The first time I encountered Doug Stanhope he was in bed in his Edinburgh Fringe flat. I think he may have been tattooing himself at the time. The second time I encountered Stanhope he was doing a... more
Interviews
John Finnemore is best known for writing and co-starring in Cabin Pressure, which ran from 2008 – 2014. The multi award-winning sitcom broke R4 box office records with over 23,000 fans... more
If you don’t know who John Robins is, then it is about time you remedied the situation. Robins is one of the damn finest stand-ups around at the moment. Well-informed radio fans will know him for his... more
Holly Burn is not appearing at the Edinburgh Fringe this year. Instead she has generously given her spot to a Geordie lass called Kirsty K who is using it to celebrate her dead nan's life. In this... more
There is a long tradition of American artists being quickly embraced in the UK, from Jimi Hendrix to Bill Hicks. I think at the moment Alex Edelman is in the process of joining that illustrious list... more
Simon Evans is one of the country's most stylish stand-up comedians. And I'm not just talking about his bespoke suits. On stage he has a relaxed, quiet authority that immediately reassures his... more
There seems to be no stopping the inexorable rise of clowning on the Fringe. Ever since Dr Brown won the Edinburgh Comedy Award in 2012 I feel as as I have been inundated by press releases mentioning... more
Comedy critics are supposed to be able to tell who is good and who is bad. But sometimes some acts simply defy the easy good v bad equation. When I saw Kelly Kingham at the New Act of the Year final... more
As double acts go this is an unusual one. Bryony Kimmings is a performance artist, comedian and maker of experimental theatre. Her partner onstage in Fake It ’Til You Make It is Tim... more
James Veitch is a keypad warrior. A fighter for justice with a broadband connection instead of a cape. In his breakthrough Edinburgh show he took on the Nigerian scammers and led them a merry dance... more
