Jeremy Hardy isn't doing the Edinburgh Fringe this year – not according to the Fringe website anyway. But somehow he has sneaked into the Red Imp comedy club's preview season alongside the likes of... more
Previews
I’ve got slight misgivings about recommending a show that I've never seen where the blurb boldly claims it is about to “take Edinburgh Festival Fringe by storm”. But this might be an interesting one... more
The City of London Festival kicks off this week and it has a pretty impressive comedy line-up. But then it should have – the guy running it is Paul Gudgin, who previously ran the Edinburgh Fringe, so... more
Today’s pick of the previews is so obviously essential viewing I hardly need to write any more. Josh Widdicombe and Romesh Ranganathan are running out their latest material – though in Widdcombe’s... more
Is it just me or do comedians seem to be doing more Edinburgh previews than ever this year? I’m sure there was a time when the Fringe was a more casual affair, where comedians honed their sets as... more
I’ve been tipping Sara Pascoe for stardom for so long now if she doesn’t make it big soon it is going to start becoming embarrassing. Her show last year, mixing feminism with a sideways streak, was... more
Critics are constantly bemoaning the lack of cutting edge, hard-hitting political engagement on the comedy circuit these days. These must be the critics who don't get out much, or they would have... more
I’m not even sure why Holly Walsh is bothering with the Edinburgh Fringe this year. If playing the Festival is all about being discovered it is too late for her. She has already established herself... more
It sometimes feels that Lucy Porter has been doing Edinburgh almost as long as me. And in some ways she has. The first time I met the TV and radio regular I was on the Perrier Awards – remember those... more
Why do some comedy characters take hold and not others? Why, for instance, did Al Murray’s Pub Landlord play the O2 Arena while Sol Bernstein is only at the Leicester Square Theatre? Don't ask me, I’... more
