Dawn chorus

At Laughter Lounge, Dublin

More Nick Revell videos

Nick Revell started performing stand-up in 1980, and was a regular at the Comedy Store from 1982, performed at Jongleurs from the day it opened, and was nominated for the Perrier in 1987.

From 1985 to 1992 he recorded six series of the Million Pound Radio Show with Andy Hamilton, which was named best radio comedy at the British Comedy Awards, and he also had his own radio sitcom that ran for two series.

But in 1992 he quit the circuit to concentrate on writing - only to return in 2002, making his Edinburgh comeback with the show Bare Bones the following year.

During his haitus he wrote and performed two solo stage shows: The Ghost of John Belushi Flushed My Toilet in 1993 and Liberal Psychotic in 1995 – and wrote two novels: Night Of The Toxic Ostrich and House Of The Spirit Levels

His TV writing credits include  Drop The Dead Donkey,  Not The Nine O’Clock News, Three of a Kind and Naked Video, as well as stand-up routines for Dave Allen, Jasper Carrot and Bob Monkhouse

A little bit of politics...
Live Review

Never mind their effects on the country, right-wing governments are supposed to be a boon for political comedians, giving traditionally liberal satirists something purposeful to rail against. Well, judging by this new political night in London, comedy has got some way to go to recapture the bite of the Thatcher years – although there is some grounds for hope.

However, with a headliner who sings parodies of X Factor contestants and a poet doing observational verses about family Christmases, it’s clear that Comedy Coalition hasn’t fully grasped its political remit – whether by careless booking or a deliberate ploy to combat a perceived fear that 75 minutes of political material will prove too much of a turn-off.

The night is the brainchild of Billy Hill, a reporter on BBC Parliament, who also introduced the show. Although ‘introduced’ might be too ambitious a word for his brief moments of nervous, half-formed attempts at we might assume to be jokes before hastily bringing on the comedians to a befuddled room.

Opening act Nick Revell has been around – on and off – long enough to remember the radical roots of the modern comedy scene, and relished the opportunity to get his teeth stuck into a passionate polemic. He’s clearly well informed – when he mentions such comedy staples as suicide bombers’ 72 virgins or George Bush being an idiot, it comes with enough context to avoid the obvious.

The wide-ranging set apparently comprised material he’s still working through, although the arguments were nonetheless fluid and the emphatic, heartfelt delivery exemplary. Despite his persuasive manner, some of his points of view failed to strike a cord, while other opinions need clearer jokes attached to them. But Revell is clearly an intelligent comedian with plenty to say, and the oratorial skills to say it with style.

Next up was Malcolm Head, by day assistant archivist at Kent police museum, by night a deliberately awkward performance poet. His low-key delivery and mundane inspirations have more than shades of Tim Key, albeit less stylised. Verses evoking images of Eastbourne, family festivities and dogs won him plenty of laughs, though there’s not a strongly distinctive edge to him – and certainly nothing topical – but he’s still a newcomer and seems to have a solid base on which to build.

Young Joe Wells bodes well for the future of political comedy, opening his set by stating his communist beliefs. But his set won’t scare those who fear the hardcore left, instead taking rather playful swipes at racist sloganeering and muddled homophobia. They’re fairly safe topics for a comedy crowd, and while it would be intriguing to see him pursue a more militant and heartfelt agenda, the material is nicely written. He’s a smart cookie with a few delightful turns of phrase and an engagingly affable manner… expect to hear more from him.

Next – god help us all – yet another ex-MP who misguidedly thinks ‘House of Commons funny’ bears any relation to real-world funny. After Lembit Opik’s ill-advised foray into stand-up, former Labour MP Tom Levitt treated us to an appalling cavalcade of nursery-school level jokes about parrots(!) given his career in ‘Polly-tics’. And yes, that was one of the better lines.

If the name Tom Levitt rings a (division) bell, it’s because he was embroiled in the expenses scandal, after which he had to pay back £6,000, including – most appallingly – £16.50 for a poppy wreath for Remembrance Day. Shamelessly, he’s now written an obvious, self-serving ‘play’ about the incident, making excuses for his behaviour – an extract from which the audience had to endure here before he ‘brought things up to date’ (his words) with impressions of Ken Dodd, Dick Emery and Joyce Grenfell. Two minutes’ silence please, for all the jokes that died here tonight.

Even had Levitt been any good – unlikely though that seems – is it really right that a political figure perform at a night like this? It reeks of the cosy, clubabble world of the Westminster lobby rather than provocative humour from ‘London's premier political satire team’.

