42 'objectively funny' Fringe shows come to London
Line-up for 11-day festival revealed
31/08/2018 … A total of 42 shows from the Edinburgh Fringe are to be performed at the Objectively Funny festival in London next month.
2018 Archives
Fri 31 August 2018
I can't believe Louis CK...
31/08/2018 … Tweets of the week I can’t believe Louis CK of all people subjected an unsuspecting crowd to several minutes of self-indulgent behavior without their consent…
Alex Edelman was the best reviewed comic at Edinburgh
31/08/2018 … Alex Edelman was the best-reviewed comedy show at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe, after attracting an impressive 14 five-star reviews at the festival.
BBC Wales orders stand-up series
With mix of English and Welsh-speaking comedians
31/08/2018 … BBC Wales has commissioned a new TV stand-up series.
Jim Gaffigan is a little bit less of a man...
Comic has emergency appendix op
31/08/2018 … Tony Bennett left his heart in San Francisco… now Jim Gaffigan has left his appendix in Alaska.
Thu 30 August 2018
Aziz Ansari is back doing stand-up too
Comic announces gigs after Louis CK makes his tentative comeback
30/08/2018 … Aziz Ansari is making a tentative return to stand-up after becoming tarred by a #MeToo story in January.
Chris Ramsey and his wife speak of their miscarriage
'I’ll go quiet and miserable for no reason'
30/08/2018 … Chris Ramsey and his wife Rosie have spoken candidly about the miscarriage they suffered earlier this month.
Geek Island
...an alternative to Love Island
30/08/2018 … On-demand TV service UKTV Play has launched a Love Island spoof, called Geek Island.
© Damian Bennett Tim Minchin announces 2019 UK tour
His first dates in eight years
30/08/2018 … Tim Minchin has announced his first UK tour dates since 2011.
Wed 29 August 2018
Sassy Trump's speakerphone call
29/08/2018 … Donald Trump’s farcical speakerphone call to Mexican president Enrique Peña Nieto has been given the ’sassy’ treatment by Peter Serafinowicz.
British comics pilot Nigerian TV show
Ola the Comedian and Funmbi Omotayo host stand-up and sketch programme
29/08/2018 … British comics Ola the Comedian and Funmbi Omotayo are set to host a TV stand-up and sketch show – in Nigeria.
Tue 28 August 2018
Aisling Bea joins Netflix comedy series
Opposite Paul Rudd in Living With Yourself
28/08/2018 … Aisling Bea has joined the cast of the forthcoming Netflix comedy series Living With Yourself.
Galway comedy festival announces its 2018 line-up
...including Rhys Darby's new special
28/08/2018 … Tickets have today gone on sale for this year’s Vodafone Comedy Carnival - a week-long festival in Galway on the West Coast of Ireland.
Daniel Sloss: Netflix trailer
Two specials to be released on September 11
28/08/2018 … Daniel Sloss reckons he's come up with the perfect way to get out of a relationship.
'Weird Al' gets a Hollywood star
...but please don't smash it, he urges
28/08/2018 … Weird Al Yankovic has received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Where are you REALLY from?
Comedy short for the BBC's Big British Asian Summer
28/08/2018 … The loaded question: 'Where are you REALLY from?' is mocked in a new BBC Three Quickie short.
How The Onion helped America laugh again
Watch a new short film about comedy in the wake of 9/11
28/08/2018 … A new short film has been released showing how satirical news outlet The Onion reacted to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
Johnny English Strikes Again: New trailer
28/08/2018 … A new trailer has been released for the third instalment of the Johnny English movie series.
In which reality TV show did Zoe Lyons appear before she became known as a comedian?
28/08/2018 … Test your comedy knowledge with our weekly trivia quiz - compiled, as always by broadcaster and comedy historian Hayden Parker.
Mo Gilligan to host Q Awards
Comic counts musicians among his fans
28/08/2018 … Mo Gilligan is to host the Q music awards, it has been announced today.
Win Funny Cow on DVD
Maxine Peake plays a 1970s stand-up
28/08/2018 … Funny Cow – which stars Maxine Peake as a female comedian trying to break into the male-dominated world of the working men's clubs – has just…
Louis CK returns to stand-up
Ovation – and criticism – for his surprise appearance at New York club
28/08/2018 … Louis CK has made his first stand-up appearance since his sexual misconduct scandal broke.
Mon 27 August 2018
Comedy is changing, but the Fringe will always survive
Comedian Steve Day considers the end of another festival
27/08/2018 … This year's Edinburgh Fringe has been the best I've ever had.
My Dad Wrote A Porno signs HBO deal
Podcast's live show to become a comedy special
27/08/2018 … Hit podcast My Dad Wrote A Porno is to be made into an HBO comedy special.
League Of Gentlemen Live Again!
Tour review by Steve Bennett at the Sunderland Empire
27/08/2018 … With this comeback tour, the League Of Gentlemen cement their status as the Monty Python of the 21st century; another troupe who outgrew their cult, spawning memorable…
Edinburgh Fringe comedy reviews 2018
27/08/2018 … All our Edinburgh Fringe 2018 comedy reviews in one place Ciaran Dowd: Don Rodolfo Ahir Shah: Duffer Dan Nightingale: Sex, Drugs And My Nanna’s…
Lou Sanders: Shame Pig
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
27/08/2018 … Lou Sanders has been something of a hot mess, both in comedy and in life.
Tamar Broadbent: Best Life
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
27/08/2018 … Tamar Broadbent offers a Bluffers Guide To Millennials in Best Life, hitting all the fears of Gen X head-on.
© UKTV 'There is at least one incident of genuine anger in this series'
Taskmaster Series 7: Greg Davies interview
27/08/2018 … Taskmaster returns to Dave for its seventh series next Wednesday.
© UKTV 'Working with Greg Davies is like being a pet'
Taskmaster Series 7: Alex Horne interview
27/08/2018 … Taskmaster returns to Dave for its seventh series next Wednesday.
© UKTV 'Alex Horne got gagged with an egg in his mouth but they weren't allowed to show it'
Taskmaster Series 7: Rhod Gilbert interview
27/08/2018 … Taskmaster returns to Dave for its seventh series next Wednesday.
© UKTV 'I'm struggling for good things to say about Alex Horne'
Taskmaster Series 7: James Acaster interview
27/08/2018 … Taskmaster returns to Dave for its seventh series next Wednesday.
© UKTV 'I played by the rules... to my detriment'
Taskmaster Series 7: Phil Wang interview
27/08/2018 … Taskmaster returns to Dave for its seventh series next Wednesday.
© UKTV ' I’m definitely much funnier by accident rather than on purpose'
Taskmaster Series 7: Jessica Knappett interview
27/08/2018 … Taskmaster returns to Dave for its seventh series next Wednesday.
© UKTV 'Smashing one task was better than by wedding day'
Taskmaster Series 7: Kerry Godliman interview
27/08/2018 … Taskmaster returns to Dave for its seventh series next Wednesday.
![Laura Davis: Ghost Machine [2018] | Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett](/images/photos/small/ld_laura_davis_ed18.jpg "Laura Davis: Ghost Machine [2018] | Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett")
Laura Davis: Ghost Machine [2018]
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
27/08/2018 … ‘Provocative’ in comedy usually implies an alpha-male swagger and some almost certainly offensive jokes.
Jim Tavaré: From Deadpan to Bedpan
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
27/08/2018 … Jim Tavaré has returned to the Fringe for the first time in 20 years, having been pursuing a big-screen career that hit such dizzying highs as the Britain’s…
Grant Busé: The Birds and The Beats
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
27/08/2018 … Australian Grant Busé is a musical comedian and a teacher of sex education in special schools - and in The Birds And The Beats he combines the two.
Look, It's Tom Little, Alright?
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
27/08/2018 … Tom Little has got the best routine on pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis in the business – and that tells you a lot.
'Strictly is racist'
Says Red Dwarf's Danny John-Jules
27/08/2018 … Red Dwarf star Danny John-Jules accused Strictly Come Dancing of racism long before he signed up to the show, it has been revealed today.
Adam Hills to host a Spicks and Specks reunion
One-off for Australian music quiz
27/08/2018 … Adam Hills is to make a one-off version of his Australian music panel show Spicks and Specks.
The eyes have it
Olaf Falafel and Lou Sanders win Edinburgh Poster Awards
27/08/2018 … Lou Sanders and Olaf Falafel have each won £500 in the Comedy Poster Awards at the Edinburgh Fringe.
Sun 26 August 2018
Neil Simon dies at 91
‘One of the finest writers of comedy in American literary history'
26/08/2018 … Neil Simon, the playwright behind such comedies as The Odd Couple, has died at the age of 91.
Helen Lederer: I Might As Well Say It
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
26/08/2018 … Blame her natural dottiness, or blame the cannabis oil that she admits to having taken pre-show, but Helen Lederer’s Fringe comeback is way too ditzy to cohere…
Richard Hanrahan Is Doing This
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
26/08/2018 … Call it a dereliction of duties, but Richard Hanrahan has essentially crowdsourced his Edinburgh debut, asking his audiences ‘what is comedy?’…
Rachel Fairburn: The Wolf At The Door
Edinburgh Fringe review by Jay Richardson
26/08/2018 … If not always a takeaway message, most Fringe shows at least end with a neat resolution.
Justin Moorhouse: Northern Joker
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
26/08/2018 … ‘Northernness is not a badge I wear’, says Justin Moorhouse.
Ken Cheng: Best Dad Ever
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
26/08/2018 … Best Dad Ever marks an evolution in Ken Cheng’s style, away from the super-nerdy, often maths-based jokes, that are his natural metier and into the more personal…
Alistair Barrie: The InternationAL
Edinburgh Fringe review by Jay Richardson
26/08/2018 … With no less a stated aim than uniting the entire human race, Alistair Barrie's latest show is rarely so high-concept.
Beetlemania: Kafta For Kids!
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
26/08/2018 … Beetlemania: Kafka For Kids suffers from something of a branding problem.
The Ballad of Sarah Callaghan
Edinburgh Fringe review by Jay Richardson
26/08/2018 … Sarah Callaghan has grown deeply cynical about the comedy industry, citing the famous comic who constantly forgets he's met her and the television producers…
Early Doors tour kicks off
The best of the week's live comedy
26/08/2018 … The best of the week's live comedy.
© BBC Nigel Planer joins Upstart Crow
The best of the week's comedy on TV and radio
26/08/2018 … Sunday August 26MURDER ON THE BLACKPOOL EXPRESS: The feature-length star-studded comedy whodunit, penned by comic Jason Cook, gets its Freeview premiere, having…
© Idil Sukan Henry Paker: Man Alive
Edinburgh Fringe review by Jay Richardson
26/08/2018 … By rights, the multi-talented Henry Paker ought to be far better known than he is.
Alfie Brown: Lunatic
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
26/08/2018 … Comedians – indeed human beings in general – tend to be much better at highlighting the flaws in others than they are at taking a long, hard look at…
© Ed Moore Alex Kealy: A Kealy's Heel
Edinburgh Fringe review by Jay Richardson
26/08/2018 … Alex Kealy belongs to that particular strain of comic who offers a critique of his material as he goes, even ascribing opinions on it to the Italian peasant children…
Frank Foucault: Shoes
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
26/08/2018 … What last year’s best newcomer Natalie Palamides was to eggs, Frank Foucault is to footwear, deploying a case full of shoes to draw a long, absurd metaphor.
Brennan Reece: Evermore
Edinburgh Fringe review by Jay Richardson
26/08/2018 … Brennan Reece opens by announcing that his story is 'a work of fiction’ – but nevertheless makes it appear highly autobiographical, essentially…
© Ministry of Justice of New Zealand Pride of New Zealand
Even the PM's praising Rose Matafeo's Edinburgh award
26/08/2018 … Of all the people who lined up to congratulate Rose Matafeo on her Edinburgh Comedy Award win, one stands out above the rest.
Sat 25 August 2018
Tania Edwards: Not My Dog
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
25/08/2018 … Earlier this Fringe, Tania Edwards won the Amused Moose Comedy Award, which is awarded based on ten-minute extracts from Edinburgh shows.
Now it's time to curl up and cry
The Big Ask: What are you going to do once the Fringe is over?
