Noel James
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Noel James : Original Review
Note: This review is from 2001
To say surreal Welsh comic James delivers his rich diet of puns and bizarre flights of fancy in a shambolic fashion would be an understatement.
And this can work against him. For while his best material demonstrates a razor-sharp wit that belies the chaotic character, it only takes a few puns to fall flat and the act seems ready to collapse.
Having said that, James has a giant horde of comedy gold behind him, and - if the mood takes him - can unleash a flurry of devastatingly funny one-liners at an unrivalled rate that is guaranteed render the most stubborn of audiences helpless with laughter.
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Noel James Dates
Sat 7 Mar 2015
- Nottingham Just the Tonic
- 20:00
- £10 (£5 concs)
- Carey Marx, Noel James, Tom Price
Tue 17 Mar 2015
- Ormskirk Arts Centre
- 20:00~22:00
- From £2 to £7
- Noel James, Tony Jameson
Fri 20 Mar 2015
- Liverpool Hot Water Comedy Club
- 20:00
- £10 (£5 concs)
- Noel James
Sat 21 Mar 2015
- Liverpool Hot Water Comedy Club
- 20:00
- £10 (£5 concs)
- Noel James
Wed 8 Apr 2015
- Harrogate Sitting Room
- 20:00~22:30
- From £10 to £12
- Mike Gunn, Nish Kumar, Noel James, Phil Ellis (MC)
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Older Comments
Andrew Slade - 08/11/2012
I've seen Noel on three occasions - and each time I've had tears of laughter. A real pro and a seriously underrated comedian.
catherine - 10/06/2012
Saw Noe James at Bayview. Fantastic laugh, noel is up there with some of the best
Kelly Kingham - 03/06/2012
Saw him last night and he was absolutely brilliant! The perfect combination of really clever and delightfully stupid. The best act I've seen for quite some time. Really made the night for all of us.
collette smyth - 21/05/2012
Saw him in the Stand in Glasgow. What a great night. Noel James totally made the night!! Funny funny I would recommend to anyone.
Mike Brown - 20/07/2011
Just saw him at Bridlington Spa. Playing to a crowd with an average age of 73 might have knocked a few people off their stride, but Noel was bang on form. Very funny indeed.
David Walker - 14/06/2011
Hands down the best act I have seen to date at Cardiff Glee. Fast pace, intelligent and hysterical.
Ken - 10/09/2010
Just come back from seeing him at Evesham Art Centre. Very very funny, don't miss him !
Riera - 18/03/2010
Noel's a top act with a great store of one-liners and surreal humour. I think anyone who compares him to Tim Vine is ignorant of history. Noel was around long before Tim.
Noel James - 14/12/2008
Johnny. I was around before Tim Vine, doing my thing, therefore - taking 'years of gigging' as the guide - your comparison should read 'Tim Vine is the English Noel James but not as unsuccessful nor as funny'. Get it right!
Johnny - 26/11/2008
He's the Welsh Time Vine. Although not as good or successful.
Pete Park-Walker - 19/10/2008
Sorry to be behind the times but I've only just seen the parochial and absurd remark from "Penelope", commenting on a farcical little gig in a pokey Swansea bar. This comment is complete balderdash - Noel James is a legend, and is one of the most underrated comedians in Britain today. He is quite simply one of the best comics of his generation. It's time he had the recognition he deserves.
Gareth Shoulder - 18/02/2008
I organised and performed at the gig mentioned below and feel the comment made by Penelope is unfair. Noel was fantastic as a compere, stepped in when the original one got 'stage fright' and gave me my first ever gig. I have seen his act a few times, and was a part of his comedy course and think that he is a great performer and one of the rare stand ups I've seen that make me laugh out loud.
Megan - 01/12/2007
Noel, don't bite to these comments! You are just very clever and intelligent and some people don't get it. One of the funniest gags that has stayed with me, and I say it as often as my friends allow me to get away with it, is the one about the Bee Gees' tribute band. Still makes me chuckle! Have some self belief, you know you are brilliant.
