March 2014
If you want to sell more tickets to your shows, don't hire a hotshot publicist, just wind up UKIP. Musical comedy group Jonny & The Baptists recently ruffled the feathers of the party's deputy leader Paul Nuttall, who complained about the satirical duo playing Arts Council-funded venues as part of their self-styled Stop UKIP Tour in the run-up to the Euro elections. Unfortunately his protests have helped rather than hindered the band.
The BBC has launched its first ebook for aspiring comedy writers. Writing For Radio Comedy teaches the tricks of the trade through clips, videos, scripts and specially commissioned articles. The fully interactive guide features sections on writing non-commissioned topical and non-topical sketches, through to additional writing on flagship series like The Now Show and The News Quiz, to how to develop an award-winning BBC Radio comedy.
Draw the curtains, turn off the light. It's the last Inside No 9, sob, and it's a genuine fright fest. In The Harrowing Helen McCrory and Reece Shearsmith play two creepy reclusive siblings, Tabitha and Hector, who offer schoolgirl Katy (Aimeé-Ffion Edwards) £88 to house-sit for them for eight hours while they have a rare night out. All Katy needs to do is keep an eye on things and, under no circumstances, visit their sickly brother Andras in the top room…
Just what the people of Britain have been storming Parliament for. Another chat show. Wouldn't it be great to say that The Michael McIntyre Chat Show is so different, so refreshing from Norton, Ross, Carr. Well, it isn't. It even looks like the BBC has taken Ross's old desk out of storage and paired it with a DFS armchair. But that doesn't mean the show is not worth watching.
GQ has a long-standing reputation for being a stylish fashion magazine, but it is also building up a reputation for stylish comedy. Thanks to the contacts book and charm of its comedy editor, stand-up James Mullinger, it has put together a number of striking special editions featuring the world's greatest clowns and comedy actors from Jerry Seinfeld to Paul Rudd and Ricky Gervais. This year they went one stage further with a formidable comedy gig, which worked absolutely brilliantly. Until the headline act came on…
He is the comedian's comedian. He is respected by his peers for following his own path and not spending all of his time cultivating a shiny-floor act that will work on Live at the Apollo. He is constantly playing with the form of comedy. In his latest run in London he does something performance-wise that has not been done before.
After a lull in proceedings the comedy circuit is back with a vengeance this week with gigs galore, starting tonight (Monday) with the first-ever GQ Comedy Extravaganza at the Hammersmith Apollo.
Is all publicity good publicity? New uncensored subscription radio station Fubar Radio announced today that it has signed Justin Lee Collins to be its drivetime DJ. Or, as the tabloids might put it, disgraced star Justin Lee Collins makes comeback bid. The long-haired Bristolian comedian-turned-all-round-entertainer has had a low-profile since 2012 when he was he was sentenced to 140 hours of community work for harassing his ex-girlfriend Anna Larke.
The Latitude Festival, which takes place in Henham Park, Suffolk from July 17 - 20, has announced the bulk of its comedy line-up today. The main attractions are Dara O'Briain and Milton Jones, while Al Murray will be hosting his Saloon Show, featuring special guests.
Comedian Jason Manford is setting up a website for well-run gigs, to help comedians get the right kind of bookings and, more importantly, to encourage comedy fans to enjoy live comedy and keep supporting live comedy. He has registered the name findalaugh.com and anyone interested can go there now and join a mailing list to keep up with developments.
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