25/08/2018 … Curl up in a ball and cry until the final settlement comes through.
Cuckoo clocks in
25/08/2018 … The week's best comedy on demand: Bert Kreischer: Secret Time You gotta have an angle as a stand-up, and Bert Kreischer's is that performs…
Tony Slattery's Crimes Against Improv
Edinburgh Fringe review by Jay Richardson
25/08/2018 … About the kindest thing you can say about this Tony Slattery comeback is that improvising with him is a true test of a performer.
Damian Clark: Extra Show
Edinburgh Fringe review by Jay Richardson
25/08/2018 … Damian Clark isn't the first male comic to have his life turned upside-down by the arrival of a baby.
Rose Matafeo wins the 2018 Edinburgh Comedy Award
25/08/2018 … Rose Matafeo has become the first solo non-white winner of the Edinburgh Comedy award.
Christopher Macarthur-Boyd: Home Sweet Home
Edinburgh Fringe review by Jay Richardson
25/08/2018 … You can see why Christopher Macarthur-Boyd was recently signed to the powerful Off The Kerb management stable.
© Andy Hollingworth Scott Bennett: Leap Year
Edinburgh Fringe review by Jay Richardson
25/08/2018 … Considering the high stakes revealed in his show, Scott Bennett has crafted a really enjoyable, relatively light-hearted hour of stand-up.
Max and Ivan's Prom Night
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
25/08/2018 … They mastered the big-ticket Fringe event with The Wrestling, now Max and Ivan are back to give Edinburgh 2018 a spirited send-off with Prom Night, half-party, half-site…
© Steve Ullathorne So You Think You're Funny? 2018 Final
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
25/08/2018 … It’s amazing the range of confidence and presence comics have with just a year’s stand-up experience under their belt.
It's a shrew singing Phantom of the Opera...
Lucy Pearman picks her comedy favourites
25/08/2018 … 'Catch him Derry' Right this is the first one.
Revealed: the comedians' comedians of Edinburgh 2018
Fringe acts vote for their peers
25/08/2018 … Paul Currie, Lou Sanders and Laura Lexx have been named the comedians’ comedians of this year’s Edinburgh Fringe.
#1 Comedy Great Fun Best Show Jez Watts
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
25/08/2018 … The Fringe is full of comedians who have spent thousands of pounds to be here and follow their dream.
Fri 24 August 2018
Steve Coogan pens a film about Welsh hippies
Story set in the rural Wales of 1969
24/08/2018 … Steve Coogan is making a film about a Welsh hippy commune in 1969.
Welcome To The Smeggyverse
24/08/2018 … Red Dwarf fans have created their own animated version of the comedy.
Matt Forde: Brexit Through the Gift Shop
Edinburgh Fringe review by Jay Richardson
24/08/2018 … Is there a better political comic than Matt Forde currently working in the UK? I can't think of another to touch him, certainly not with the same breadth of…
Comedy Blaps from Rose Matafeo and Nida Manzoor
C4 orders more online comedy shorts
24/08/2018 … Rose Matafeo and Nida Manzoor are to make the next online Comedy Blap shorts for Channel 4.
Bowjangles: Excalibow
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
24/08/2018 … Forget the image of a string quartet tucked quietly into the corner of some formal event, dressed in evening wear and providing sedate, unintrusive classical musak.
This is why I no longer car share...
Bethany Black recalls her most memorable gigs
24/08/2018 … First gigGoing on between bands and trying to get punters laughing.
The truth about Willy Wonka
24/08/2018 … Quote of the week ‘I’m more interested than seeing a rough diamond than professionally executed mediocrity’ Steve Coogan speaking at the Edinburgh TV festival…
Matt Price: Last Night a Weegie Saved My Life
Edinburgh Fringe review by Jay Richardson
24/08/2018 … Gentle Cornish giant Matt Price is renowned for his affability.
Michael Clarke: Felt
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
24/08/2018 … Michael Clarke gets full marks for ambition for his debut hour.
This is the link to Garry's site...
Shandling's archive is being put online
24/08/2018 … Garry Shandling’s website has been revived as a tribute to the Larry Sanders star.
A jellyfish romance
Luke Rollason at Chortle's Fast Fringe
24/08/2018 … Luke Rollason imagines a near future where all animals are extinct in today’s clip from Chortle’s Fast Fringe.
Fishing for compliments
What's the best fish pun on the Fringe?
24/08/2018 … It’s the accolade everybody in Edinburgh is angling for: the best fish-based pun of the Fringe.
Simon Evans: Genius 2:0
Edinburgh Fringe review by Jay Richardson
24/08/2018 … Wily old contrarian that he is, Simon Evans's acclaim of Edinburgh as the cradle of the Enlightenment comes with the caveat that his audience aren't worthy…
Phil Ellis Is Ready For The Big Time
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
24/08/2018 … Cheap props and trying-too-hard cheeriness made Phil Ellis a cult hit with the alleged children’s show Funz And Gamez – and that same low-rent spirit…
'Everything he says sounds like a Grimms' fairytale'
Lolly Jones chooses her comedy favourites
24/08/2018 … Sarah Silverman: A Speck Of Dust Sarah’s Netflix special is offbeat and hilarious.
Sharon Horgan to make directorial debut
On a new movie about cryogenics
24/08/2018 … Sharon Horgan is to direct her first feature film.
Sophie Duker on Chortle's Fast Fringe
24/08/2018 … Sophie Duker says she’s ’a classic comedy twofer’ - two comedy minorities in one, black and a woman.
BBC picks up topical Romesh Ranganathan show
The Ranganation heads to BBC Two
24/08/2018 … BBC Two has commissioned a new topical show from Romesh Ranganathan The Ranganation features a focus group of 25 people – including the…
Thu 23 August 2018
© Steve Ullathorne Danny Garnell wins So You Think You're Funny?
Londoner scoops new act title at Edinburgh Fringe
23/08/2018 … Danny Garnell has won this year’s So You Think You’re Funny new act competition at the Edinburgh Fringe The South Londoner takes home a £2,500…
Rachel Parris wins breakthrough talent award
Comic hailed at Edinburgh TV festival
23/08/2018 … Stand-up Rachel Parris has been named breakthrough talent of the year by the Edinburgh TV Festival.
Ian Smith: Craft
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
23/08/2018 … Ian Smith’s lively, playful stand-up is so good he probably doesn’t need a gimmick – but he’s got one anyway.
What inspired you to get into comedy?
23/08/2018 … Watching Monty Python for the first time at a party at the neighbour's farm.
Filming starts on Fleabag series 2
As Sherlock's Andrew Scott joins the cast
23/08/2018 … Filming has started on the second series of Fleabag, with Andrew Scott – best known for playing Moriarty to Benedict Cumberbatch’s Sherlock –…
Jamie MacDonald: Blinkered
Edinburgh Fringe review by Jay Richardson
23/08/2018 … Jamie MacDonald's anecdotes usually revolve around a decision of whether to exploit or resist being a special case.
Anthony Jeselnik: Funny Games
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
23/08/2018 … Anthony Jeselnik starts the first of his two shows at the Edinburgh Fringe with the greatest opening joke of all time.
'It turned out that the front table were Tourette’s sufferers'
Tania Edwards recalls her most memorable gigs
23/08/2018 … The gig where I learned a different way to die There are three types of death: (1) when everyone tells you it wasn’t that bad and you believe them…
Comedians to host Netflix gameshow
Desiree Burch, Lloyd Griffith and Seann Walsh front Flinch
23/08/2018 … Comedians Desiree Burch, Lloyd Griffith and Seann Walsh are to host a new game show for Netflix.
Ed Gamble: Blizzard
Edinburgh Fringe review by Sophie Cartman
23/08/2018 … Ed Gamble clearly wants everybody to like him, giving 100 per cent from the outset as he greets us with a big smile and a barking voice.
David Cross announces short UK tour
Five nights for Arrested Development star
23/08/2018 … US comedian David Cross has announced five UK dates this summer.
Tom Neenan: It's Always Infinity
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
23/08/2018 … It’s undoubtedly a year of feminism at this year’s first post-#MeToo Fringe.
Briony Redman: Sketch Artist
Edinburgh Fringe review by Jay Richardson
23/08/2018 … There's a fictional charity in Briony Redman's show campaigning against the proliferation of strong opinions.
Glenn Moore: Glenn Glenn Glenn, How Do You Like It, How Do You Like It
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
23/08/2018 … Glenn Moore’s always been a prolific writer of clever, distinctive gags, but he’s sometimes struggled to square that with the demands of telling a strong,…
© BFI 'The greatest ever celebration of film and TV comedy'
BFI announces a bumper batch of events across the UK
23/08/2018 … The BFI has announced a three-month series which it has dubbed ‘the UK’s greatest ever celebration of film and TV comedy’.
Rik Carranza: Still A Fan
Edinburgh Fringe review by Jay Richardson
23/08/2018 … Devoted to Star Trek, you might think that Rik Carranza's show would be a niche concern.
Little Britain convinced me to do comedy
Luke Kempner picks his comedy favourites
23/08/2018 … Alistair McGowan So my first choice is from a man who has influenced me for many years since I was ten.
Do You Think That's Wise? The Life And Times Of John Le Mesurier
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
23/08/2018 … The epitome of the urbane English gentleman to the end, John Le Mesurier’s final words before he slipped into a coma in 1983 were: ‘It's all been…
Hugh Laurie joins Armando Iannucci’s sci-fi comedy
Playing the captain of Avenue 5
23/08/2018 … Hugh Laurie is to star in Armando Iannucci’s new sci-fi comedy pilot, Avenue 5.
Sharon Horgan develops a new comedy for Amazon
Streaming giant orders a script for a show she would star in
23/08/2018 … Sharon Horgan is set to write and star in a new comedy for Amazon.
Maisie Adam: I wish I wasn't so tall
Edinburgh best newcomer nominee at Chortle's Fast Fringe
23/08/2018 … Comic Maisie Adam says she's so tall then when she sits on a date's knee, it looks like 'Im restraining him until security comes'.
Wed 22 August 2018
Big Bang Theory implodes
US comedy to end after 12 seasons
22/08/2018 … The Big Bang Theory is to end in May, at the end of its 12th series, makers have announced.
Rory O'Keeffe: The 37th Question
Edinburgh Fringe review by Jay Richardson
22/08/2018 … A curate's egg of a show, Rory O'Keeffe's storytelling hour engages and frustrates with the promise of a chance to dictate the narrative, yet no opportunity…
Who have the Edinburgh Comedy Awards panel overlooked, up to now?
22/08/2018 … This question was asked before today's shortlists came out.
Maisie Adam: Vague
Edinburgh Fringe review by Paul Fleckney
22/08/2018 … New comics who win the So You Think You’re Funny? new act competition are faced with a dilemma – do they return to Edinburgh the next year to capitalise…
Holt and Talbot: Mansplaining Feminism
Edinburgh Fringe review by Sophie Cartman
22/08/2018 … Wake up! It's 2018, where every other comedian is discussing feminism and political correctness Rosie Holt and Christian Talbot provide some kind of escapism…
Hannah Gadsby can’t tell me what to do
Sid Singh on Nanette’s true impact on comedy
22/08/2018 … With the insane pace at which news is consumed and then flies past us these days, you can be forgiven for forgetting this, but thousands of years ago back in June,…
Geoff Norcott: Traditionalism
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
22/08/2018 … Geoff Norcott’s still revelling in his status as Britain’s only right-wing comedian – except for all the other ones, of course – although…
Two Little Dickheads
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
22/08/2018 … Don’t panic! The end of the world is nigh - thanks to a diamond-encrusted meteorite heading towards Earth – but until it hits, Two Little Dickheads will…
Revealed: The 2018 Edinburgh comedy award nominees
And women dominate best newcomer list
22/08/2018 … The nominees have been announced for this yearsEdinburgh Comedy Awards And, notably, six of the seven comedians shortlisted for best newcomer are women.
'It was like dying and watching your own funeral'
Flo and Joan recall their most memorable gigs
22/08/2018 … First gig We started doing Flo & Joan when we were living in Toronto a couple of years ago.
