After several years away, the cheeky cockney comic is doubling down on his good-old-days brand " but despite his geezerish nostalgia he's no anti-woke crusader Micky Flanagan was worried, he…
A new sibling to Montreal's big comedy shindig has launched in the UK and despite the corporate guff there was a lot to laugh about You've heard of Just for Laughs Montreal: it's one of the …
EartH Hackney, LondonADHD, Tory supremacy and the limited appeal of 'Sir Keir' combine in another unrestrained report from the standup's struggles to hang on to optimism Some comics alight o…
Henry Naylor travelled to Afghanistan in 2003 to research his fringe farce Finding Bin Laden. His sobering new show takes stock of the country's fate since Was Henry Naylor's agent right whe…
Komedia, BrightonOutrageous comedy, self-glamorising songs and self-ironic ridiculousness in abundance from a comic with a sharp sense of her own daftness You mellow with age, they say. So w…
Soho theatre, LondonThe Ohio comic takes us on her narcissistic 'therapy journey' including ridiculous songs, played with a wickedly straight bat Patti Harrison's last London show, she tell…
Hammersmith Apollo, LondonThe standup comedian may have lost some of the gloss on his reputation after nearly destroying himself with drugs, but his good cheer remains in place 'If you've se…
Soho theatre, LondonThe Irish-Italian comic, nominated for best newcomer at the Edinburgh fringe, delivers his show with a light touch and ample self-irony It is exciting to encounter a youn…
Soho theatre, LondonThe sketch trio throw a lot into their screwball adventure, from pagan festivals to alien apocalypse, but every gag pays off With the Delightful Sausage's recent show, p…
The disabled Mexican-American scooped best newcomer at Edinburgh with her scathing send-up of identity politics. But can she really wring some laughs out of the end of the world? It would be…
Bloomsbury Theatre, LondonNo one rages against life and the world better than Brister, but the comic is too good to be confined by her furious persona Her touring show is called The Optimist…
Soho theatre, London The sparkling Aussie brings their award-winning Melbourne comedy festival show to the UK When Frankie McNair started taking comedy seriously, they tell us, it got boring…
Hampstead theatre, LondonAlexis Michalik's time-hopping French hit about the history of stage magic is a diverting jeu d'esprit but there isn't much to see once you look past the misdirectio…
The Welsh standup used to direct his fury at service stations, baked potatoes and the tog-rating of duvets. Now he's tackling anxiety, infertility " and his own battle with the cancer that s…
The US comedy sensation is making up for lost time after Covid with a new show " still self-obsessed, but 'a bit darker' " and an opportunity for us to observe a quintessentially millennial …
Danny Boyle's Matrix-inspired spectacular opens in Manchester, Succession star Brian Cox returns to the stage and standups Maisie Adam, Guz Khan and Catherine Cohen are on tour More from the…
From dazzling comic debuts at the Edinburgh fringe to occult sketches, soul-searching standup and deeply strange revelations, it was a top year for laughing matters ' More on the best cultur…
Apollo theatre, LondonThe veteran illusionist outdoes himself with an evening of bewildering trickery that holds a mirror to our deepest feelings Having followed his stage work for years, I …
London PalladiumDawn French, Julian Clary and Alexandra Burke join an animatronic giant with a vast beanstalk in an innuendo-heavy, story-light show Pantos are usually cheap and cheerful, so…
Soho theatre, LondonWith his Scandi-nowhere accent and cool-dude aspirations, Archie Henderson's comic character is improbable, clever and very funny 'I'm in control," sings Jazz Emu, while …
Matthew Holness's fictional horror author is on the road reading from his novel " prepare to be terrified at the tills while we dream of his full return to the stage When is a show not a sho…
Once an under-the-radar live comedy jewel, Mohammed's alter-ego impresario is hogging the spotlight in two new stage shows. Is the character destined for TV? Any assessment of the best chara…
Apollo, ManchesterThere's ample room in comedy to tease at woke over-earnestness but this weak and boorish set fails to engage Ricky Gervais gives us a little lecture after curtain call toni…
Manchester ArenaAfter 12 years away from the stage, the slimmed-down entertainer is more unapologetically nostalgic than ever No hotcake ever sold in greater quantity than tickets for Peter…
Soho theatre, LondonEven when the grouchy wannabe game-show host's set is buffering he still delivers a winning formula of hi-tech comedy and twisty jokes In Danger Money, we find Mat Ewins …