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Steve Hughes
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Steve Hughes's Shows:
Edinburgh Fringe 2002
Big Value Comedy Club (Late)

Edinburgh Fringe 2004
Steve Hughes At War With Satan

Edinburgh Fringe 2005
Steve Hughes: Wake Up!

Edinburgh Fringe 2006
Steve Hughes: Storm

Edinburgh Fringe 2007
Steve Hughes: Heavy Metal Comedy

Tour
Reginald D Hunter 2010 tour


Steve Hughes

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Videos

Health and safety

From Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow


More Steve Hughes videos

Health and safety
The secret lives of funny people part 2
Comedy Cuts: Steve Hughes - Episode 1

Other footage

Steve Hughes on The World Stands Up
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Reviews

Action Against Hunger night, County Hall
Live Review
London Movieum

Action Against Hunger night, County Hall

Even at the peak of his GLC powers, I’m fairly sure Ken Livingstone didn’t take to County Hall’s chamber floor, act out anal sex with his fingers and tell the assembled politicians that was better than a ‘floppy old vagina any day’.

But now the empire has long fallen; the old seat of power holds so little authority that the comedians have taken over, the grandeur of history becoming a playground for mockery.

The council chamber of County Hall, the imposing neo-baroque building facing the Houses of Parliament across the Thames, makes an unlikely but imposing stand-up venue. The elegantly panelled room certainly brings a sense of occasion you don’t get when you enter the Walthamstow Chuckle Cabin, as you take to the plush leather benches, arranged in a horseshoe with a majestic speaker’s chair placed at mouth of the ‘U’, elevated like a throne.

In fact, it’s a bit too plush for a typical comedy club experience, which is what the first stand-up gig here – a charity tie-in with Action Against Hunger – tried to replicate. It’s too easy to relax back into the padded seating, wry chuckles dissipating into the high ceilings, rather than engaging with the acts. That you can’t bring drinks into the chamber – leading to a night split between the stand-up and a corporate-style reception in the makeshift ‘bar’ set up across the corridor – also doesn’t help.

And that’s before we get into the opening-night teething problems of no music, no mike stand, and intervals so short you have to gulp down those prohibited beverages at an unhealthy pace.

Commanding compere Chris Gilbert reeled out his best comedy-club banter before each act, even inducing one willing punter to belt out a Jeff Buckley number in lieu of the missing music… but the audience remained reticent despite his best efforts.

The buttoned-down audience didn’t quite know what to make of scraggly Australian death metal fan and new world order conspiracist Steve Hughes – but then again few crowds do. He began with his most accessible stuff, about his homeland’s conservatism and his lack of interest in the sporting culture – before espousing the perfectly convincing theory that there’s nothing gay about having sex with another man. It’s intelligent stuff, but a little obtuse for an opening act at a gig for casual comedy-goers, and his delivery was too relaxed to engage them.

And when he went on to suggest the charity wouldn’t achieve their hunger-busting aims without dismantling the whole global industrial complex, he wasn’t just off their wavelength, but completely off their dial, and the result was more patient bemusement than belly laughs.

Richard Herring went down much better than he thinks he did, judging by the post-gig commentary he shared with the room. Although his strength is always likely to be in one-man shows, his stand-up set is increasingly robust, including such well-honed routines as living his life by certain impractical mottos, subverting the French language’s insistence that a potato is a ‘pomme de terre’ and mocking the childish sign language for homosexuality – hence the ‘floppy vagina’ comment.

The segments play to both aspects of his persona of a slightly dysfunctional man-child with too much time to think: a winning combination of obtuse intellectualism applied to the most juvenile of subjects.

The section from his latest show, Hitler Moustache, in which he argues with unequivocal irony that ‘racists might have a point’ with their moronically simplistic world view, is perhaps more wryly witty than laugh-aloud hilarious, but the audience were more than happy to go on the journey with him.

Headliner Rufus Hound make the best use of the imposing room; drawing the audience in with the subtle skills of a storyteller; his muted delivery a far cry from the louder rabble-rousing he’s forced to employ in his regular compering duties or on Dave’s Argumental. This venue does seem a little like a lecture hall, so Hound engrossed the audience with grand theories of evolutionary psychology to describe how the human race has come to interact how it does, and spreading a message of tolerance and inquisitiveness.

Oh, and sucking cock. It is a comedy performance, after all.

