May 2014
A lot of comedy to get through this week so I’ll cut to the chase. From Monday night Marcus Brigstocke brings his latest show, Je M’Accuse to the Soho Theatre. Brigstocke is usually passionately political onstage, but this is his “and this is me” moment, in which he gets personal, discussing his time as a podium dancer, oil rig worker and over-eater.
Badults, the flatshare sitcom starring Foster’s Award nominees Pappy’s, is due to return to BBC3 for its second series next month. The anarchic comedy, fronted by Matthew Crosby, Ben Clark and Tom Parry, poses a number of new dilemmas for the trio, such as where's the best place to watch the World Cup? What happens if you live your life by the roll of the dice? Are the neighbours Russian spies? And what's the best talent: magic, poetry or trampolining? The series was filmed in front of a live studio audience in Glasgow.
Need an extra helping of Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon's brilliantly tasty gastronomic tour of Italy? Then wait no longer. The DVD of their latest series, The Trip To Italy, is out next Monday, but just to whet your appetite here is one of the previously unseen extras from it in which affable but-not-quite-as-affable as his TV persona Rob Brydon persuades Steve Coogan to do an impression of former Labour Party leader Neil Kinnock as they cruise through Tuscany.
I can't say I make a point of watching every party political broadcast but I caught the Labour Party broadcast last night by accident. You’ve probably heard about it yourself by now. If you haven’t here’s a link.
It’s good to see Episodes back on the box again for a third series. Stephen Mangan is a terrific comic actor, Tamsin Greig is an all-time favourite and I even quite liked Matt LeBlanc in Friends.
The organisers of Tedfest and the London Irish Comedy Festival have announced a competition for new Irish comedians, the Toilet Duck London Award.
16 of the funniest new Irish comedians will compete in a comedy duel on July 11 until there's just one left standing. The victor will walk away with the spoils of battle: a paid gig at the London Irish Comedy Festival in October and a beautiful Toilet Duck trophy.
The Balham Free Fringe returns to The Bedford pub for its fourth consecutive year, offering over 40 hours of free comedy, theatre and music across three stages in one weekend from June 20 - June 22.
Comedy fans will be able to see Edinburgh Fringe previews from performers including Phill Jupitus, Wil Hodgson, Lucy Porter, Stephen Carlin, Pippa Evans, Carey Marx, Tiernan Douieb, Chris Coltrane, Kate Smurthwaite, John-Luke Roberts, Joe Rowntree and many, many more.
It might have been a Sunday but it was no day of rest for the comedians at the Machynlleth Festival. One of the reasons that the weekend is so laid back is that there are no Foster’s-style prizes, so nobody feels like they are in competition. Tom Craine, however, would have won the prize for Earliest Comedian when I spotted him outside the box office around 9.30am. It turned out that he was rushing off home and had a morning train to catch.
“It’s all gone downhill. It’s not what it was.” The first comedian I bump into in Machynlleth’s high street is Stewart Lee who, typically, (ironically) mocks the rampant commercialism of the Machnylleth Comedy Festival, now in its fifth year. An estimated 4000 comedy fans visited the small Welsh town this weekend, compared to around 500 in the first year, but the increase in size, or the bulging programme of events, does not mean the festival has betrayed its boutique roots. Perfect weather, perfect fans, perfect comedy.
It’s Canadians week at the Soho Theatre. From Tuesday night Glenn Wool brings a selection of his favourite jokes to the theatre. He was supposed to have been supported by Frankie Boyle but the scabrous Scot had to pull out. Don't worry though, Wool has plenty of yarns, all stylishly told in that distinctive laid-back drawl.
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