sat 11/01/2025

Comedy Reviews

The Warren Outdoor Season, Brighton review - creatives take to the beach

Veronica Lee

The Warren is normally to be found in Brighton city centre, where it stages shows during the Brighton Fringe.

Read more...

The New Normal, Royal Victoria Patriotic Building review - strong mixed bill

Veronica Lee

We live in strange times, so it's appropriate that a socially distanced pop-up arts festival – of theatre, comedy, improv, music and magic – calls itself The New Normal.

Read more...

John Cleese, livestream from Cadogan Hall review - abandon all hope, says the former Python

Veronica Lee

At the age of 80, John Cleese probably doesn't care what people think of him. But then, when you were one-sixth of Monty Python and co-creator of one of TV's funniest sitcoms, you can afford not to play to the gallery as the royalties from Flying Circus and Fawlty Towers still roll in (even if, as he never tires of telling his audiences, a fair chunk goes in alimony).

Read more...

Comedy in the Courtyard, BAC review - al fresco gags

Veronica Lee

After drive-ins, now come Covid-secure outdoor shows as the comedy industry tries to find its way back to normality. Battersea Arts Centre is utilising its hitherto unused courtyard for a season of outdoor comedy, during which Al Murray and Russell Howard will perform.

Read more...

Mark Watson's Carpool Comedy Club, Hever Castle review - mixed bill with gags and gourmet food

Veronica Lee

Drive-in comedy shows are now well into their groove (although sadly a couple of promoters have had to cut their losses because of poor sales at some venues), and distinct differences in approach to what's on offer have emerged. Clearly going for the upper end of the market is Dine and Drive Theatre, an old hand at curating outdoor events, whose USP is classy locations and food catered by top chef Tom Kerridge.

Read more...

Car Park Comedy, Henley review - Comedy Store's mixed bill

Veronica Lee

Hot on the heels of The Car Park Club and @TheDriveIn comes Car Park Party, a series of shows presented in partnership with The Comedy Store. Car Park Party presents an evening of four comics doing short sets, presented by an MC.

Read more...

@TheDriveIn, Blackheath review - comedy and car-aoke

Veronica Lee

Drive-ins are now firmly establishing themselves as the only method by which culture fans can see live arts in person for the future. Hot on the heels of The Drive-In Club comes @TheDriveIn, sponsored by Suzuki and produced by Jericho Comedy.

Read more...

Dom Joly / Daniel Sloss, Brent Cross reviews - UK's first drive-in comedy shows

Veronica Lee

It was a weary and frustrated Dom Joly (★★) who left the stage after performing the first drive-in comedy show in the UK. Sadly it had been, as he said earlier, “the first car crash at a drive-in”.

Read more...

Desiree Burch, Soho Theatre On Demand review - fantastical storytelling

Veronica Lee

You may have seen Desiree Burch, a Californian now living in London, on The Mash Report on BBC One.

Read more...

Jerry Seinfeld, Netflix review - not bad for a swansong

Veronica Lee

Jerry Seinfeld said in a recent interview that this Netflix special – 23 Hours to Kill – may be his last stand-up show. That's a shame, as there's much to enjoy here, even if he is retreading some old ground.

Read more...

Pages

 

latest in today

Help to give theartsdesk a future!

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

It followed some...

Maria review - Pablo Larraín's haunting portrait of an...

As Bono once commented about Luciano Pavarotti, “the opera follows him off stage”. Legendary...

Titanique, Criterion Theatre review - musical parody sinks d...

This Celine Dion jukebox musical has been a big hit in New York, but...

Album: Franz Ferdinand - The Human Fear

Travel back in time to the mid 2000s and you would be hard pressed to escape "Take Me Out" by Franz Ferdinand on the air waves. On the radio,...

Babygirl review - would-be steamy drama that only flirts wit...

Babygirl starts with the sound of sex, piped in over the credits. There's a lot of it on our screens at the moment, from ...

It's Raining Men review - frothy French comedy avoids d...

Iris (Laure Calamy) and her husband Stéphane (Vincent Elbaz) haven’t had sex for four years. Waiting at school for the parent-teacher conference (...

Album: Bridget Hayden and The Apparitions - Cold Blows The R...

The title Cold Blows The Rain encapsulates it. A mournful, unembellished female voice sings of loss. The musical backing is sparse....

Album: Snoop Dogg - Missionary

Sometimes magic really can’t be...

Blu-ray: The Hop-Pickers

Czech theatre theorist Ivo Osolsobě’s tick-list for what constitutes an "authentic" musical is quoted in this release’s booklet. Namely that the...