A friend saw something I'd written about Will Franken being silly and fun and asked me if his show would be suitable for a 16-year-old's birthday night out with friends. It was a tricky call.... more
Reviews
How do you review a gig that features nearly twenty acts in a few paragraphs? It is not easy, but if you have busy, busy lives here is my short review of Russell Brand's Wembley fundraiser that... more
Comedy on film is clearly all the rage. In the same week that The Comedy Store launched its Raw & Uncut shows in the UK's cinemas, Simon Munnery opened his latest show at the Leicester Square... more
It can't be easy being a political comedian in America these days. No sooner do you open your mouth than the critics are measuring you against Bill Hicks. Jamie Kilstein must be getting used to this... more
The bobbies on the beat might be getting younger but you can tell that the comedians are getting older by the number doing shows about mid-life crises and their ailing parents. Mark Thomas' Bravo... more
Sometimes fate steps in to make a story more topical after it has been published. That is the case with this Ardal O'Hanlon review which appeared in the Evening Standard last week. You can read the... more
A version of this review of Sarah Silverman below first appeared in the Evening Standard. You can read the original review here. I wanted to add a new introduction because Silverman is so uniquely... more
The twentieth Leicester Comedy Festival could not have got off to a better, more high profile start if the TV channel that sponsored it was called Richard instead of Dave. By a nice coincidence the... more
The best thing about Derek. It's the opinion that is already being expressed widely about Kerry Godliman's portrayal of tough-yet-good-hearted manager Hannah, and the Ricky Gervais series set in a... more
Once you see Luisa Omielan's fizzy, full-throttle, hot-blooded performance in What Would Beyoncé Do? you won't forget it. The pocket-sized sassy comedian never holds back, charging around the... more