Pierre Novellie: See Novellie, Hear Novellie, Speak Novellie
Edinburgh Fringe review by Jay Richardson
22/08/2018 … As a writer for The Mash Report and Mock The Week, Pierre Novellie glances with envious eyes towards America, bemoaning their superior satire as the logical…
Jack Docherty: Miekelson and McGlashan – Serious Men
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
22/08/2018 … It’s been 25 years since Jack Docherty was last at the Fringe, but he seems right at home, especially in the guise of his Scot Squad character Chief Constable…
Nick Revell: BrokenDreamCatcher
Edinburgh Fringe review by Jay Richardson
22/08/2018 … A preview of some of the tales airing in his Radio 4 series next month, Nick Revell's latest storytelling hour is magical realism for the fake news, ayahuasca-imbibing…
From Benidorm to Scarborough
BBC confirms writer Derren Litten's next comedy
22/08/2018 … The BBC has confirmed the new series from Benidorm creator Derren Litten, called Scarborough.
Rubberbandit Blindboy gets his own BBC Three show
22/08/2018 … Rubberbandits character Blindboy BoatClub has landed his own satirical undercover programme for BBC Three.
Heidi Regan: Heidi vs Sharks
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
22/08/2018 … ‘I've been told I'm a slow burner,’ deadpan Australian comedian Heidi Regan tells the audience.
© Bafta BBC pilots a new sitcom from Murder In Successville's Tom Davis
Co-starring Simon Day, Romesh Ranganathan and Detectorists’ Laura Checkley
22/08/2018 … The team behind Murder In Successville are to pilot a new sitcom about a married couple to air as BBC One’s Comedy Playhouse, Described as a ‘larger-than-life…
Al Murray to ask: Why does everyone hate the English?
Comics explore the question for the History Channel
22/08/2018 … Al Murray is making a history programme entitled Why Does Everyone Hate The English? The five-part show for the History Chanel will explore England’s…
Andrew Lawrence: Clean
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
22/08/2018 … Will Andrew Lawrence ever shake the controversy that his infamous Facebook rant of 2014 provoked, when he came out as anti-immigration and blasted the ‘moronic,…
Comedy Central picks up Amusical
TV version of the show in which comics sing hits from the musicals
22/08/2018 … Comedy Central is to pilot a TV version of live comedy hit Amusical – in which comedians perform songs from the musicals.
Second series for Lee And Dean
Channel 4 to return to the Stevenage builders
22/08/2018 … Channel 4 has commissioned a second series of Lee and Dean, the comedy series about two builders in Stevenage.
Aatif Nawaz: Instant GrAATIFication
Edinburgh Fringe review by Jay Richardson
22/08/2018 … An entitled millennial with career aspirations, Aatif Nawaz has belatedly enjoyed some success as an actor, with an Easyjet commercial under his belt.
'It's completely batshit and I love it'
William Andrews chooses his comedy favourites
22/08/2018 … As a writer I feel I’m very in touch with human emotions and by that I mean sometimes I write bare bummed.
New drama from Chewing Gum's Michaela Coel
About consent and gender politics
22/08/2018 … Chewing Gum star Michaela Coel is writing a major drama series for BBC Two about consent and gender politics.
© BBC/Robert Pereira-Hind Still Game guest stars announced
Midge Ure and Clare Grogan among the cameos
22/08/2018 … Line of Duty’s Martin Compston and Taggart’s James MacPherson, musicians Midge Ure, Amy Macdonald, Clare Grogan, and DJ and comedian Des Clarke are all…
Steve Day: Adventures in Dementia
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
22/08/2018 … ‘I’m not attempting to mock dementia,’ says Steve Day – even though he does manage to get a couple of sly familial jokes in at the expense…
Live At The Apollo to return for series 14
22/08/2018 … Live At The Apollo is to return for a 14th series.
Channel 4 greenlights Mo Gilligan show
...as well as a second series of Big Narstie's programme
22/08/2018 … Channel 4 has picked up comedian Mo Gilligan’s show for a full series.
Charlie Partridge's German rap
22/08/2018 … Charlie Partridge uses a loop machine to create a German rap number in today's clip from Chortle's Fast Fringe.
Tue 21 August 2018
Tilda Swinton Answers An Ad On Craigslist
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
21/08/2018 … For this frequently hilarious comic play, performer Tom Lenk has created a glorious drag persona: a camp, ethereal, demanding, domineering, unhinged, intense narcissist,…
Athena Kugblenu: Follow The Leader
Edinburgh Fringe review by Sophie Cartman
21/08/2018 … Athena Kugblenu is a confident comedian who wields power, commands attention and has a substantial strength of character.
Conor Drum:... If
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
21/08/2018 … Everyone is embarrassed about their teenage years, except teenagers themselves.
What is the surname of Max in Max & Paddy?
21/08/2018 … Test your comedy knowledge with our weekly trivia quiz - compiled, as always by broadcaster and comedy historian Hayden Parker.
Darren Harriott: Visceral
Edinburgh Fringe review by Paul Fleckney
21/08/2018 … I wasn’t wild about Darren Harriott’s debut last year, but it was clear he had something about him.
'I came out in a wheelchair wearing a kimono'
Kate Berlant recalls her most memorable gigs
21/08/2018 … First gigI did stand-up for the first time when I was 17 at my high school.
Dave Green: Melt
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
21/08/2018 … In his stand-up show Melt, Dave Green projects himself as a slightly incompetent, slightly unconfident Everyman, stressing the small stuff.
Go Slay Dragons!
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
21/08/2018 … Performing at 9pm on a Saturday night in the Hogarthian hellscape that is the Three Sisters, one of the rowdiest of all Edinburgh’s pubs, would be a challenge…
‘How can somewhere so busy feel so lonely?’
Cerys Nelmes on the strains of the Edinburgh Fringe
21/08/2018 … ‘How can somewhere so busy feel so lonely?’ This was my first observation after attending my first ever Edinburgh in 2011.
Tony Law: A Lost Show
Edinburgh Fringe review by Jay Richardson
21/08/2018 … This is Tony Law's apology tour, a show acknowledging the years lost to alcohol and cocaine.
Billy Connolly to make a BBC series about Scotland
...as claims his mind is fading are rebuffed
21/08/2018 … Billy Connolly is to make a major new BBC series about his native Scotland.
Willis & Vere: A Serious Play About World War II
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
21/08/2018 … Spoiler alert: The Serious Play About World War II isn’t serious.
© Andy Hollingworth Tom Lucy: Reluctant Millennial
Edinburgh Fringe review by Paul Fleckney
21/08/2018 … It might seem a good thing to become a successful stand-up early on, but Tom Lucy’s second show gives an indication of how it can actually stunt a comic.
'Louis CK let everyone down... but he's still the best stand-up I've seen'
Matt Rees picks his comedy favourites
21/08/2018 … Louis CK He let down everyone recently.
Graham Dickson: Timber
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
21/08/2018 … Graham Dickson’s latest character piece is a monster story.
Jobcentre gag is an old 'un
Dave's Joke Of The Fringe isn't entirely original... again
21/08/2018 … The gag that won this year's Dave Joke Of The Fringe is at least eight years old.
© Gage Skidmore/CC BY-SA 3.0 Sky makes the new Shameless
Working-class comedy in the pipeline
21/08/2018 … Sky is to make a new working-class comedy starring This Is England’s Joe Gilgun, Ripper Street’s Damien Molony and Our Girl’s Michelle Keegan.
Lenny Henry parodies Childish Gambino
This Is America becomes This Is The TV
21/08/2018 … Lenny Henry has parodied Childish Gambino‘s This Is America video.
Griffin & Jones at Chortle's Fast Fringe
21/08/2018 … Comedy magicians Griffin & Jones shared a trick from their Edinburgh show Trickorice Allsorts at Chortle's Fast Fringe in London last month.
Mon 20 August 2018
Paul Chowdhry to star in international financial drama
20/08/2018 … Paul Chowdhry has landed a leading role in a new international TV series for Sky.
'Some reviewers clearly don't like comedy'
The Big Ask: What do you think of critics?
20/08/2018 … I don't think of critics.
Camels
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
20/08/2018 … Patrick McPherson and Zac Peel might be newcomers to Edinburgh sketch comedy, but it feels like these relative youngsters been doing it for years.
Nina Conti is Monkey
Edinburgh Fringe review by Paul Fleckney
20/08/2018 … Nina Conti can always be relied upon to do something interesting with the form of ventriloquism.
Mat Ewins: What Sorry? My Mistake! The Doors Are Not Open; The Show Has Been Cancelled. Do Not Have Your Tickets Ready!
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
20/08/2018 … If there were an Edinburgh Comedy Award for technical achievement in a comedy show, Mat Ewins would be a shoe-in.
'I walked out of there thinking that I was about to change the world'
Sally-Anne Hayward recalls her most memorable gigs
20/08/2018 … Worst journey to a gigI had just left an agent and felt a little alone in the world (dramatic).
Jack Evans: Work
Edinburgh Fringe review by Paul Fleckney
20/08/2018 … Perhaps not one for people who already hate their job.
Unbecoming Ramon Rivas
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
20/08/2018 … There’s a touch of the Reginald D Hunter about the languid philosophical approach Ramon Rivas brings to his introspective discussions of sexual politics…
Luca Cupani: God Digger
Edinburgh Fringe review by Jay Richardson
20/08/2018 … Given how predominantly atheist the comedy circuit appears to be, it's rare to find a comic who questions whether his vocation is willed by God.
Mr Thing
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
20/08/2018 … A house band, contrived silly shenanigans, strained wordplay… if you’re missing The Horne Section this Fringe, Mr Thing might well plug the hole.
Jokes of the Fringe: An alternative list
Tony Kinsella's personal top ten
20/08/2018 … After Dave named their Top 10 Jokes of the Edinburgh Fringe this morning, Tony Kinsella comes up with an alternative list.
Yianni Agisilaou: I, Human
Edinburgh Fringe review by Sophie Cartman
20/08/2018 … This is an admirably well thought-out and enlightening show about the march of technology and whether artificial intelligence will take over from humans, but the…
Alice Snedden: Self Titled
Edinburgh Fringe review by Paul Fleckney
20/08/2018 … This had one of the more unusual starts to a show I’ve seen this year.
'A 1,000 episodes-long lesson in character comedy'
Emma Sidi chooses her comedy favourites
20/08/2018 … Smack The Pony One of my ultimate comedy inspirations, I was addicted to this show as a kid and it is still what I think of as being the most ideal TV sketch comedy.
Lead Pencil
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
20/08/2018 … Lead Pencil claim to be the most anticipated kids’ show reunion on the Fringe.
© Twitter/Luke McQueen Comedian protests about his own BBC show
Luke McQueen camps out at Broadcasting House
20/08/2018 … Comedian Luke McQueen has been staging a series of fake protests in London and Edinburgh, urging people not to watch his forthcoming BBC Three show.
Hula-hooping made easy
Tessa Waters at Chortle's Fast Fringe
20/08/2018 … Hula-hooping’s easier if the prop is imaginary, as Tessa Waters proved at Chortle’s Fast Fringe in London last month.
Tania Edwards wins Amused Moose award
Accolade for Edinburgh Fringe show
20/08/2018 … Tania Edwards has been named winner of this year’s Amused Moose Comedy Award.
Now you can go shopping in a real Kwik-E-Mart
Simpsons store becomes an 'experience'
20/08/2018 … Springfield’s Kwik-E-Mart just got real.
© UKTV Dave/Martina Salvi Adam Rowe wins Dave's Joke Of The Fringe
Read all the top-rated gags here
20/08/2018 … Adam Rowe has scooped this year's Dave Joke Of The Fringe award.
Sun 19 August 2018
'It would be nice if audiences came in with open minds and generous spirits'
The Big Ask: Has the 'spirit of the Fringe' been lost
19/08/2018 … I think there’s a problem with most arts festivals - they’re effectively subsidised money-wise by the artists, and especially the new and the young ones.
Sindhu Vee: Sandhog
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
19/08/2018 … This might be Sindhu Vee’s full-length debut, but it has a maturity of style and content.
'They saw me as the Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards of comedy'
Matt Price recalls his most memorable gigs
19/08/2018 … Luckiest gigMany years ago I was doing a seven-minute spot on a pro line up.