Actually, Hound’s picked up some tips from Herring and his erstwhile comedy partner Stewart Lee, in gently teasing an audience down a train of thought, only to subvert it – and often with a repetition whose very predictability becomes the joke. He is very eloquent about his cause – you could call him the Malcolm X of oral sex – but tempered with accessible observational material, largely about relationships, making for a quietly impressive set.

But the star of the night, which couldn’t quite be topped, was the building itself. More comedy nights are planned for this elegant venue; which will hopefully recognise its unique strengths and weaknesses, now lessons have been learned from this dummy run. A storytelling event would work well here, or something more theatrical or interactive, such as a comedy debate to go back to the chamber’s roots.

But for occasion alone, the place is a hit.

Date of live review: Friday 27th Nov, '09
Review by Steve Bennett
Steve Hughes : Original Review
Steve Hughes : Original Review

Monday 4th Jun, '07 -
Steve Hughes: Heavy Metal Comedy
Steve Hughes: Heavy Metal Comedy

Show - Edinburgh Fringe 2007 -
Steve Hughes At War With Satan
Steve Hughes At War With Satan

Show - Edinburgh Fringe 2004 -
Steve Hughes: Wake Up!
Steve Hughes: Wake Up!

Show - Edinburgh Fringe 2005 -
Steve Hughes: Storm
Steve Hughes: Storm

Show - Edinburgh Fringe 2006 -
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Comments

Skip to page: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Great comedian especially the joke about people being offensive!

Lowestoft,suffolk, October 2009


A bizarre twenty minutes, and thoroughly enjoyable too. Thank God someone still has the suss to stand up there and say exactly what he thinks - and get the room laughing itself stupid in the process.

Michael Monkhouse, March 2008


I saw him at Up The Creek - funniest man of the night by far.

Danny Howard, February 2008


I saw Steve at the birmingham glee last week for my works do. i'd never heard of him before, but the jokes made my evening. Loved the bit about Greggs the bakery - so bloody funny! I hate cold sausage rolls too! Well done mate.

Barry, December 2007


I've never read such a load of vitriolic nonsense as the people who accuse Steve Hughes of the various negative attributes that have been thrown at him on this site. If anyone is uninformed, it has to be the people who throw the said negative comments - eg 'knee-jerk' and 'vicious racism' etc at him; so who's being the knee-jerk here? As Steve says: "The idea of multiculturalism is meaningless, when there is in reality only one culture: ‘People’. Wise up.

Rors, May 2007


Before calling some one a moron [below] perhaps you should try listening just a little bit harder to what he is saying. To have so completely missed the point of what Steve Hughes is saying is quite astonishing. Perhaps you reacted and then stopped listening to anything but your own opinion of what he must have been saying. He actually points out that he doesn't hate Americans in his set, but that is beside the point, he shouldn't need to. It is good to question the motives of comedians that are trying to make a statement but maybe see that comedian more than once before you make up your mind. Oh, and another thing. He really is very funny.

Paddy Bramwells, May 2007


I saw Steve last night in some grotty pub in the student end of the City and thought he was excellent. Never really gone to see live stand up, although I have watched it on TV before, and I honestly thought that this guy was as good as I've seen. He managed to a put humourous spin on every topical news item and he had a real way about him. Wehn he walks on, you wonder what the hell he is going to talk about but he soons wins you over with his charm, intelligence and undoubted wit. Hate Americans? no, just theit ridiculous government! Don't we all

GMarchy, May 2007


Well... where do you start with lovable, cuddly, inteligent, genuine, amusing, mature and tolerant Steve Hughes? Urmm let me think ... ah yes! By describing him as the opposite. Steve is just plain nasty, ascerbic, irritating, preachy, immature, hateful, knee jerk, cheap and not very bright. Added to that his fake left wing views hide a vicious racism. Racism, as we all know is born out of fear and ignorance. So Steve should really stop preaching his hate and learn a little about what he's talking about. You never know... he might find he's got nothing useful to say. What a relief that would be to the rest of us

Maria Jonas, April 2007


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Where can I see Steve Hughes next?

Where can I see Steve Hughes next?