Noel James - 20/08/2007
In response to Penelope Parker (August 2007): Bar Co, a small venue, is designed to take 50 people...but on the night in question there were almost 150 people squeezed in, standing, talking, sweating etc. Most of them were 18-year-old friends of the gig organiser, and the entry fee was a pound only. I was only booked to do 10 minutes, but - at the last second - I took over from the compere who left (presumably because it was a hard gig). I thought, in the circumstances, I made a noble effort... but if you think it's time for me to 'give up' then so be it. Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to quit entertaining sniping commentators. You paid a quid to get in... what do you want?
penelope parker - 03/08/2007
I saw him at BAR CO recently. The only pro on the bill and the others were much funnier. Time to give up !
Sal - 04/05/2006
Clearly his act's a bit like Marmite, you either love it or hate it. Personally, I haven't laughed so much in ages, I thought he was great!
Richard Bowen - 29/01/2006
Genuinely original. Anyone studying for a university degree in comedy should study this man.
Gary Sweney - 24/01/2006
Great performer, fantastic material and well delivered. Nice one, Noel Garry Sweeney 24.01.06
Helen Chester - 13/11/2005
Fantastic! My cheeks ached with laughing. He's quick, original and his play on words is amazing.
Nick Bradley - 05/08/2005
Saw the man a while back. Very good, if you are a chav then its probably not your bag, but if you enjoy quirky humour you'll like this... moocho recomended
Helen - 25/04/2005
Definitely one of the funniest and original comedians around. His guitar just finished my night off completely
Rhian - 29/11/2004
He's absolutely brilliant, a genius,
Ron - 07/11/2004
I saw him last year, he was horrific. Can't believe all the positive comments on this site.
Alex - 26/10/2004
I saw about 100 professional comedians last year, Noel James is famous among my circle for being the worst. Terrible.
Derek - 28/09/2004
I think he's the funniest man in the UK. Why don't the general masses appreciate this man's genius?
Fergus - 23/09/2004
One of the best acts I have ever seen. Funny as fuck.
Jaysen - 02/09/2004
I saw him this weekend at the Leeds Festival. I found him funny - but the majority disagreed with me. I agree with him, he was a bit too cerebral for them
Tom Hughes - 02/07/2004
The amount of material he has is astonishing, and the rate he fires it off at can literally knock an audience flat. Last time I saw him, at a near-empty Birmingham Glee, he showed a new talent for crowd interaction also - good-naturedly jumping onto a floor and almost forcing himself upon a girl in the front row. Brilliant stuff - wouldn't fail to recommend him to anyone.
Matt Price - 22/05/2004
My brain can't cope with so much brilliant material delivered at such a rapid pace.
Paul Holmes - 12/05/2004
Saw him years ago on the South London three-quid circuit. First ten minutes, was convinced he was just really pissed, rambling. Then it got funny. Then funnier and funnier.
Jonathan - 31/03/2004
I'd go out my way to watch Noel James anyday. He's one of the most original and funny comics around. You only have to look at most new stand-ups now to see who got there first, most of the Welsh acts do the surreal stories thing, but Noel was first and best. Go and watch him and you'll laugh. Simple.
Bev - 26/04/2003
Superb!
MP - 01/04/2003
Not as funny as he thinks he is
Lottie - 06/03/2003
Fantastic last night at Pear Shaped - his stream of jokes make it hard to keep up, still laughing about it but why was he hurried off? Hilarious - why haven't I seen him before? Comedy Circuit best kept secret.
Simon Lucas - 21/02/2003
Saw him at Loughborough ages ago. Simply the funniest act I have ever seen. The pace of his act was almost too much for my feeble lungs.
Reggie Dwight - 30/01/2003
So funny my sides ached the following morning
Derek Norms - 14/01/2003
Just seen him at The An-x in Swansea, the man is amazing, 40 minutes and I didn't stop laughing. His John Merrrick gags are top
V McGlynn - 03/01/2003
A true professional. Oh and lovely wobbly (face) cheeks. Most loveable onstage persona I've seen for a long time.
Iszi - 23/10/2002
Amazing, seriously funny (well, not seriously, obviously)... and has great legs.
Darrell Martin - 10/10/2002
A very, very funny man.
Mat Reed - 12/08/2002
Noel James really knows insanity and he's all the better for it.