.

A treasure trove of memories and stories, John Peel’s Shed received great reviews at last summer’s Edinburgh Festival and Osborne is now taking it out on a national tour, including an evening at Warwick Arts Centre in Coventry. It’s a must for anyone who shares a passion for rare records and the intimacy of radio.

There are two performances of John Peel’s Shed at Warwick Arts Centre on Sunday February 12th, at 6pm and 7.45pm. Tickets are £10.50. John Osborne is a poet and author, and his published works include Radio Head.

In recent months Birmingham has seen some fledgling comedy clubs starting up to offer something a little bit different. Along with the fortnightly Comedy At the Hare & Hounds night run by local comedian James Cook, Kill For a Seat’s Birmingham chapter kicked off this summer and has taken up a welcome residency at the MAC. A comedy club in an arts centre might sound like a misnomer, but clearly there’s an appetite for something a little more leftfield than the shows hosted by Highlight and the Glee Club.

Certainly, the acts at Kill For a Seat appear to be more Radio 4-friendly than either of those locations, although some of the conventions of comedy clubs remain. Compere Andrew Ryan started off the latest gig by getting to know the audience, including a personal trainer sat on the front row who was repeatedly drawn into conversation and pulled up on stage to test his prowess. Read the rest of this entry »

Top Irish comedian Jason Byrne comes to the Warwick Arts Centre in Coventry on Saturday November 5th, with his current show Cirque du Byrne. The winner of the Chortle Award for Best Headliner in 2007, the high-octane stand-up has garnered a host of accolades and nominations throughout his career and will be bringing bags of energy and wit on this current UK tour.

The Dublin-born comic explains what he has in store for those who have never seen him perform before. “My style of comedy is to use the audience so much.  I weave them in and out of my stand-up. When people leave my show, they all have nicknames and they all feel like they’ve been part of it. They feel like they’ve been on an adventure; a rollercoaster of fun and madness.”

Tickets are £15 and available from the Warwick Arts Centre website.

The last time Who’s Laughing Now favourite Stewart Lee performed in Birmingham, it was in October 2010 it was at the Town Hall as part of his Vegetable Stew tour. It saw him trying out material which would eventually make it into the second series of his wonderful …Comedy Vehicle show on BBC 2.

Fans of the acclaimed stand-up will be pleased to know that he’s coming back to Birmingham in March for a date at the Symphony Hall on March 30th during his Carpet Remnant World tour, which is again a work-in-progress show. Unlike many rough-and-ready shows of that ilk, Lee’s attempts at working up material invariably hit brilliant highs as he appears to be in his element when trying out new things.

Anyone with a hankering for incisive, and often cerebral, stand-up would be advised to seek out tickets – watching Stewart Lee on TV is one thing but seeing him live is a real joy. Tickets are available from the Town Hall & Symphony Hall website, priced £19.50.

Tony Law: Force of personality makes for brilliant results

The first night of a new comedy club starting up in Birmingham, this was an interesting experiment – two headline acts playing two shows at two separate venues in Birmingham, one at the Hare & Hounds in Kings Heath and the other at The Proverbial in Harborne. On the basis of the fantastic turnout at the Hare & Hounds this could prove to be a very popular night for audiences and acts alike.

Nevertheless, it took a long time for this audience to get warmed up – they were polite and attentive, but compere James Cook had to work hard for big laughs due to no small amount of reticence on the audience’s part. Clearly not fazed by this, Cook showed why he is among Birmingham’s best stand-ups with a raft of tightly-honed gags and some deft audience participation, finding humour even when those being quizzed weren’t as co-operative as he might be used to. Read the rest of this entry »

Tom Wrigglesworth: Not your average compere

For the latest Kill For a Seat night at the MAC, there was one obvious difference compared with previous shows. This time around, there was no appearance from regular compere Silky but he was instead replaced by Sheffield-born stand-up Tom Wrigglesworth.

Ostensibly known for being a storytelling comedian, Wrigglesworth’s amiable chatter wasn’t what you’d necessarily expect from a compere, but then Kill For a Seat is more relaxed and laidback than a lot of comedy clubs so his cosy style was more than fitting. Read the rest of this entry »

Gary Delaney: Perfectly crafted gags distilled into their shortest form

In just two months the Kill For A Seat comedy night at Birmingham’s MAC has gone from a modestly attended opening show to a sell-out, and this show didn’t disappoint the audience. That the monthly club night has hit its stride and become such a popular event in Birmingham’s comedy calendar so far this summer is testament to the quality of acts being booked and the work of compere Silky, who runs Kill For A Seat nights around the country.

His slightly offbeat humour was a perfect start to the show and got the audience warmed up, interacting with families and inadvertently prompting what might have been some very difficult conversations for them later on. There’s an engaging, jovial feel to his comedy which only occasionally slipped into darker material – which then became all the more effective because we weren’t expecting it. Read the rest of this entry »