20:00 - Sunday 2nd May, '10
Venue: Stoke-on-Trent Victoria Hall
Prices: Call for prices
Show: Reginald D Hunter 2010 tour
Show starts: 20:00 (Doors open approx 30 mins earlier)
20:00 - Monday 3rd May, '10
Venue: Birmingham Town Hall
Prices: £17
Show: Reginald D Hunter 2010 tour
Show starts: 20:00 (Doors open approx 30 mins earlier)
20:00 - Tuesday 4th May, '10
Venue: Telford Oakengates Theatre
Prices: £17
Show: Reginald D Hunter 2010 tour
Show starts: 20:00 (Doors open approx 30 mins earlier)
20:00 - Wednesday 5th May, '10
Venue: Aberystwyth Arts Centre
Prices: Call for prices
Show: Reginald D Hunter 2010 tour
Show starts: 20:00 (Doors open approx 30 mins earlier)
20:00 - Thursday 6th May, '10
Venue: Newtown Theatr Hafren
Prices: £17
Show: Reginald D Hunter 2010 tour
Show starts: 20:00 (Doors open approx 30 mins earlier)
20:00 - Friday 7th May, '10
Venue: Reading Concert Hall
Prices: £17
Show: Reginald D Hunter 2010 tour
Show starts: 20:00 (Doors open approx 30 mins earlier)
20:00 - Saturday 8th May, '10
Venue: ArtsDepot
Prices: £17
Show: Reginald D Hunter 2010 tour
Show starts: 20:00 (Doors open approx 30 mins earlier)
20:00 - Tuesday 11th May, '10
Venue: Basingstoke Haymarket
Prices: £17
Show: Reginald D Hunter 2010 tour
Show starts: 20:00 (Doors open approx 30 mins earlier)
20:00 - Wednesday 12th May, '10
Venue: Bournemouth Pavilion Theatre
Prices: £17
Show: Reginald D Hunter 2010 tour
Show starts: 20:00 (Doors open approx 30 mins earlier)
20:00 - Thursday 13th May, '10
Venue: Bath Komedia
Prices: £17
Show: Reginald D Hunter 2010 tour
Show starts: 20:00 (Doors open approx 30 mins earlier)
19:45 - Friday 14th May, '10
Venue: Barnstaple Queens Theatre
Prices: £17
Show: Reginald D Hunter 2010 tour
Show starts: 19:45 (Doors open approx 30 mins earlier)
20:00 - Saturday 15th May, '10
Venue: Weston-super-Mare Playhouse
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Show: Reginald D Hunter 2010 tour
Show starts: 20:00 (Doors open approx 30 mins earlier)
19:30 - Sunday 16th May, '10
Venue: Coventry Warwick Arts Centre
Prices: £17
Show: Reginald D Hunter 2010 tour
Show starts: 19:30 (Doors open approx 30 mins earlier)
20:00 - Tuesday 18th May, '10
Venue: Bromsgrove Artrix
Prices: £17
Show: Reginald D Hunter 2010 tour
Show starts: 20:00 (Doors open approx 30 mins earlier)
20:00 - Thursday 20th May, '10
Venue: Loughborough Town Hall
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Show: Reginald D Hunter 2010 tour
Show starts: 20:00 (Doors open approx 30 mins earlier)
20:00 - Friday 21st May, '10
Venue: Worcester Huntingdon Hall
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Show: Reginald D Hunter 2010 tour
Show starts: 20:00 (Doors open approx 30 mins earlier)
20:00 - Saturday 22nd May, '10
Venue: Cheltenham Town Hall and Pillar Room
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Show: Reginald D Hunter 2010 tour
Show starts: 20:00 (Doors open approx 30 mins earlier)
20:00 - Sunday 23rd May, '10
Venue: Salford Lowry
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Show: Reginald D Hunter 2010 tour
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20:00 - Tuesday 25th May, '10
Venue: High Wycombe Swan
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Show: Reginald D Hunter 2010 tour
Show starts: 20:00 (Doors open approx 30 mins earlier)
Wednesday 26th May, '10
Venue: Watford Palace
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Show: Reginald D Hunter 2010 tour
20:00 - Thursday 27th May, '10
Venue: Bristol Hippodrome
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Show: Reginald D Hunter 2010 tour
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20:00 - Saturday 29th May, '10
Venue: Cardiff St David's Hall
Prices: £19
Show: Reginald D Hunter 2010 tour
Show starts: 20:00 (Doors open approx 30 mins earlier)
19:30 - Sunday 30th May, '10
Venue: Nottingham Playhouse
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Show: Reginald D Hunter 2010 tour
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20:00 - Monday 31st May, '10
Venue: Sheffield City Hall
Prices: £17
Show: Reginald D Hunter 2010 tour
Show starts: 20:00 (Doors open approx 30 mins earlier)
19:30 - Wednesday 2nd Jun, '10
Venue: Perth Concert Hall & Theatre
Prices: £18.70
Show: Reginald D Hunter 2010 tour
