Reviews

Derren Brown: Svengali, Shaftesbury Theatre, London (Rated 5/ 5 )

Derren Brown's latest live extravaganza certainly had a lot to live up to, but somehow, the 40-year-old pulled it off. He managed to juggle the familiar elements to his shows in such a way as to make me wonder if he could possibly do any more to put the mental in mentalism, both in terms of pure effect and intelligence.

Inside Reviews

Bo Burnham, Komedia, Brighton (Rated 4/ 5 )

Monday, 13 June 2011

Hot on the heels of Seinfeld comes Bo Burnham, the 20-year-old American wunderkind of comedy and winner of a disputed comedy award in Edinburgh last year – disputed because some observers argued that his five-star-festooned show should have carried off the main prize and not just the sop of Spirit of the Fringe award.

Jerry Seinfeld, 02 Arena, London

Sunday, 5 June 2011

No one can take apart a box of Pop Tarts quite the way Seinfeld does

Jerry Seinfeld, O2, London (Rated 5/ 5 )

Saturday, 4 June 2011

A welcome return, and life doesn't suck for the faithful

At Last! The 1981 Show, Royal Festival Hall, London (Rated 2/ 5 )

Thursday, 2 June 2011

Eddie Izzard: Stripped, Théâtre de Dix Heures, Paris (Rated 5/ 5 )

Tuesday, 31 May 2011

"Tout en Français!" the posters proclaim, and indeed Stripped – Eddie Izzard's whistlestop tour through the history of civilisation, which he has performed on and off in English since 2008 – sees him hold forth on evolution, Nazis, sharks, God being a crack addict and giraffes playing charades – all in French.

Channel 4's Comedy Gala, O2, London (Rated 2/ 5 )

Friday, 27 May 2011

Post-punk icon and inveterate grump Mark E Smith was recently asked what makes him most depressed; his answer was "all UK comedians". With a considerable number of tonight's 21 acts on poor form, partly due to over-runs, this charity gala could be admissible as evidence to support Smith's scything comment.

Uncaged Monkeys, Hammersmith Apollo, London (Rated 3/ 5 )

Friday, 20 May 2011

Dubbed "the ugliest tour in showbiz" by Dara O Briain and a gathering for "geeks" and the "disenfranchised" by host Robin Ince, Uncaged Monkeys lets loose a live version of Radio 4's comic look at science, The Infinite Monkey Cage and follows on from Ince's similar science-minded live shows Nine Lessons and Carols for Godless People.

Dylan Moran: Yeah, Yeah, Hexagon, Reading (Rated 4/ 5 )

Wednesday, 11 May 2011

The raffish Dylan Moran has, in recent years, dismissed those who have suggested that certain subjects should be off limits to comedy, stressing that stock targets such as the differences between men and women are there to be reinvented. He's right, of course, but watching him tonight I am very conscious of the reinvention rota that seems to have characterised his work over the last few years.