Allan Havey Stands Up
Edinburgh Fringe review by Sophie Cartman
19/08/2018 … This may be Allan Havey’s Edinburgh debut but he has 35 years’ experience as a stand-up on the New York and LA scenes, and has a raft of TV credits,…
Richard Todd: We Need The Eggs
Edinburgh Fringe review by Paul Fleckney
19/08/2018 … There’s something about unique about the style of absurdism from North East England that I can’t put my finger on.
Harriet Kemsley: Slutty Joan
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
19/08/2018 … The American comedy scene was at the forefront of the #MeToo movement - just ask Bill Cosby, Louis CK or Aziz Ansari.
Kevin Bridges hits the road
The best of the week's live comedy
19/08/2018 … The week's best live comedy.
© BBC Lenny happy returns....
The best of the week's comedy on TV and radio
19/08/2018 … The best of the week's comedy on TV and radio.
Short & Curly: Young At Start
Edinburgh Fringe review by Jay Richardson
19/08/2018 … In school uniform and with significant height disparity, there's something rather Krankies about Short & Curly, aka married couple Rebecca Shorrocks (Short)…
Avocado: Definitely Maybe Not
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
19/08/2018 … I’d love to be able to tell you that Avocado smashed it.
© C4/Guilty Party Pictures Kieran Hodgson shoots a Channel 4 pilot
With W1A's Monica Dolan and Horrible Histories's Jim Howick
19/08/2018 … Kieran Hodgson has made a Channel 4 pilot, Chortle can reveal.
Jim Campbell: Trampoline
Edinburgh Fringe review by Paul Fleckney
19/08/2018 … It’s not a nice thing to see a comic visibly hurting.
© Netflix Seinfeld: I have no regrets about turning down $100million
Comic turned down an unprecedented TV offer
19/08/2018 … Jerry Seinfeld has said he has no regrets about turning down a deal that would have noted hum more than $100million.
Could Kath & Kim be making a comeback
19/08/2018 … Australian comedy Kath & Kim could be making a comeback, co-creator and co-star Jane Turner has suggested.
It’s good to see attractive people be amazingly funny
The Delightful Sausage pick their comedy favoruties
19/08/2018 … The Man Who Eats Badgers This documentary was part of the BBC’s Wonderland series a few years back.
© Rebecca Need-Menear How the Golden Girls and Margaret Cho made me a comic
Jake Howie on his comedy roots
19/08/2018 … It’s time for me to finally admit it, I never really found Jerry Seinfeld that funny.
Theresa May striptease
Lolly Jones at Chortle's Fast Fringe
19/08/2018 … It’s enough to give you nightmares: Theresa May doing a striptease.
Sat 18 August 2018
Alex Edelman scoops a Herald Angel award
Praise for his Edinburgh show Just For Us
18/08/2018 … American comic Alex Edelman has scooped a Herald Angel Award for his third Edinburgh Fringe show.
George Rigden: George-ous
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
18/08/2018 … George Rigden is to pick-up artists what David Brent is to office management: an unselfaware man hiding a mountain of insecurity behind a paper-thin arrogance.
'I threw my phone into the woods on mushrooms'
The Big Ask: Whats's the most drunk or wasted you have been at the Fringe?
18/08/2018 … I played tennis on Cowgate with a plate and a workout DVD at 3am.
Ismo: Words Apart
Edinburgh Fringe review by Jay Richardson
18/08/2018 … Ismo Leikola has made a career out of deconstructing the English language, not losing but uncovering witty insights in translation.
Ben Pope: Baby Sasquatch
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
18/08/2018 … Ben Pope is a talented storyteller, able to create a lyrical, epic yarn from the simplest of incidents, and with an innate ability to hold the audience rapt by the…
'I've had so many deaths over 20 years nearly that they bleed into a mass'
Tony Law tries to remember some significant gigs
18/08/2018 … Memory is a wanker.
Rose Matafeo: Horndog
Edinburgh Fringe review by Paul Fleckney
18/08/2018 … Rose Matafeo was nominated for the Barry Award at this year’s Melbourne Comedy Festival, so it should be pretty bedded in by now, and it most certainly is:…
Matt Winning: Climate Strange
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
18/08/2018 … Sometimes comedians end up lecturing their audiences, but that is exactly what Matt Winning has set out to do.
Matthew Highton: Insufficient Memory
Edinburgh Fringe review by Paul Fleckney
18/08/2018 … Love, life and death – Matthew Highton is focused on the big ones in his show Insufficient Memory, but it is about as bright and breezy a show as you’ll…
I can do anything
...at least when it comes to the Fringe, says Brennan Reece
18/08/2018 … You probably are reading this because you saw the title and thought, who is this little cocky so and so, professing he can do anything.
Rosco McClelland: 29
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
18/08/2018 … This is the ‘oh shit I’m 30’ show that a lot of comics have, worrying if they are ready for adulthood as they see friends settle.
The Raymond & Mr Timpins Revue at Chortle's Fast Fringe
18/08/2018 … The Raymond & Mr Timkins Revue give new meaning to popular song lyrics in today’s clip from Chortle's Fast Fringe This…
Paul Sinha: The Two Ages Of Man
Edinburgh Fringe review by Sophie Cartman
18/08/2018 … Forget Shakespeare’s Seven Ages of Man, Paul Sinha thinks there are only two: you are either on your way up or you’re on your way out.
The swigging detectives
Comics launch Drunk Women Solving Crime podcast
18/08/2018 … Comedians including Katherine Ryan and London Hughes are being lined up to appear in a new true crime podcast – with a Drunk History style twist.
© Netflix Critics aren't spellbound by Disenchantment
18/08/2018 … Disenchantment The first 10 episodes of Simpsons creator Matt Groening's new Netflix series, set in a bygone fairytale world of elves, gnomes, giants…
'He captures the unfiltered visceral urge within most black comics'
Ola The Comedian picks his comedy favourites
18/08/2018 … Dave Chappelle: Aids I often credit Dave Chappelle, his For What It’s Worth special and specifically this Aids bit with making me want to do stand-up.
Netflix axes comedians' shows
Michelle Wolf and Joel McHale cancelled
18/08/2018 … Netflix has pulled the plug on two of its topical shows, The Break with Michelle Wolf, and The Joel McHale Show.
Fri 17 August 2018
It's Seann Waltz!
Seann Walsh joins Strictly Come Dancing
17/08/2018 … Seann Walsh has joined the next series of Strictly Come Dancing The comic– who has starred in Jack Dee’s ITV sitcom Bad Move as well as being…
Arthur Smith: Syd
Edinburgh Fringe review by Paul Fleckney
17/08/2018 … Arthur Smith is here to provide a bit of perspective to the festival of navel-gazing that is Edinburgh, with this touching show about his father, Syd, who died in…
'I was interrupted by the screams of an angry chef'
The Big Ask: What is the worst venue in Edinburgh
17/08/2018 … The Gothic Room at the Three Sisters (Free Sisters) in Cowgate at half past midnight: that was my venue in the first Fringe.
Emma Sidi: Faces Of Grace
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
17/08/2018 … All five women in Emma Sidi’s latest character comedy showcase are lost in some way or another, feeling rejected by the world and searching for the one thing…
Secrets of the sea
17/08/2018 … Tweets of the week The reason waves foam when they crash is because of plankton.
Ivo Graham: Motion Sickness
Edinburgh Fringe review by Paul Fleckney
17/08/2018 … The thing about maturing and going from one phase of life to another is that you don’t normally know it’s happening at the time.
How the Fringe came to be 'better than Christmas' for kids
Laurence Clark on how the festival got child-friendly
17/08/2018 … When I first started doing the Fringe it was not a particularly child-friendly environment.
Getting a boost from the Moose
Amused Moose Comedy Award finalists named
17/08/2018 … Eight nominees have been named for this year’s Amused Moose Comedy Award.
Brett Goldstein: What Is Love Baby Don't Hurt Me
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
17/08/2018 … Yep, this another break-up show, but a notable addition to the genre because of the results of the soul-searching Brett Goldstein underwent following the split,…
'Only one of us did the gig naked'
Barry Ferns recalls his most memorable gigs
17/08/2018 … First gig My first gig was when I was 15 in a place called The Bricklayers Arms in Bournemouth.
Harry And Chris Save The World
Edinburgh Fringe review by Paul Fleckney
17/08/2018 … I have to admit I feared the worst when Harry and Chris’s opening song was a deadpan funky number introducing themselves as Britain’s best jazz-rap duo.
Benet Brandreth: A Hero for Our Times
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
17/08/2018 … The Brandreth name clearly has some pull in Edinburgh, with you-know-who’s son Benet attracting a near sold-out crowd at 11.
Romesh Ranganathan writes his memoirs
17/08/2018 … Romesh Ranganathan is writing his autobiography.
Chris Washington: You Beauty!
Edinburgh Fringe review by Jay Richardson
17/08/2018 … As reported by his local newspaper, Wigan postman Chris Washington took all of his annual leave last year to make as great an Edinburgh impact as every other performer…
Sean McLoughlin: Hail Mary
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
17/08/2018 … Well, Sean McLoughlin’s a massive liar.
Alistair Williams: Great White Male
Edinburgh Fringe review by Paul Fleckney
17/08/2018 … Alistair Williams says he got abuse online for this show before his Edinburgh run even began.
Murray Hill: About To Break
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
17/08/2018 … With his cheap tux, frilly shirt and bow tie the size of a decent tablecloth, Murray Hill arrives in Edinburgh from Brooklyn, apparently via the Catskills and a…
'Every line is perfect even those that aren’t even jokes'
Ken Cheng picks his comedy favourties
17/08/2018 … Frasier I remember discovering Frasier on a plane when I was 12 and I had no idea what it was but it intrigued me.
African In New York – Almost Famous by Njambi McGrath
Edinburgh Fringe review by Sophie Cartman
17/08/2018 … This lightly entertaining, historical look at Africa, told via Njambi McGrath’s experiences of moving from Kenya to New York City to attend university, is…
Hardeep Singh Kohli enters Big Brother house
So that's why he cancelled his Edinburgh run
17/08/2018 … Hardeep Singh Kohli has entered the Celebrity Big Brother house.
Why the Spice Girls were like the Teletubbies
17/08/2018 … Micky Overman says the Spice Girls sounded like the Teletubbies to her when she was growing up.
Thu 16 August 2018
Watch all the Chortle Student Comedy Awards 2018 finalists
Footage from this week's big gig
16/08/2018 … Here are the full sets from all the finalists who took part in the Chortle Student Comedy Award earlier this week.
Andrew Maxwell: Shake A Leg
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
16/08/2018 … Andrew Maxwell has long been a voice of sanity when it comes to British politics, one of the finest comics around on the subject.
'It's where everything begins...'
The Big Ask: Can you come up with a slogan for the Fringe?
16/08/2018 … Come up with a slogan? I'm not doing that again.
Benny
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
16/08/2018 … Benny Hill would not like Liam Tobin’s portrayal of him in the latest addition to the ever-expanding canon of ‘dead comedian' plays.
'Cattle market by day, gig venue by night'
John Shuttleworth creator Graham Fellows recalls his most memorable gigs
16/08/2018 … Best gigBizarrely, it was not as John Shuttleworth but as Brian Appleton (the failed Brummie rocker) at the Bloomsbury Theatre in 2000 I think.
Lola and Jo: Focus Groupies
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
16/08/2018 … This is definitely a proper focus group, conducting vital research into whether the comedy product being planned by a certain anonymous female double act will be…
Jen Brister: Meaningless
Edinburgh Fringe review by Jay Richardson
16/08/2018 … Scorching in the white heat of its fury, Jen Brister's Fringe return is a striking example of how to channel frustration and raw emotion into hard-hitting stand-up.
Oleg Denisov: Doublethink
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
16/08/2018 … Any comedian would have his work cut out entertaining eight people in the Tron’s basement at midnight, and Oleg Denisov’s well-informed, highbrow stand-up…
NextUp films Fringe shows
Edinburgh comics come to on-demand service
16/08/2018 … Stand-up video-on-demand service NextUp are filming some Edinburgh Fringe shows at the Edinburg Fringe.
