Comedy Reviews
Dara Ó Briain, Touring review - a comic on tip-top formSaturday, 15 October 2022![]()
Some people learned how to make sourdough bread during the pandemic lockdown, while others discovered the joy of Zoom quizzes. Dara Ó Briain, on the other hand, wrote this brilliant show, So... Where Were We?, his most personal yet. Read more... |
Harry Hill, touring review - uneven madcap showMonday, 10 October 2022![]()
It has been a long time since Harry Hill went on tour – 2013 – so one can assume that many of the youngsters in the multi-generational audience hadn't seen him perform live before, but were there because they know him from his deliriously funny television work, much of it available online. I hope they weren't disappointed – but I suspect, judging by the lack of laughter around me, that at least some were. Read more... |
Kim Noble, Soho Theatre review - final part of trilogy about lonelinessWednesday, 28 September 2022![]()
A dead pigeon. A dead squirrel. A dead fox. Lots of maggots – very much alive. I might be describing your worst nightmare (throw in a rat or two and it would be very close to mine) but this array of wildlife forms an important part in Kim Noble's latest show, Lullaby for Scavengers. I warn you, it takes a strong stomach to sit through it – and I have to confess I had to shield my eyes at several points. The show comes with a content warning for a reason. Read more... |
Rob Rouse, Rewind the Fringe review - unstructured but gleeful funFriday, 16 September 2022![]()
It's a pleasure to see Rob Rouse back doing standup, as these days he's as well known for his acting – he plays the idiot savant Bottom in BBC's Upstart Crow, the theatre version of which is opening shortly in the West End after its 2020 premiere run was truncated by Covid. Read more... |
Dave Edinburgh Comedy Awards 2022Wednesday, 31 August 2022![]()
The Dave Edinburgh Awards went abroad this year – Australian Sam Campbell won for best show at the Fringe, while American Lara Ricote won best newcomer. Read more... |
Edinburgh Fringe 2022 reviews: Joseph Parsons / Njambi McGrath / Josh JonesFriday, 19 August 2022![]()
Joseph Parsons, The Mash House ★★★ Read more... |
Edinburgh Fringe 2022 reviews: Jake Lambert / Bella Hull / Jack HarrisThursday, 18 August 2022![]()
Jake Lambert, Pleasance Courtyard ★★★★ Read more... |
Edinburgh Fringe 2022 reviews: Hal Cruttenden / Zach Zucker / The Delightful SausageWednesday, 17 August 2022![]()
Hal Cruttenden, Pleasance Courtyard ★★★★ |
Edinburgh Fringe 2022 reviews: Randy Feltface / Sarah Keyworth / Andrew MaxwellTuesday, 16 August 2022![]()
Randy Feltface, Assembly George Square ★★★★ |
Edinburgh Fringe 2022 reviews: Ania Magliano / Leo Reich / Chloe PettsMonday, 15 August 2022![]()
Ania Magliano, Pleasance Courtyard ★★★★ Read more... |
Pages
latest in today

It all started on 09/09/09. That memorable date, September 9 2009, marked the debut of theartsdesk.com.
It followed some...

The safe transfer of power in post-war Western democracies was once a given. The homely Pickfords Removals van outside Number Ten...

I first came across Rachel Jones in 2021 at the Hayward Gallery’s painting show Mixing it Up: Painting Today. I was blown away by the...

Swiss electro-rockers, Young Gods have been around for 40 years, but this in no way should suggest that they’ve gone soft in their old age. These...

Do the French do irony? Well, was Astérix a Gaul? Obviously they do, and do it pretty well to judge by many of their movies down the...

There’s an old theatre joke. “The electric chair is too good for a monster like that. They should send him out of town with a new...

When I was writing the introduction to my book, Bass, Mids, Tops: An Oral History of Soundsystem Culture, I came up with a phrase, which...

It’s been a long time since an exhibition made me feel physically sick. The Hayward Gallery is currently hosting a retrospective of the...

For the first encore of the evening, it was not just the audience but the whole ensemble of Hespèrion XXI that was mesmerised as its leader,...

When Neil Young releases a new album, you can be reasonably sure that you’ll get either a disc of melancholy singer-songwriter fare or a set of...