One of the enduring paradoxes of the stand-up comedian is that one often plays it low status when one is actually quite high status. It’s an intriguing phenomenon, this alpha male/female nerd schism... more
Previews
You can’t just do a sketch show with just sketches these days. You have to do it backwards. Or each member has to do their own separate show at the same time. Or the audience has to do the sketches... more
There’s an old showbiz anecdote about the trajectory of stardom that goes something like this: “Who is X? Get me X. Get me a cheaper X. Get me a younger X. Who is X?” In this case X is probably Tim... more
Why do buses turn up in threes? Why does your phone signal always cut out just as a conversation gets interesting? Why isn’t John Robins a big star yet? These are the kind of mysteries that keep me... more
The other day somebody tweeted that I had written that Liam Williams’ last show Capitalism was my number one comedy show of 2014. I didn’t say that, The Guardian’s Brian Logan did. But I do think... more
Comedian Luke Toulson talked to me last year about the difficulties he had of finding places to do Edinburgh previews. This year he has taken the matter by the scruff of its neck and set up his own... more
Comedy has a habit of working in cycles. Vic Reeves seems to be channeling the spirit of Eric Morecambe. Lee Evans is evoking Norman Wisdom. And more recently there is Beasts, who seem to be the... more
Nick Revell has been doing stand-up for so long he could probably do it in his sleep, but he is anything but dozy. He was one of the leading lights of the alternative comedy circuit in the 1980s... more
When it comes to recommending Edinburgh shows James Acaster is pretty much the ultimate no-brainer. In fact I can’t believe that I haven’t recommended the three-times Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee... more
Pappy’s in split shock?! Not as far as I know, but if it gets you reading this preview I’m not complaining. Matthew Crosby’s solo show is actually his third show without the rest of Pappy’s. I’ve... more