Kiri Pritchard-McLean: Victim, Complex
Edinburgh Fringe review by Paul Fleckney
16/08/2018 … For the second year in a row the Edinburgh Fringe has a break-up diptych to behold.
James Meehan: Gaz
Edinburgh Fringe review by Paul Fleckney
16/08/2018 … It’s probably only the comedy world that’s aware of the context of James Meehan’s show, Gaz.
Zach & Viggo and Thumpasaurus: Where Does The Love Go?
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
16/08/2018 … Zach & Viggo have so much buoyant, effervescent energy that only the sourest of pusses wouldn’t have a great time in their lively company.
'I love how all the dialogue is insincere, flippant and ridiculous'
David McIver picks his comedy favourites
16/08/2018 … Joe Wengert: Girardi’s Frozen YoghurtIn this sublime piece of character comedy, Joe Wengert plays the manager of a frozen yoghurt stand, who is holding a meeting…
Alcohol Is Good for You – Sam Kissajukian
Edinburgh Fringe review by Sophie Cartman
16/08/2018 … Sam Kissajukian makes no bones about the fact he chose this title to get more alcoholics into the room, picking a topic that allows the predictable retelling of…
’80 per cent Mae West, 20 per cent Rose West’
Ivy Paige at Chortle's Fast Fringe
16/08/2018 … Ivy Paige showed off the talents that give her Edinburgh show its title, Seduction, when she appeared at Chortle's Fast Fringe showcase in London last…
Wed 15 August 2018
Mock The Week in real life
15/08/2018 … He might never have been on Mock The Week – but Marek Larwood has imagined how the 'scenes we'd like to see' round might play out in real life.
Frankie Boyle to publish his first comic book
...picking up the adventures of Rex Royd after six years
15/08/2018 … Frankie Boyle is to publish his first graphic novel next month.
Bethany Black: Unwinnable
Edinburgh Fringe review by Paul Fleckney
15/08/2018 … Bethany Black covers an awful lot of ground in this her fourth Edinburgh show, Unwinnable.
'The dragon suit made my grouchiness socially acceptable'
Piff The Magic Dragon recalls his most memorable gigs
15/08/2018 … First gig Saturday July 5, 2008: Quircus, London Before I started wearing the dragon suit I was simply a grumpy guy doing card…
Alice Fraser: Ethos
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
15/08/2018 … No one could accuse Alice Fraser of a lack of ambition.
Chortle Student Comedy Award winner Bexie Archer
15/08/2018 … Here’s the set that won Bexie Archer the top prize in this year’s Chortle Student Comedy Award this week.
Sarah Keyworth: Dark Horse
Edinburgh Fringe review by Paul Fleckney
15/08/2018 … Giddy up comedy fans, this show’s a banger.
Jamali Maddix: Vape Lord
Edinburgh Fringe review by Stephanie Lim
15/08/2018 … Vape Lord is a timely new offering from Jamali Maddix, which gives credence to the idea that Western society has forgone the ideals of the cultural melting pot amid…
The Crooners
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
15/08/2018 … For an hour this austere bunker where students usually store canoes is the Starlight Lounge of the Dunes Hotel, Las Vegas, at the peak of the Rat Pack’s heyday.
Robin Morgan: Honeymoon
Edinburgh Fringe review by Paul Fleckney
15/08/2018 … Old-fashioned romantics, step right up – Robin Morgan and his teenage sweetheart have got married recently, they were each other’s ‘first’…
Russell Kane announces 2019 tour
Just 17 initial dates for The Fast And The Curious
15/08/2018 … Russell Kane has announced a 2019 tour The Fast And The Curious.
'Drag queens discussing wrestling, what's not to love'
Mat Ricardo picks his comedy favourites
15/08/2018 … Maximum FunPodcasts from Jesse Thorn’s ever-growing empire have accompanied me literally all over the world, for more than a decade.
Chortle Student Comedy Award final 2018
Gig review by Steve Bennett at the Edinburgh Fringe
15/08/2018 … Variety was again the watchword at this year’s Chortle Student Award final, with several stand-up styles, a couple of character-based acts and a most peculiar…
Why nobody’s coming to your Fringe show
Steffan Alun has some tips for fellow comedians
15/08/2018 … Halfway though the Fringe, and we’re seeing some incredible shows in enormous rooms, filled to the brim with excited festival-goers.
Impressionist mimics Iain Stirling
Josh Berry's repertoire also includes Louis Theroux, Andy Murray and Daniel Radcliffe
15/08/2018 … Impressionist Josh Berry mocked Iain Stirling’s excitable Love Island commentary when he appeared at Chortle’s London Fast Fringe last month.
Lee Evans comes out of retirement
To star in a Harold Pinter play
15/08/2018 … Lee Evans is coming out of retirement to star in one of Harold Pinter’s one-act plays.
Tue 14 August 2018
What is the best room for comedy at the Edinburgh Fringe?
14/08/2018 … The Tron, probably.
When does Taskmaster series 7 start?
14/08/2018 … Taskmaster is returning to Dave on September 5, the broadcaster has announced.
Jon Harvey: TreasuRETROve
Edinburgh Fringe review by Paul Fleckney
14/08/2018 … Jon Harvey isn’t a comedian as such, he’s a writer and researcher who’s worked on Have I Got News For You and Armando Iannucci’s news satire…
Mark Silcox: I Can Cure...
Edinburgh Fringe review by Jay Richardson
14/08/2018 … Probably the best recommendation you can make for Mark Silcox's quietly insane show is that at this stage in the Fringe, suggested cough remedies and advice…
What was the name of French and Saunders' backing band?
14/08/2018 … Test your comedy knowledge with our weekly trivia quiz - compiled, as always by broadcaster and comedy historian Hayden Parker.
Dan Nightingale: Sex, Drugs And My Nanna’s Bungalow,
Edinburgh Fringe review by Paul Fleckney
14/08/2018 … There’s long been a sense that Dan Nightingale doesn’t get his dues as a comic, that he’s good enough to be bigger than he is.
Another musical role for Jason Manford
Comic to star in Guys and Dolls at the Royal Albert Hall
14/08/2018 … Jason Manford is to star in a new production of Guys and Dolls at London’s Royal Albert Hall this October.
'I was on between a Holocaust survivor and the Chief Rabbi'
Bennett Arron recalls his most memorably gigs
14/08/2018 … First gigIt was 21 years ago.
Roisin And Chiara: Back To Back
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
14/08/2018 … There are a lot of double acts on the Fringe, and while they all have their quirks and variations, they often seem to be cut from the same cloth.
Zoe Lyons: Entry Level Human
Edinburgh Fringe review by Jay Richardson
14/08/2018 … There's a reason comperes treat IT professionals as a dead end when they encounter them in gigs.
Terry Alderton: The Musical
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
14/08/2018 … Well, Cats it ain’t.
The Guardians Of The Fringe
Song from Edfringe - The Musical Revue
14/08/2018 … Edinburgh’s biggest venues are personified in song in today’s clip from Chortle’s Fast Fringe.
The Free Association: Jacuzii
Edinburgh Fringe review by Paul Fleckney
14/08/2018 … With the usual caveat that improv is changeable from night to night, Saturday’s performance of Jacuzii suggested that this group from sprawling London improv…
Danny John-Jules joins Strictly
14/08/2018 … Red Dwarf star Danny John-Jules it so take part in the next series of Strictly Come Dancing.
Sisters: On Demand
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
14/08/2018 … They are another couple of white twenty-something middle-class boys doing sketch comedy who chose a name that might convince unsuspecting ticket-buyers that they…
Jo Brand pens a new book
14/08/2018 … Jo Brand is writing a book that’s part memoir, part advice manual.
'George Dawes should be free on the NHS'
Olaf Falafel picks his comedy favourites
14/08/2018 … Hello my name is Olaf Falafel and I like daftness.
London dates for Dave Chappelle and Jon Stewart
Pair to share bills at the Royal Albert Hall
14/08/2018 … Dave Chappelle and Jon Stewart have announced two London dates.
© Netflix/Tiger Aspect Disney blasted over Jack Whitehall casting
'Gay characters should be played by gay actors'
14/08/2018 … Jack Whitehall is at the centre of a casting row after landing the role as Disney's first major gay character.
Bexie Archer wins the Chortle Student Comedy Award
Second woman to take the title
14/08/2018 … Bexie Archer has won this year’s Chortle Student Comedy Award.
Mon 13 August 2018
Hugh Dennis stars in Christmas stage show
13/08/2018 … Hugh Dennis has been can alongside soprano Lesley Garrett in a new stage comedy based on the Nativity story.
Bread and Geller: Prime Time
Edinburgh Fringe review by Jay Richardson
13/08/2018 … With a varied mix of quickies, songs and extended character studies, sketch duo Bread and Geller don't revolutionise the genre.
Joel Dommett to gatecrash 100 Edinburgh shows in one day
13/08/2018 … Joel Dommett is to attempt to gatecrash 100 Edinburgh Fringe shows in 24 hours this week in aid of Stand Up To Cancer.
'There was a whole section just throwing dolls around to Bowie's Magic Dance'
Matthew Highton recalls his most memorable gigs
13/08/2018 … Best/Stupidest One Off Gig Bowie Fest.
Top comics join short film
About a social media star with a terminally ill son
13/08/2018 … David Baddiel, Helen Lederer, Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton are to appear in a new short film about a woman with a terminally ill son.
Ed Night: An Aesthetic
Edinburgh Fringe review by Paul Fleckney
13/08/2018 … There’s a bombshell in Ed Night’s show that, depending on whether it explodes into the world beyond Edinburgh, could be the making of him.
Moon
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
13/08/2018 … They may be newcomers, but sketch duo Moon have landed themselves a peachy prime-time slot in the Pleasant Attic, where many a comedy star got their first break.
Second Simpsons movie 'in development'
Along with big-screen spinoffs for Family Guy and Bob's Burgers
13/08/2018 … A second Simpsons movie is reportedly in the works, along with a Bob’s Burger’s film and a big screen Family Guy adventure that will mix animation with…
David O\'Doherty: You Have to Laugh
Edinburgh Fringe review by Paul Fleckney
13/08/2018 … Ahh, that’s better.
Claire Ford: Unboxed
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
13/08/2018 … Claire Ford has faced some ordeals in her life, and this show is her attempt to tell her story.
Christian Finnegan: My Goodness
Edinburgh Fringe review by Sophie Cartman
13/08/2018 … He’s got a couple of US specials under his belt, has had his own series on America’s A&E network and appeared in a notable sketch in Chappelle’s…
'Incredible writing and a super-distinctive voice'
Christopher MacArthur-Boyd chooses his comedy favourites
13/08/2018 … Limmy: Dark Souls III Let’s Play I was going through a bit of a rough patch with my mental health where I was sleeping all day and staying up all night.
Maisie Adam amuses the Moose
New comedy award for Yorkshire comic
13/08/2018 … Maisie Adam has won this year’s Amused Moose New Comic Award.
BBC New Comedy Award final 2018
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
13/08/2018 … Mark Watson’s an old hand at hosting the BBC New Comedy Award final now, and even he’s anxious, more so than his usual shtick.
Sun 12 August 2018
'It's good to be back'
Jim Tavare tells Chortle's Fast Fringe about his near-fatal crash
12/08/2018 … Jim Tavare spoke about the near-fatal car accident he suffered last year when he appeared at Chortle’s Fast Fringe in London last month, He broke…
Stephen Buchanan wins the BBC New Comedy Award
12/08/2018 … Glasgow-based stand-up Stephen Buchanan has won this year’s BBC New Comedy Award.
Who are the unsung heroes of the Fringe?
12/08/2018 … Drag queens - because we don't sing, we lipsync.
'I'm going to take a long hard look at myself'
The Big Ask: What will you do on your day off?
12/08/2018 … Mushrooms Jez Watts, #1 Comedy Great Fun Best Show, The Three Sisters, 17:15 Google alternative careers Lola & Jo, Focus Groupies, Underbelly (Delhi Belly),…
Mark Watson: The Infinite Show
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
12/08/2018 … No, this is not the latest, and most ambitious, extension of Mark Watson’s famed 24-hour-plus shows.
