Comedy Reviews

Ardal O'Hanlon, Touring

Veronica Lee Monday, 16 September 2013

Ardal O'Hanlon is best known as Father Dougal in the much missed Father Ted (created by Arthur Mathews and Graham Linehan), but he started life as a stand-up and he clearly brought many of his own qualities – although not the dimwittedness – to the lovable Irish priest, as an hour of his latest show proves. He riffs on matters ranging from Catholic guilt and racial stereotyping to monogamy and paedophilia without once offending anyone.

Ronny Chieng, Soho Theatre

Veronica Lee Tuesday, 03 September 2013

Newcomer Ronny Chieng doesn't waste any time trying to get the audience on his side. He outlines his interesting ethnic background – born in Malaysia to Chinese parents, several years spent in the United States and Singapore, and he did a law degree in Australia - but that mix is distilled into his Chinese ethnicity and its innate superiority to anything Western.

He says he's tried reclaiming the word 'chink', in the style of black rappers and the n-word

Matt Okine, Soho Theatre

Veronica Lee Friday, 30 August 2013

Australian stand-up Matt Okine made his UK debut at the Edinburgh Fringe last month and earned himself a best newcomer nomination in the Edinburgh Comedy Awards, to add to his best newcomer award at 2012's Melbourne Comedy Festival (jointly won with Ronny Chieng). He's certainly an assured performer, even if his observational humour relies too heavily on the everyday in Being Black & Chicken & S#%t.

My Hero: Ben Miller on Tony Hancock, BBC One

Jasper Rees Wednesday, 28 August 2013

Tony Hancock stopped producing the work on which his reputation rests the best part of half a century ago. He still casts a long old shadow. Many years before BBC Four embarked on its series of biodramas, a life of Hancock starring Alfred Molina captured some of that hulking self-disgust. More recently Paul Merton has become a one-man module in Hancock studies, even going so far as to re-enact some of the old Half Hours.

Edinburgh 2013: Tig Notaro/Joe Lycett

Veronica Lee Saturday, 24 August 2013

Tig Notaro, Gilded Balloon ****

“I've been busy. I've been growing my hair out.” Not the the most animated start to an hour of comedy, but that's how American Tig Notaro begins Boyish-Girl Interrupted, one of the most original 60 minutes I've seen at the Fringe, and certainly the most laidback.

Edinburgh 2013: Glenn Wool/ Gary Delaney/ Carl Donnelly

Veronica Lee Tuesday, 20 August 2013

Glenn Wool, Assembly George Square ****

There are some comics who can always be relied upon to create engaging and funny shows, and the Canadian Glenn Wool is one of them. His comedy appears to be straightforward stand-up – anecdotes are interspersed with one-liners and puns, with occasional interaction with the audience, to create a small world of his own, with more than a touch of the surreal about it.

Edinburgh 2013: John Lloyd/ WitTank/ Romesh Ranganathan

Veronica Lee Friday, 16 August 2013

John Lloyd, Underbelly Bristo Square ****

Edinburgh 2013: Carey Marx/ Sam Lloyd: Fully Committed/ Baconface

Veronica Lee Wednesday, 14 August 2013

Carey Marx, Gilded Balloon ****

Carey Marx couldn't come to the Fringe last year, because of the small matter of having a heart attack. But, looking on the bright side, the experience has given him his new show, Intensive Carey, in which the comic tells his story without a trace of self-pity and with a keen sense of the absurd.

Edinburgh 2013: Gyles Brandreth/ Airnadette/ Benny Boot

Veronica Lee Monday, 12 August 2013

Gyles Brandreth, Pleasance Courtyard ***

This is an agreeable hour of theatre and political anecdotes that former MP and now BBC presenter Gyles Brandreth tells with great aplomb. He drops a lot of names, but he's very good mimic – John Gielgud, Frank Sinatra, Prince Charles and others make an appearance – and the stories (whether wholly true or not) are very funny.

Rubberbandits, Soho Theatre

Veronica Lee Wednesday, 24 July 2013

Rubberbandits embody that modern entertainment industry phenomenon – a huge YouTube hit who have moved into the mainstream with ease. The prankster hip hop duo – Mr Chrome and Blindboy Boatclub (aka Bob McGlynn and Dave Chambers) – have notched up more than 25 million hits online and now routinely sell out their energetic live shows, which they perform as if music gigs.