Finally, Sooz Kempner proved more than up to the task of closing the show, even though she is a relatively inexperienced comic. She is, however, a talented musician with a voice that impresses in range and power. The upshot of this combination is a performer with a highly entertaining piano-driven set, even if the songs are lyrically weak. Songs about such on-trend topics as footballers’ indiscretions, Katie Price and X-Factor don’t push the comedy envelope, but are jaunty are fun. And again, no politics here.

Coalition Comedy was followed by Canal Café Theatre’s long-running Newsrevue night, which claims to be topical rather than overtly political. Even if the references are from the week’s news, the twee style is definitely from the past – as proven right from the opening song, in which three besuited characters announce in song ‘I’m Osbourne, I’m Cameron, I’m Clegg’ to the tune of Cabaret.

You’re never far from a musical number here, which does help paper over the gaping cracks in the script. The vast team of writers are lucky to have such a talented cast (Cookie Sami, David Ellis, David Persiva, and a particularly versatile Katy Withers) who perform their largely limp lines with such verve.

The show never has passion – just how angry can you be in close harmony? – but rather sticks to toothless, usually predictable sketches on the likes of The Queen getting her own Facebook page or how education cuts will hit Hogwarts.

A few scenes do stand out: depicting Ed and David Milliband as street kids going by the name ‘Dedward’ is an endearing idea, if overused, and there are a couple of one-liners of Twitter brevity that properly zing – a quickie about the Rubik’s Cube movie was particularly inspired.

But mostly ‘insipid’ would be the better adjective for a show that conjures up the chummy spirit of defunct Radio 2 show The News Huddlines more than the sharper talons of Have I Got News For You. In short, it’s old news.

Skip to page: 1 | 2

Saw Nick again at the Other/Funny Side of Covent garden and was chuffed to see he's still an outstanding comic.

Michael Monkhouse, October 2009

I saw Nick on 25th March 2009 in Pontardawe. He was excellent! His piece on the rivalry between his home Yorkshire town's youth and neighbouring town's youth was brilliant, exchanging philosophical insults. A masterpiece. It was clever and funny. He is politically acute, and has a great sense of rhythm when he delivers his observations on everyday situations. He handled the audience with wit and charm, especially when a young women had spent most of his set tapping her foot to the music she'd been listening to on her MP3 player. His gentle and polite rebuke had the audience on his side. I last heard Nick on his own radio show over 20 years ago, and was impressed then. If you have a chance to see him, take it!

Richard Davies, April 2009

Saw this guy again last night and he confirmed what I thought first time I tuned in to The Million Pound Radio Show over twenty years ago: namely, he has it all. And if there were any justice in this world he'd be a household name. Grabs your attention with snappy one-liners, holds you in the palm of his hand as he ranges from the sublime (religion) to the ridiculous (kebab-fuelled farts) through the just plain kookie (Brits as birds). Watch Nick and see how it's done. Or just watch him and laugh yerself stoopid.

Michael Monkhouse, July 2008

Went down like a lead balloon at Greenwich last night, looking around the room hardly anyone laughing. More than one person shouted "Tell us a joke", shame really - maybe it was just a bad day for him.

John, July 2008

Nick Revell took a few moments to find his comedy gears, but once he found his sweet spot he rocked the room. Effortlessly weaving in and out of different characters to embolden his flights of fantasy he soon has you in his world and you don't want to leave. With a strong stage presence this hardened pro knows how to work all areas of an audience and doesn't fall into the trap of focusing his energy into one spot. His section on reinterpreting the dawn chorus as comparable to a territorial lads night out for getting your leg over was inspired. He has a strong grip on on the language of northern aggression and when Nick reconstructs male northerners exchanging abuse over philosophical theories you are in no doubt you are in the presence of a powerful imagination. With the comic energy to wake up a morgue you get the feeling you could parachute this man in front of the most reluctant of audiences and he'll get them laughing, outstanding act, go see him.

David Honan, December 2007

Can't believe how under-rated this guy is when so many of his contemporaries have gone on to churn out sitcoms. Shame on them. Keep it up Nick!

Michael Monkhouse, September 2007

Could give so many of his contemporaries lessons on how to combine political commentary, sharp observations on human behaviour and the angrily absurd into a riotous, beguiling, comedic tour-de-force. Brilliant.

Gaz, June 2006

Nick's sharp witt and ability to develop a great story of the most ordinary daily occurance make him my favourite comedian by a long mark. Not heard Nick Revell? Find him

Leo Sandhu, February 2006

Skip to page: 1 | 2