Anuvab Pal: Empire
Edinburgh Fringe review by Paul Fleckney
12/08/2018 … The British Empire seems to be one of those subjects that keeps cropping up this Fringe, mostly from worldly young British comics, but this one comes from rather…
'It was like playing bellend Whac-A-Mole'
Scott Bennett recalls his most memorable gigs
12/08/2018 … First gigA gong show, above a pub in 2009.
Naomi McDonald: Stardumb
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
12/08/2018 … To corrupt the old football chant, she mainly wins when she’s singing.
Luisa Omielan: Politics For Bitches
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
12/08/2018 … This is one of those shows that is impossible to rank by attaching a simplistic star rating to a review, since it very much depends what you hope to get…
© Steve Ullathorne Eshaan Akbar: Prophet Like It's Hot
Edinburgh Fringe review by Jay Richardson
12/08/2018 … Seeking to mock Islam and stir up some controversy, Eshaan Akbar's thunder has been somewhat stolen by Boris Johnson.
© Huw jennings Kwame Asante: Teenage Heartblob
Edinburgh Fringe review by Paul Fleckney
12/08/2018 … Kwame Asante’s superb debut got him nominated for best newcomer at last year’s Fringe, but this follow-up isn’t up to the same standard.
Who will win the 2018 Chortle Student Comedy Award?
The best of the week's live comedy
12/08/2018 … Sunday August 12 LONDON: Jimmy Carr plays the great outdoors.
© BBC Live on air
The best of the week's comedy on TV and radio
12/08/2018 … This week’s comedy on TV and radio is dominated by showcases of live performers.
Jason Byrne splits from wife
12/08/2018 … Jason Byrne has split from his wife Brenda after 14 years of marriage.
Olga Koch: Fight
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
12/08/2018 … Olga Koch has a fantastic story to tell, rooted in pre-glasnost Russia, and only one chance to tell it for the first time.
'One of the finest mental breakdowns I've ever seen'
Christopher Bliss creator Rob Carter chooses his comedy favourites
12/08/2018 … Monty Python: Whicker Island These guys really are the height of silliness, something I'm extremely fond of.
Newcastle vs Newcastle
BBC New Comedy Award winner Heidi Regan at Chortle's Fast Fringe
12/08/2018 … Heidi Regan compares and contrasts the two Newcastles – the one in North East England and her hometown in New South Wales – in her set at Chortle’s Fast Fringe.
Sat 11 August 2018
Herald Angel award for Sarah Keyworth
Comic's debut scoops coveted Fringe accolade
11/08/2018 … Sarah Keyworth has been awarded a Herald Angel Award for her debut Edinburgh Fringe show Dark Horse.
It's All My Mother's Fault
Edinburgh Fringe review by Sophie Cartman
11/08/2018 … Romina Puma has muscular dystrophy and enters her room in a wheelchair – but as soon as she gets in front of the audience, she suddenly stands and exclaims:…
'I once got a five-star review for a show I wasn't in'
The Big Ask: What's the oddest thing you've read in a Fringe review?
11/08/2018 … I once got a five-star review which said ‘Richard Soames does a superb job.
Ari Shaffir: Jew
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
11/08/2018 … Ari Shaffir gets a cheeky sideswipe at some comedy colleagues even before he starts Jew, saying that this a show for British festival audiences, but with American…
The economics of the Edinburgh Fringe
It shows the glory of an unregulated free market, says Dominic Frisby
11/08/2018 … When the Olympics or the World Cup is on telly, the whole world – or a large part of it – is watching.
Chris Forbes: Prophecy
Edinburgh Fringe review by Jay Richardson
11/08/2018 … The Fringe is full of comics trying to convince you of their life-changing experiences and that their stand-up provides meaningful answers, if not fully mapped-out…
Sara Barron: For Worse
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
11/08/2018 … Sara Barron knows what she has become.
How I learned that in tough times I can always rely on my jokes
Ivan Aristeguieta recalls his most memorable gigs
11/08/2018 … First gig In Caracas, Venezuela, about 11 years ago.
The Raymond & Mr Timpins Revue: Ham
Edinburgh Fringe review by Paul Fleckney
11/08/2018 … It’s amazing what a difference context makes.
Eli Matthewson: The Year Of Magical F*cking
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
11/08/2018 … Young(ish) New Zealander Eli Matthewson is sparky and personable, TV-ready most probably, and with the skills to tell a good story.
Who's in the final of the 2018 Amused Moose new comic award?
11/08/2018 … The finalists have been named In this year’s Amused Moose National New Comic Award.
Overthinking, and overachieving
11/08/2018 … Demetri Martin: The Overthinker Demetri Martin's first stand-up special in four years has just landed on Netflix, deploring his clever one-liners and…
Jayde Adams: The Divine Ms Jayde
Edinburgh Fringe review by Stephanie Lim
11/08/2018 … Jayde Adams’s latest show is a roundtrip journey from comedy to Broadway via Bristol.
Wolf
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
11/08/2018 … Conjuring up a cast of dozens and big-budget special effects with nothing more than his own talent and a couple of pound-store bicycle lights, Lewis Doherty recreates…
Rob Kemp's Wheel Of Shows
Edinburgh Fringe review by Paul Fleckney
11/08/2018 … Mate, meta is so 2014.
Mark Silcox explains how to be happy
11/08/2018 … Ultra-deadpan comedian Mark Silcox explains the secrets to a happy life in today's clip from Chortle's Fast fringeTo make his point , he uses a five-piece jigsaw…
'I long to lack irony like this'
Demin's Amrou Al-Kadhi picks their Perfect Playlist
11/08/2018 … Jessie J does an air guitar I'm a queer person of colour living in a straight white world, and irony is my armour.
Dave and Gold return to Virgin
UKTV dispute ends after two weeks
11/08/2018 … The Dave and Gold channels – as well as the rest of the UKTV package – are back on Virgin TV after a two-week row was finally resolved.
Fri 10 August 2018
Precious things!
League Of Gentlemen released on vinyl for the first time
10/08/2018 … The original League Of Gentlemen radio and TV series are to be released on vinyl for the first time – and in a particularly classy package.
Street performers are spitting fire
As in angry, not just doing their job...
10/08/2018 … The knives are out in the street performing community – and this time they won’t be juggling with them.
Lucy Pearman: Fruit Loop
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
10/08/2018 … Sometimes you watch a show full of elaborate costumes and low-fi props and wonder whether all that time with the scissors and the sewing kit wouldn’t have…
'I sing my own walk-on music as I can’t remember my iTunes password'
The Big Ask: What track do you come on to and why?
10/08/2018 … I walk on to Rebel Rebel by David Bowie.
Alex Hylton: Everybody's Different And I'm The Same
Edinburgh Fringe review by Paul Fleckney
10/08/2018 … In my capacity as time-keeping referee I herewith brandish a yellow card to Alex Hylton for insufficient stage time.
Adam Riches Is The Guy Who...
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
10/08/2018 … The first of three full shows hard-working Adam Riches is performing every day of the Fringe brings one of his previously minor characters centre stage – and…
Claire Sullivan: I Wish I Owned A Hotel For Dogs
Edinburgh Fringe review by Paul Fleckney
10/08/2018 … You don’t go into a show called I Wish I Owned a Hotel For Dogs expecting Doug Stanhope.
Ciaran Dowd: Don Rodolfo
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
10/08/2018 … As sharp as his rapier, as swift as his parries, and as tight as his codpiece, this uproarious story of legendary swashbuckler Don Rodolfo Martini Toyota is a riot…
My budgie broke its legs...
10/08/2018 … Tweets of the week If you're a comedian at Edinburgh don't forget- they aren't bad reviews they are baseless smears put out by the mainstream media.
Could we BE any more streamed?
Friends tops list of Netflix and Amazon shows
10/08/2018 … It has been off-air for 14 years, but Friends has been named as the most-watched show on streaming services in the UK.
Sheeps: Live and Loud Selfie Sex Harry Potter
Edinburgh Fringe review by Paul Fleckney
10/08/2018 … Those silly Sheeps boys.
The Tape Face Show
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
10/08/2018 … Tape Face hasn’t just been counting his money since starting his three-year residency in Las Vegas on the back of his America’s Got Talent success.
Jimeoin: Result!
Edinburgh Fringe review by Paul Fleckney
10/08/2018 … Conference centres aren’t the easiest place in the world to crack a smile, but with the Pleasance outpost at the EICC you stand half a chance.
Jordan Brookes: Bleed
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
10/08/2018 … Intense and inventive Jordan Brookes has made his name by applying the same plasticity to the definition and conventions of comedy as he does to his own body in…
Hey, David Mitchell, only an idiot judges a show by its venue
Mat Ricardo hits back at the Peep Show star's attack on street performers
10/08/2018 … David Mitchell, in his groundbreaking ‘rich white guy finds things to whinge about to a deadline’ column in The Observer last weekend, spaffed out 1,000…
'I walked out of Luisa's show feeling like I could take on the world'
Lauren Pattison chooses her comedy favourites
10/08/2018 … Only Fools & Horses Jolly Boys Outing My dad has undeniably helped steer me into comedy by exposing me to the best British comedy from a young age.
Chris Tucker adds a second London gig
10/08/2018 … Rush Hour star Chris Tucker has announced an extra London gig.
John Hastings admits his Edinburgh show title is shit
Float Like A Butterfly, John Hastings Like A Bee
10/08/2018 … John Hastings admits that the title of his Fringe show, which he 'paid quite a bit of money' to plaster across Edinburgh may 'shit'.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Season 2
10/08/2018 … Amazon Prime has released a trailer for the second series of Marvelous Mrs.
Don't worry, Boris, Mr Bean has got your back
Rowan Atkinson steps in to burka row
10/08/2018 … He’s a hapless clown famed for causing chaos as he ignorantly blunders into situations.
Thu 09 August 2018
© BBC Mortimer and Whitehouse net another fishing series
...and The Misadventures Of Romesh Ranganathan to return too
09/08/2018 … The Misadventures Of Romesh Ranganathan and Mortimer And Whitehouse: Gone Fishing have both landed second series on BBC Two.
Slauterhouse Rulez: The first trailer
With Simon Pegg and Nick Frost
09/08/2018 … The first trailer has been released for Slaughterhouse Rulez, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost's new comedy-horror.
The Pin: Backstage
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
09/08/2018 … The Pin are certainly sharp.
Brian Gittins: Don't Feed The Monkey Man
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
09/08/2018 … Grubby Brian Gittins’s self-sabotaging tendencies have always made him something of a comedians’ comedian, but tonight his depressive tone and reluctance…
'This isn't comedy, this is a cry for help'
The Big Ask: What is the worst review you have ever had?
09/08/2018 … 'This isn't comedy, this is a cry for help' Three Weeks, 2013 Charmian Hughes, Bra Trek, Counting House Attic, 15:35 A play I brought up here when I was starting…
Cassie Atkinson: Swan Songs
Edinburgh Fringe review by Paul Fleckney
09/08/2018 … ‘Think of me as a little gem on the Free Fringe,’ says Cassie Atkinson as she wraps up Swan Songs.
'Simultaneously the most violent and polite audience member ever'
Lloyd Langford recalls his most memorable gigs
09/08/2018 … Worst gig I once did Coventry University Students Union Bar and when I arrived I realised the gig was booked in the middle of reading week and also the posters…
Chris McGlade: Northern Monkey
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
09/08/2018 … The Fringe has a plethora of voices - but very few working class ones, especially those that challenge the neoliberal status quo.
Sarah Johnson: Mum's Going To Ibiza
Edinburgh Fringe review by Paul Fleckney
09/08/2018 … It’s an ambitious move, attempting to take an audience into the world of Ibiza clubworld in the back room of an Edinburgh pub.
© Steve Ullathorne Larry Dean: Bampot
Edinburgh Fringe review by Stephanie Lim
09/08/2018 … On a scale of one to radge, Larry Dean falls squarely between Jackie Bird and Begbie; both eloquent and unpredictable, benevolent yet cocksure - he’s the perfect…
William Andrews: Willy
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
09/08/2018 … It’s been nine long years since William Andrews has been at the Fringe.
Remembering the age of Empires
Indian comedian Anuvab Pal on his first trip to Edinburgh
09/08/2018 … This is my first time in Edinburgh.