Show starts: 19:30 (Doors open approx 30 mins earlier)
19:00 - Thursday 3rd Jun, '10
Venue: Inverness Ironworks
Prices: £19.55
Show: Reginald D Hunter 2010 tour
Show starts: 19:00 (Doors open approx 30 mins earlier)
20:00 - Friday 4th Jun, '10
Venue: Aberdeen Music Hall
Prices: £17
Show: Reginald D Hunter 2010 tour
Show starts: 20:00 (Doors open approx 30 mins earlier)
19:00 - Saturday 5th Jun, '10
Venue: Dunfermline Alhambra
Prices: £20
Show: Reginald D Hunter 2010 tour
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19:30 - Sunday 6th Jun, '10
Venue: Berwick-upon-Tweed Maltings Theatre
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Show: Reginald D Hunter 2010 tour
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20:00 - Tuesday 8th Jun, '10
Venue: Burnley Mechanics
Prices: £17 (£15 concs0
Show: Reginald D Hunter 2010 tour
Show starts: 20:00 (Doors open approx 30 mins earlier)
20:00 - Wednesday 9th Jun, '10
Venue: Newcastle Journal Tyne Theatre
Prices: £19.50
Show: Reginald D Hunter 2010 tour
Show starts: 20:00 (Doors open approx 30 mins earlier)
20:00 - Thursday 10th Jun, '10
Venue: Durham Gala Theatre
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Show: Reginald D Hunter 2010 tour
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20:00 - Friday 11th Jun, '10
Venue: Lancaster Grand Theatre
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Saturday 12th Jun, '10
Venue: Leeds Carriageworks
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Show: Reginald D Hunter 2010 tour
20:00 - Sunday 13th Jun, '10
Venue: York Grand Opera House
Prices: £22
Show: Reginald D Hunter 2010 tour
Show starts: 20:00 (Doors open approx 30 mins earlier)
20:00 - Tuesday 15th Jun, '10
Venue: Kings Lynn Corn Exchange
Prices: £17
Show: Reginald D Hunter 2010 tour
Show starts: 20:00 (Doors open approx 30 mins earlier)
Wednesday 16th Jun, '10
Venue: Norwich Red Card Comedy Club
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Show: Reginald D Hunter 2010 tour
20:00 - Thursday 17th Jun, '10
Venue: Southend Palace Theatre
Prices: £17
Show: Reginald D Hunter 2010 tour
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19:45 - Friday 18th Jun, '10
Venue: Canterbury Gulbenkian Theatre
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Show: Reginald D Hunter 2010 tour
Show starts: 19:45 (Doors open approx 30 mins earlier)
20:00 - Sunday 20th Jun, '10
Venue: Dartford Orchard Theatre
Prices: £18
Show: Reginald D Hunter 2010 tour
Show starts: 20:00 (Doors open approx 30 mins earlier)
Monday 21st Jun, '10
Venue: Dorking Halls
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Show: Reginald D Hunter 2010 tour
Tuesday 22nd Jun, '10
Venue: St Albans Alban Arena
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Show: Reginald D Hunter 2010 tour
20:00 - Wednesday 23rd Jun, '10
Venue: Milton Keynes Stables
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Show: Reginald D Hunter 2010 tour
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20:00 - Thursday 24th Jun, '10
Venue: Peterborough The Cresset
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Show: Reginald D Hunter 2010 tour
Show starts: 20:00 (Doors open approx 30 mins earlier)
20:00 - Friday 25th Jun, '10
Venue: Tunbridge Wells Assembly Hall
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Saturday 26th Jun, '10
Venue: Winchester Theatre Royal
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Sunday 27th Jun, '10
Venue: Brighton Dome
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Show: Reginald D Hunter 2010 tour
Tuesday 29th Jun, '10
Venue: Shrewsbury Theatre Severn
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Show: Reginald D Hunter 2010 tour
20:00 - Wednesday 30th Jun, '10
Venue: Swindon Wyvern Theatre
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20:00 - Thursday 1st Jul, '10
Venue: Wimborne Tivoli Theatre
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20:00 - Friday 2nd Jul, '10
Venue: Chelmsford Civic Theatres
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Show: Reginald D Hunter 2010 tour
Show starts: 20:00 (Doors open approx 30 mins earlier)
19:00 - Tuesday 6th Jul, '10
Venue: Shepherds Bush Empire
Prices: £20
Show: Reginald D Hunter 2010 tour
Show starts: 19:00 (Doors open approx 30 mins earlier)