I’ve tended to dip in and out of Mock The Week in recent years, viewing it as part of the comedy furniture and regarding it as good fun though not essential viewing. But in Stuart Goldsmith’s recent Comedian’s Comedian interview with Dara O’Brian the stalwart show’s fast-talking Irish host made a strong case for the show being different now so I thought I’d better give it a watch.
 
      
  
   
      
  
      
  
  
    Russell Brand is to present a one-off event on 5 August at The Roundhouse as part of their major new installation Utopia, created by Penny Woolcock with designs by Block9. Brand will be joined by poet Mr.
 
      
  
   
      
  
      
  
  
    Andrew Lawrence recently had a pop at the quality of the guests on The John Bishop Show, suggesting that a diversity policy has meant that comedians who aren’t necessarily that good are getting edited to look good on television. I don’t think that Lawrence named names so I don't know, but maybe one of the people he was referring to was possibly Phil Wang, who has a Chinese father and an English mother. Wang doesn’t need to be edited to look good because he is good.
 
      
  
   
      
  
      
  
  
    
Today, June 24, is the 47th anniversary of the death of Tony Hancock. The "lad himself" may be gone but he lives on, however, in various tributes. The latest is The Missing Hancocks, which will be performed in Edinburgh this summer.
 
 
      
  
   
      
  
      
  
  
    Christian O'Connell is probably best known as the quickfire Absolute Radio DJ, but he harbours a dark secret. Before he got his radio break he was a stand-up comedian. And as if to prove that stand-up is more addictive than crack he decided to go back to it a few years ago. And not just dip his toes in like Madonna. O'Connell has done club gigs, tours and full-length runs at the Edinburgh Fringe. He returns to Edinburgh this August with a new show, You've Ruined My Morning...
 
      
  
   
      
  
      
  
  
    I regularly listen to Stuart Goldsmith’s Comedian’s Comedian podcasts but I don’t usually review them. The latest one is so good, however, that I have made an exception. Goldsmith interviews Dara O’Briain and the result is something that all aspiring comedians should listen to. There are some fantastic tips on comedy here.
 
      
  
   
      
  
      
  
  
    
The first thing to know about Diane Chorley’s show is it is not strictly comedy. It is mainly songs plus waspish anecdotes from the cod-Eighties diva. With that noted, however, this is about as funny as a musical gig gets.
 
 
      
  
   
      
  
      
  
  
    
Update 23/6/15. Following his successful London run - see the review below – Tommy Tiernan has just added two major London shows as follows. . 
 
 
      
  
   
      
  
      
  
  
    Update 10/7: An Audience with Jimmy Savile is to transfer to the Edinburgh Fringe. It will be at Assembly Studio 1 from Aug 11 - 22. Tickets here,
 
 
 
 
 
 
      
  
   
      
  
      
  
  
    There has been a lot of interest in the history of alternative comedy in the last few years. Stewart Lee has championed various early comics and Alexei Sayle has revisited his Comedy Store glory days. Maybe the death of Rik Mayall made a lot of comedy fans of a certain age think about what excited them about live comedy in the first place.
 
      
  
   
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