Everybody must surely have a fantasy version of what the perfect stand-up comedy gig would be. This is mine. A smart, funny comedian sets up shop in London somewhere. A small club, where instead of... more
Blog
Jason Manford has been writing on Facebook about how two high profile critics – Veronica Lee and Julian Hall* – have quoted his jokes in their reviews of his recent Hammersmith Apollo show. I... more
It has been a busy time for big comedians lately. Not just busy doing gigs and panel shows and plugging their plethora of product, but also busy being taken seriously. Following his guest editorship... more
Live at the Apollo returns to BBC1 tonight. This has left me feeling conflicted. On the one hand I love the fact that stand-up gets more exposure on television. On the other hand I hate the fact that... more
These days it feels as if everyone should be taking notes at gigs and not just if you are reviewing it. A few years ago there was a fear that stand-up was dumbing down. That we were destined to live... more
I caught Paul Merton on The One Show the other night promoting his new tour. He was not able to say too much about it, of course, because it is with Paul Merton's Impro Chums so it will be different... more
To the opening night of Micky Flanagan's London arena stint last night. Three nights at Wembley plus seven nights at the O2 Arena might not quite be a record but it wouldn't surprise me if the... more
I've heard plenty in the media recently about the comedy industry still being riddled with sexism, but I've heard less about the industry being riddled with ageism. Well, not much anyway. I was... more
I was asked recently if I thought comedians made it big quicker these days. It's an interesting question. I guess the question arose for two reasons. Firstly because so many comedians are playing... more
Great show, shame about the audience. I've thought it a few times recently, particularly at big theatre shows. At arena gigs a few idiots would have to be particularly disruptive to spoil the night... more