© Lucy Ridges Norris & Parker: Burn The Witch
Edinburgh Fringe review by Paul Fleckney
09/08/2018 … The post-10pm shows at the Fringe aren’t exactly a bulging sack of delights this year, but Norris and Parker’s show is a clear exception.
The Half
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
09/08/2018 … It’s been written by comedian Danielle Ward, the woman behind some bonkers Edinburgh shows; stars two great comedy character actors, Anna Crilly and Margaret…
Rob Oldham: Worm's Lament
Edinburgh Fringe review by Paul Fleckney
09/08/2018 … A quiet man with a quiet show, with only a dozen or so in the crowd on this occasion, but an enjoyable hour nonetheless.
'He takes intellectual concepts and turns them into beautiful nonsense'
Eleanor Morton picks her comedy favourites
09/08/2018 … My terror with these lists is that you always think of a hundred other examples once you've finished but here as some of my favourites right now.
John-Luke Roberts on the missing Spice Girls
09/08/2018 … John-Luke Roberts shares the one joke he has in his Edinburgh show in today’s clip from Chortle’s Fast Fringe.
Wed 08 August 2018
Revealed: The BBC New Comedy Award finalists 2018
08/08/2018 … The finalists in the 2018 BBC New Comedy Award have been confirmed.
Mark Watson joins E4's All Star Driving School
Comedian finally dons his L-plates
08/08/2018 … Mark Watson is to learn to drive as part of the second series of E4’s All Star Driving School.
Kate Berlant: CommuniKate
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
08/08/2018 … You’ve got to adore Kate Berlant’s attitude.
A ketamine dealer, a stalker... and John Leslie
The Big Ask: Who is the worst person you have met at the Fringe?
08/08/2018 … The person who gave me a flyer and a small tablet which I thought was a gimmick and a vitamin tablet.
Owen Roberts: I Let A Six-Year-Old Write My Show
Edinburgh Fringe review by Paul Fleckney
08/08/2018 … Cracking concept for a show you have to say.
© Matthew Hall Garrett Millerick: Sunflower
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
08/08/2018 … I wish Garrett Millerick hadn’t suffered a horrific personal ordeal last year.
I gigged for a Saudi prince and his supermodel prostitutes
BGT comic Nick Page recalls his most memorable gigs
08/08/2018 … Worst gig I'd been going for about a year before I had a proper death on stage, and weirdly I hadn't even seen a proper death on stage.
The Trevor Lock Experience
Edinburgh Fringe review by Jay Richardson
08/08/2018 … Trevor Lock has dropped out of comedy's rat race, quitting stand-up for something akin to hosting a cult, at least to judge from the returning numbers he's…
Sid Singh: American Bot
Edinburgh Fringe review by Stephanie Lim
08/08/2018 … American Bot isn’t just Sid Singh’s latest show title, it’s also a fitting overview of his comic persona - a California native who can autonomously…
Alan Carr to revive Play Your Cards Right
How will its quality compare to Brucie's version? Higher or lower
08/08/2018 … Alan Carr is to follow in Sir Bruce Forsyth’s footsteps and host a reboot of Play Your Cards Right.
Pauly Shore to take over the LA Comedy Store
...according to mum Mitzi's will
08/08/2018 … Pauly Shore is to take over the running of the Los Angeles Comedy Store following the death of his mother Mitzi earlier this year, it has been reported.
Janeane Garofalo: Put A Pin In That
Edinburgh Fringe review by Paul Fleckney
08/08/2018 … It’s often the biggest names who disappoint most.
Adam Larter: Boogie Knights
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
08/08/2018 … Ain’t nobody who makes elaborate cardboard props like him.
What's it like being a sister act?
'We are honest with each other in a way that non-siblings would never dare to be', say Flo and Joan
08/08/2018 … The question we get asked the most is ‘Are you real sisters? Are you really sisters? I don’t believe you.
Lauren Pattison: Peachy
Edinburgh Fringe review by Paul Fleckney
08/08/2018 … As Lauren Pattison says at the top of her second show, Peachy, making comedy out of happiness isn’t an easy task.
Fin Taylor: When Harassy Met Sally
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
08/08/2018 … After ruffling feathers on class and race, it was probably inevitable that comedy’s one-man incendiary device would next turn his attention to matters of gender,…
© ITV/Big Talk Filming starts on Timewasters series 2
New supporting cast as the action shifts to the 1950s
08/08/2018 … Shooting is to start on the second series of ITV2’s time-travelling comedy next week.
I just thought: ‘Who is this woman and how can I be her?’
Catherine Bohart picks her comedy favourites
08/08/2018 … Joan Rivers on TG4 When I was growing up we had four television channels, because my parents didn’t get cable TV until I was 17.
© C4 Hang Ups
08/08/2018 … Telly comedy often seems divided between the big, bold mainstream hits and those shows with more dramatic or sometimes even arthouse intent, with awkward humour…
Judge Romesh
08/08/2018 … Given that Romesh Ranganathan’s entire comedy shtick is to be grumpy, intolerant and judgmental, it’s perfect casting to have him as a judge.
Rachel Fairburn on the Manchester accent
08/08/2018 … The Manchester accent is far from sexy, according to comic Rachel Fairburn.
Tue 07 August 2018
The Piece
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
07/08/2018 … Laughs are always biggest when they are forbidden.
'Someone left me a print of their vagina'
The big ask: What's the weirdest thing you're found in your free Fringe collection bucket?
07/08/2018 … A therapist's business card Lola & Jo, Focus Groupies, Underbelly, 16:00 Someone gave me a print of their vagina.
Adam Hess: Seahorse
Edinburgh Fringe review by Paul Fleckney
07/08/2018 … I’m not entirely sure how to review a battering ram, but I’ll give it a go.
Jason Alexander is Colonel Sanders
07/08/2018 … Forget George Costanza, Seinfeld star Jason Alexander has a new sitcom role: Colonel Sanders.
ChuckleVision lands on iPlayer in tribute to Barry Chuckle
Full series 21 available to you, to see
07/08/2018 … The final ever series of ChuckleVision is being released on BBC iPlayer as a tribute to Barry Chuckle, who died on Sunday at the age of 73.
Catherine Bohart: Immaculate
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
07/08/2018 … This is a textbook debut show with a textbook delivery.
Which character did Barry Humphries voice in Finding Nemo?
07/08/2018 … Test your comedy knowledge with our weekly trivia quiz - compiled, as always by broadcaster and comedy historian Hayden Parker.
Jake Lambert: Little Lost Lad
Edinburgh Fringe review by Paul Fleckney
07/08/2018 … Well, this show feels like the start of something.
'He would black up with Marmite and then smash a toaster into his face'
Fin Taylor on his most memorable gigs
07/08/2018 … First gig Oppo, Bristol, November 2008.
Kieran Hodgson: '75
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
07/08/2018 … BBC founder Lord Reith would bloody love Kieran Hodgson’s ’75, a show that epitomises his famous mantra to ‘inform, educate and entertain’.
Rosie Jones: Fifteen Minutes
Edinburgh Fringe review by Paul Fleckney
07/08/2018 … Call me an old cynic, but I’m always a bit wary when a comic greets you at the door, all smiles and dishing out sweets – aha! I think.
Free advice on showbiz contracts
...offered at this year's Edinburgh Fringe
07/08/2018 … Writers can get free legal tips to help them negotiate the world of contracts at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe.
I Spy With My Little Eye Something Beginning With Why Have You Been Sleeping With My Wife?: A Play by Christopher Bliss
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
07/08/2018 … Pinter, Beckett, Chekov… Bliss? Not that the inept-but eager writer Christopher Bliss would know who any of the others in that list are, but he is…
Andy Storey: Awkward
Edinburgh Fringe review by Paul Fleckney
07/08/2018 … A steady-as-she-goes debut show from a comic who’s still finding his feet.
Mr Swallow And The Vanishing Elephant
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
07/08/2018 … You could never accuse Nick Mohammed of being short of ambition for his uptight but strangely loveable alter-ego Mr Swallow.
A masterpiece from an incredibly skilled storyteller
Chris Turner shares his Perfect Playlist
07/08/2018 … Under Milk WoodTo begin at the beginning… The first comedy I consumed growing up was almost entirely on cassette tapes given to me in an unorganised box by my…
America ges a $50m comedy museum
Comedians help launch attraction in Lucille Ball's home town
07/08/2018 … America now has its first museum dedicated to comedy, built in Lucille Ball’s home town of Jamestown, New York.
Guests revealed for A League Of Thier Own series 13
Including Alan Carr, David Walliams, Josh Widdicombe
07/08/2018 … Alan Carr, David Walliams, Josh Widdicombe, Rob Beckett and Tom Davis are the comics who will be appearing in the next series of Sky One's A League of Their Own…
Edinburgh as a WAC*
That's Wife Of A Comic, as Jemma Bennett explains...
07/08/2018 … I have arrived in Edinburgh with my husband, two young kids and a suitcase of dreams.
Ciaran Dowd as Don Rodolfo
07/08/2018 … Character comedian Ciaran Dowd plays a legendary swordsman by the name of Don Rodolfo in his 2018 show.
Mon 06 August 2018
Comic Strip co-writer Peter Richens dies at 65
'He was a huge talent who died too young'
06/08/2018 … Pete Richens, who co-wrote more than two dozen of the Comic Strip films, has died at the age of 65.
The Big Ask: What is the best joke in your show?
Some comedians don't mind sharing...
06/08/2018 … ‘I overheard a teenage girl say to her friend, "My phone got smashed and fell into a canal.
Comic 'lucky to be alive' after car crash
Rahul Kohli's vehicle flipped over four times
06/08/2018 … Comic Rahul Kohli has said he's lucky to be alive after a terrifying car accident last week.
© G Whitmore Why I'm going to enjoy every moment of this Fringe
06/08/2018 … August 24, 2014.
© Jamie Biver Roman Fraden: Back In The Closet
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
06/08/2018 … Dick-obsessed American comic Roman Fraden tries so hard to be outlandish, but his material seems cheap, however much commitment he puts into performing it.
My biggest lesson? Never touch an audience member aggressively
Scott Capurro’s most memorable gigs
06/08/2018 … First gig When I was 16, and already an ambitious musical comedy actor, I was asked to host a variety show for my high school’s drama department.
Stuart Goldsmith: End Of
Edinburgh Fringe review by Paul Fleckney
06/08/2018 … Stuart Goldsmith isn’t the type to moan, but he does allow himself a little moan during his latest show, End Of, about how so many of the comics he started…
Natalie Palamides: Nate
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
06/08/2018 … Considering she’s performing a show that’s partly about consent, Natalie Palamides takes her audience to some very uncomfortable places they might not…
© Andy Lloyd Langford: Why the Big Face?
Edinburgh Fringe review by Stephanie Lim
06/08/2018 … Lloyd Langford’s new show is a pithy exposé of the normalised oddities we often fail to question.
Ada Campe And The Psychic Duck
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
06/08/2018 … Many magicians have been vexed by how to bring their art form into the 21st Century.
Hangover Games for Matt Richardson and Ken Cheng
E4 orders gameshow with a twist
06/08/2018 … Matt Richardson and Ken Cheng are to host a new E4 gameshow called The Hangover Games.
© Mark Dawson Photography Matt Rees: Happy Hour
Edinburgh Fringe review by Paul Fleckney
06/08/2018 … Without wishing to sound patronising, the fact that Matt Rees has a debut hour of comedy at all is a triumph.
The Delightful Sausage: Regeneration Game
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
06/08/2018 … They are as both as delightful and as sausagey as advertised; a double act oozing daft charm, one of whom spends the hour dressed, for no special reason, as a hot…
'I like swearing, stories and black T-shirts'
John Hastings picks his comedy favourites
06/08/2018 … Frasier I cannot express how much I love this show.
© BFI Unearthed: Morecambe and Wise's anti drink-drive film
06/08/2018 … A public information film featuring Morecambe and Wise warning of the dangers of drink-driving has been unearthed after more than 50 years.
George Rigden: The World's Sexiest Man
06/08/2018 … Comic George Rigden sings about The World's Sexiest Man in this clip from Chortle's Fast Fringe – a track he insists is autobiographical.
