Last year around the time of Ben Elton's The Wright Way there was a lot of talk in the press about whether comedians lose it in old age. One comedian who goes about his business quietly and is still as funny as ever is Norman Lovett. He might be best known to TV fans as Holly the Computer in Red Dwarf but he has been a stand-up for over three decades. There are not many comedians around these days who can boast about supporting the Clash. In fact there are probably not many comedians around these days who can remember seeing the Clash.
I also recall Lovett cropping up on TV as the producer in one of Ruby Wax's shows and as a doctor in a rather weird comedy for Paramount TV, Asylum, which was directed by Edgar Wright and brought together Simon Pegg and Jessica Stevenson. He also, lest we forget, starred in a strange sitcom of his own, I, Lovett (1993). All of which is a preamble to say that 2014 is shaping up to be a busy year for the hangdog humourist. He has a part in the new David Baddiel sitcom just about to be filmed entitled Sit.com and is preparing to go out on a national tour in his own right called, appropriately, 'Old And New'.
I've seen Lovett steal the show a number of times with his short but beautifully constructed turns on benefit bills. He is a master of the slow burn gag, effortlessly making crowds laugh with a few unexpected props and some idle thoughts about the current state of pop music. There has probably never been a better time to see him. Do comedians lose it in old age? At 67 Norman Lovett might be finding it.
Tour Details
Saturday 22nd February Just The Tonic, Leicester 0116 262 5050
Sunday 23rd February Hyena Lounge, York 0871 902 5726
Monday 24th February Hyena Lounge, Hull 0871 902 5726
Saturday 1st March Rondo Theatre, Bath 01225 463362
Sunday 9th March Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth 0239 286 3911
Friday 14th March Norden Arts, Maidenhead 01628 788997
Sunday 16th March Just the Tonic, Nottingham 0115 910 0009
Thursday 20th March - Saturday 22nd March Leicester Square Theatre, Lounge 0844 873 3433
Wednesday 26th March Caroline of Brunswick 01273 624434
Thursday 27th March South Street, Reading 0118 960 6060
Friday 28th March Riverhouse Barn, Surrey 01932 253354
Monday 31st March Dancehouse, Manchester 0161 237 1413
Thursday 3rd April Phoenix Theatre, Exeter 01392 667080
Tuesday 8th April Old Town Hall, High Wycombe 01494 512000