Sun 05 August 2018
'We had to use a tortilla for toilet paper'
The Big Ask: What's the worst place you've ever stayed in during the Fringe?
05/08/2018 … Our first year in Edinburgh we shared a room with no blankets, sheets, pillows or towels, didn't have hot water or gas for a week, and Zach had to wipe his bum with…
'I am looking forward to comedy’s future in the woke world'
Edinburgh Comedy Awards director Nica Burns addresses the industry
05/08/2018 … Edinburgh Comedy Awards director Nica Burns has today paid tribute to Sean Hughes, and likened the new generation of socially ‘woke’ comedians to the…
'I wiped the sick from my mouth and got on stage...'
Carl Donnelly on his most memorable gigs
05/08/2018 … Most unusual locationA few years back I performed on return flights from Edinburgh to London.
Adam Rowe: Undeniable
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
05/08/2018 … Club comedians often struggle to make an impact at Edinburgh, whether because of an industry that prizes artistic merit higher than generating laughs, or the failure…
John-Luke Roberts: All I Wanna Do Is [FX: GUNSHOTS] With A [FX: GUN RELOADING] And A [FX: CASH REGISTER] And Perform Some Comedy!
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
05/08/2018 … John-Luke Roberts asserts a serious purpose for his hour of nonsense, claiming it to be a ‘manifesto for absurdity’; a celebration of the surreal for…
Olaf Falafel: There's no i in idiot
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
05/08/2018 … Two sorts of Vines are key to explaining Olaf Falafel.
Josh Pugh at Chortle's Fast Fringe
On doctors, innuendo and his day job as a plasterer
05/08/2018 … Josh Pugh had some things to say about suitable attire for a doctor at Chortle’s Fast Fringe.
© BBC A local show for local people
The best of the week's live comedy
05/08/2018 … The best of the week’s live comedy.
© BBC Coming to a local theatre...
The best of the week's live comedy
05/08/2018 … The best of the week’s live comedy.
Good comedians need to be good writers
That's the secret to Edinburgh Fringe success, says Dave Cohen
05/08/2018 … It feels strange to use a word like ‘writing’ when discussing stand-up comedy.
Nathaniel Metcalfe: Chameleon, Comedian, Corinthian and Caricature
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
05/08/2018 … The Edinburgh Fringe holds bad memories for Nathanial Metcalfe.
Here comes the judge...
The best of the week's comedy on TV and radio
05/08/2018 … The week's comedy on TV and radio.
Rahul Kohli: All My Heroes Are Dead, In Jail Or Touched Up Your Gran
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
05/08/2018 … Rahul Kohli’s hot-topic show is swelling with relevance.
'As someone who's accidentally killed an owl, I have a lot of sympathy for Larry David'
Harriet Kemsley chooses her comedy favourites
05/08/2018 … Maria Bamford After seeing her in London a few months ago I really think she might be the best comic in the world at the moment.
Douglas Walker Presents: Of Christmas Past
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
05/08/2018 … Whether Douglas Walker’s third solo show strictly classifies as comedy is a moot point.
© Granny_Margaret/CC BY-SA 3.0 Barry Chuckle dies at 73
Brother Paul says: 'I've lost my very best friend.'
05/08/2018 … Children’s comedian Barry Chuckle has died, at the age of 73, his manager has announced.
Sat 04 August 2018
Chris Rock joins Fargo
Playing the head of a crime syndicae
04/08/2018 … Chris Rock has joined the cast of Fargo.
At last! Kate Copstick is caged
Globe Of Death for comedy reviewer
04/08/2018 … Any comics who would want The Scotsman’s chief comedy critic Kate Copstick locked in a cage where there’s risk of serious injury got their wish today.
© Philip Gatward Felicity Ward: Busting A Nut
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
04/08/2018 … High-spirited Australian comic Felicity Ward made her mark on this festival with shows that brought such taboo and personal subjects as anxiety and irritable bowel…
Elf Lyons: ChiffChaff
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
04/08/2018 … Kamal Ahmed never explained economics this way, which is a shame.
John Hastings: Float Like A Butterfly, John Hastings Like A Bee
Edinburgh Fringe review by Stephanie Lim
04/08/2018 … The Pleasance Cellar is less of an arts venue than it is an underground sweat lodge for John Hastings to perform an hour-long purification ceremony in the guise…
'This was scarier than the time I went drinking with Johnny Vegas'
Jarred Christmas recalls his most memorable gigs
04/08/2018 … Strangest audience member A dog.
Laura Lexx: Trying
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
04/08/2018 … Pretty much every review of Laura Lexx speaks of her winsome charm and effervescent likability – although the infamous 2016 video of her crushing a sexist…
When the landlord's away the comics will play
04/08/2018 … The week's comedy on demand.
© Rebecca Need-Menear Jake Howie: Read My Lips
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
04/08/2018 … Towards the end of his show, Kiwi Jake Howie takes a sideswipe at fellow comics, saying ‘at least I’m not another straight middle-class white guy up…
Imran Yusuf: Saint, Sinner, Sufi
Edinburgh Fringe review by Sophie Cartman
04/08/2018 … Imran Yusuf states he is a veteran comic, this we know because he tells us: ‘I’ve been doing this 13 years’.
How to beat those Fringe hangovers
By 'professional pisshead' Issy Wroe Wright of Sh!t-Faced Showtime
04/08/2018 … It goes without saying that the Edinburgh Fringe and drinking go hand in hand.
Jeremy Nicholas: After Dinner Stories From My Disastrous Broadcasting Career
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
04/08/2018 … If you ever wanted to hear the life story of the bloke who does the stadium announcements on Fifa 16, this is the show for you! The avuncular Jeremy Nicholas…
Another Sacha Baron Cohen project, another political row
Moroccan activists protest The Spy
04/08/2018 … It is almost par for the course for Sacha Baron Cohen, but the comic is at the centre of another possible diplomatic row.
Alex Edelman on Koko the gorilla
04/08/2018 … Alex Edelman talks about Koko, the gorilla who learned sign language, in his appearance at Chortle's Fast Fringe in London last month.
Fri 03 August 2018
Benedict Cumberbatch stole my act... literally!
The Big Ask: Who is the best person you've met at the Fringe
03/08/2018 … The man who brought me chocolates to my show last year.
Micky Overman: Role Model
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
03/08/2018 … Micky Overman speaks about the lack of confidence that has plagued her throughout her life.
I took the biggest risk... and got my biggest laugh
Ari Shaffir recalls his most memorable gigs
03/08/2018 … First gigI decided to try stand-up when I was at university.
Myq Kaplan: All Killing Aside
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
03/08/2018 … He has already got several well-received comedy specials under his belt, but only now is New York-based Myq Kaplan making his Fringe debut.
Tom Houghton: The Honourable
Edinburgh Fringe review by Stephanie Lim
03/08/2018 … Houghton the heels of last year’s debut, Tom’s second solo effort proves fittingly honourable.
'People tell me I've got a Messiah complex'
03/08/2018 … Tweets of the week Grant me the serenity to accept the things I can't change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to think of reasonable…
Tessa Coates: Witch Hunt
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
03/08/2018 … The stage set for Tessa Coates's second solo Fringe show away from her Massive Dad sketch trio is a waist-high pile of books whose presence she never once…
Nick Hall: Spencer
Edinburgh Fringe review by Steve Bennett
03/08/2018 … It's surprising that the story of Spencer Perceval isn't better known, comedian and proud history graduate (2:2) Nick Hall argues.
'Smart people who prioritise joy and silliness'
Heidi Regan picks her comedy favourites
03/08/2018 … Narrowing down all comedy to just six favourites has been the most unreasonable request of my life.
Revealed: Lolly Adefope's major new US TV role
This is what she's missing Edinburgh for
03/08/2018 … Lolly Adefope is to star opposite Saturday Night Live‘s Aidy Bryant in a new American comedy.
First look at Steve Coogan as Stan Laurel
Biopic to get its world premiere at London Film Festival
03/08/2018 … Here’s the first look at Steve Coogan as Stan Laurel alongside John C Reilly as Oliver Hardy in a new movie about the enduring comedy duo.
Zach Zucker at Chortle's Fast Fringe
03/08/2018 … American comic Zach Zucker got into the World Cup spirit when he appeared at Chortle’s Fast Fringe last month.
Thu 02 August 2018
'It was just a head slowly appearing then disappearing out of a large bin'
The big ask: What is the weirdest Fringe show you have ever seen?
02/08/2018 … I was in a lunchtime show with five senior citizens.
How can we make the comedy circuit safer?
Some suggestions from our survey
02/08/2018 … Not insisting women on open mic nights stay til the end as these nights can run longer.
Abuse in comedy: Stand-ups share their stories
Trigger warning as they tell of harrowing experiences
02/08/2018 … Inevitably this section comes with a strong trigger warning.
One in four female comedians has been molested
Chortle survey reveals the extent of violence and harassment in the industry
02/08/2018 … More than a quarter of female comedians have been molested by their colleagues, a Chortle survey has discovered, and around one in 13 has been raped by a fellow…
A punter started fighting me to prove I wasn't blind
Chris McCausland recalls his most memorable gigs
02/08/2018 … Strangest audience member Probably the bloke who tried to punch me to prove that I wasn't blind.
'I wish I could have seen the gigs where this routine failed'
The Pin pick their Perfect Playlist of comedy favourties
02/08/2018 … Why Bother? Prisoner of warAlexander Owen: Two masters from different eras riff in surprising and joyous harmony, with Chris Morris the interviewer and Peter Cook…
Catherine Bohart on coming out
Performing at Chortle's Fast Fringe
02/08/2018 … Catherine Bohart speaks about coming out to her parents in the latest clip from Chortle's Fast Fringe.
ALF set for a reboot
1980s alien comedy could be making a comeback
02/08/2018 … Eighties sitcom ALF has become the latest comedy set for a reboot.
Wed 01 August 2018
Joe Lycett has a bust reduction
Comic slashes the cost of his Royal Academy sculpture
01/08/2018 … Your chance to own an original Joe Lycett sculpture just got a lot cheaper.
Chris Gethard announces London date
01/08/2018 … American comic Chris Gethard has announced a one-off show at London's intimate Bill Murray venue.
When Stath met Kirsty
Channel 4's property experts together at last
01/08/2018 … Channel 4 property expert Kirstie Allsopp has teamed up with Jamie Demetriou's alter-ego Stath to provide her top lettings tips.
'We ended up sleeping in our 6ft vagina'
The Big Ask: What's the weirdest prop you've had?
01/08/2018 … When I was 21, my improv group got asked to film a 'dirty' sketch for a dodgy production company.
Worst gig? Being ignored by millionaires
Bilal Zafar recalls his Unforgettable Five comedy moments
01/08/2018 … First gigIn my final year of my media degree, aged 21, I realised that no one was going to let me be the Armando Iannucci creative type person I wanted to be and…
Edinburgh Comedy Award judges revealed
Here's who needs to bribed, blackmailed or buttonholed...
01/08/2018 … The judges have been announced for this year’s Edinburgh Comedy Awards.
Flo and Joan ask life's big questions
Extract from their Edinburgh Fringe show
01/08/2018 … Musical comedians Flo & Joan ask some of the big questions of the universe in their new song.
Unearthed: Scenes cut from Monty Python And The Holy Grail
Scripts from Michael Palin's collection will now go on display
01/08/2018 … Unseen Monty Python sketches – including two scenes cut from the Holy Grail movie - are to go on display after being discovered in Michael Palin's archives.
'I can picture what Billy Connolly's talking about... down to the last jobby'
Laura Lexx picks her Perfect Playlist
01/08/2018 … What I love most about stand-up comedy is the conjuring of a whole world out of nothing.
© BBC Michael Palin named the greatest ever Yorkshireman
As The Chuckle Brothers edge out the man who abolished slavery
01/08/2018 … The county gave the world such monumental figures as politician William Wilberforce, physicist Joseph Priestley, Captain James Cook, the Bronte Sisters and WH Auden.
Del Boy goes to Hollywood
01/08/2018 … Sir David Jason is to front a travelogue for the Gold channel, in which he takes a trip along the west coast of America.