Sort these articles by: Title (Alphabetically) | Date (latest first) Aaron Barschak - Comedy Terrorist 12 August, 2003 When Aaron Barschak "burst" onto the scene at Prince Williams birthday bash the general reaction was one of confusion about who this man was, indeed it to... Adam Hills 8 June, 2004 Australian Adam Hills has, over the last few years, become somewhat of a "darling" of the UK comedy circuit and within seconds of the start of his act yo... Adam Montgomery 20 July, 2004 When you're the comedy MC at a music festival, it's easy to feel a little out of place. After all, most people are there to see a band that's not on for a... Adrian Poynton 14 August, 2004 Quite possibly the most bizzarre stand up comedy set I've ever seen, featuring an almost-poetry-rap-battle, a sudden downpour, and most helpfully, a large... Alun Cochrane 14 May, 2004 If you were the most miserable, introverted, self-centred, people-hating recluse in the world, chances are Alun Cochrane could still charm his way in and ... Andrew Lawrence 14 June, 2004 Walking on stage with a guitar Andrew Lawrence is not the musical act that you expect him to be.  Famous songs with reworked lyrics and jaunty dittie... Andy Askins 6 June, 2004 Andy Askins has a certain geekish, child-like quality as he steps up to the microphone with a guitar and a cheeky grin.  It's a misleading demeanour ... Andy Parsons 15 October, 2003 Andy Parsons' act illustrated two things. Not only is he a very talented comedian he's also a brilliant comedy performer. The rigid Sergeant Major effect ... Andy White 14 June, 2005 Place on bill: 2nd Act Venue: Barnstormers – Capitol Arts Centre, Horsham Date of show:15th May 2005   Andy White is such a nice looking young ... Anna Crilly 19 June, 2004 There is an element of risk to Anna Crilly's performance.  Done badly, her somewhat distant, verging on standoffish, stage manner could potentiall... Bill Bailey 29 May, 2004 There is good news and bad news about Bill Bailey in 2004.  The show begins and there is an immediate sense of deja-vu as Bailey opens... Boothby Graffoe 4 July, 2003 If ever there was a time when a review could not possibly do an act justice then this is it.  Gushing, ass-kissing reviews are not the sort of thing ... Brendan Riley 17 May, 2004 When the crowd is small, quiet and has been making the supporting acts sweat for their money, the headline act has a lot of hard work to do, but you ... Christian Reilly 17 August, 2003 I have a natural suspicion of comedians who use guitars as part of their act. Unless the song is so entertaining the effect can sometimes slow the act down.... Colin Cole 9 May, 2004 The towering 6' 7" figure of Colin Cole walks on stage and up to the (now seemingly tiny) microphone stand. It barely seems tall enough to pick up ... Dan Atkinson 17 May, 2004 As the resident compere at York's hugely successful "Other Side Comedy Club" (among others), Dan Atkinson's ramblings feel more akin to a mate telli... Dan Evans 7 May, 2004 With a laid back "everyman" manner Dan Evans specialises in a brand of clever wordplay and corny one-liners.  But his pleasant demeanour often covers... Dan Thomas 18 September, 2004 Despite having to overcome the unfortunate obstacle of starting his ‘warm up’ after the first act had finished (due to a serious traffic accident rat... Dan Willis 11 October, 2004 Dan Willis' stage presence is instantly laid back, chilled out and indicative of a confident and experienced performer.  As the evening's compere&nbs... Danny Bhoy 31 January, 2004 As a stand up comic comes onto stage a comedy journalist tends to spend the first couple of seconds ticking-off a visual check-list.  "Is the comedia... Danny James 15 October, 2004 Danny James reminded me a bit of Jack Osborne (sorry if I’ve offended either party there) in appearance only. Before he had even started he was getting ... Dara O'Briain 28 September, 2003 Filling the last slot in long show of 15 minute sets can be a bit of a mixed blessing.  On one hand you have a much more relaxed audienc... David Bloom 14 June, 2004 An up and coming comedian who, as yet, has little to make him stand out from the crowd.  However, there are signs of a level of intelligence in his m... David Hadingham 28 June, 2005 Place on bill: Headline Venue: Barnstormers - Capitol Arts Centre, Horsham Date of show:15th May 2005   To say that David Hadingham had a r... Del Strain 19 February, 2006 This wiry, little man creeps onto stage and lets rip with a furiously rapid, broad Scots accent. **** me – Begbie’s doing stand-up!   Strain’s mate... Dylan Moran 2 May, 2004 With a backdrop of a projector screen showing a random doodle or drawing every few minutes, Dylan Moran took to the stage. With tousled hair, we... Ed Petrie 29 June, 2003 Ed Petrie occupied the unenviable position of being the first on at the final of the National Talent Hunt 2003 at the York Comedy Festival.  Despite ... Eddy Brimson 27 May, 2004 Eddy Brimson appeared to be a timid performer which, along with his soft spoken delivery and edginess, gave off a hint of Lee Evans. But Brimson didn’t sw... Electric Forecast 17 August, 2003 The first thing that hits you is how striking a partnership this is. The part geek part cheeky northerner really does come across well. Combined with snappy... Frank Honeybone 19 June, 2004 Frank Honeybone is the first to admit that he appears to be a welsh Elvis Costello tribute act.  Fortunately for comedy fans he isn’t and Oliver’s ar... Gareth Berliner 7 July, 2003 Walking onto the stage with jewellry and a swagger, Gareth Berliner was instantly recognisable as a London lad and looked as though he's probably out club... Gary Delaney 7 December, 2004 Gary Delaney was smart, aloof and laid-back. His set was a barrage of disconnected one-liners.   That’s it really. The jokes were very funny and,... Geoff Norcott 12 October, 2005 Place on bill: 1st ActVenue: Creased Up - The Hawth, CrawleyDate of show: 8th September 2005 Geoff Norcott's t-shirt was too tight; you could see his nippl... Geoff Whiting 17 July, 2003 Geoff Whiting was the perfect compere.  I could just leave it at that, without going into the way that he instantly put the audience at ease with a r... George Egg 1 November, 2004 You couldn’t call George Egg a stand-up comedian; he’s something more akin to the much maligned art of the variety/cabaret act. Instead of rolling out cle... Glen Bo 15 January, 2004 When I saw Glen Bo (a South African comedian) at a Gig in Wimbledon I was shocked to know Stand-up even existed in South Africa. His take on South Afric... Glenn Wool 11 October, 2004 Glenn Wool is hilarious. Really, that’s all you need to know. There were moments when I actually had tears in my eyes from laughing so hard. Even my wife ... Greg Davies 23 November, 2004 If ever you ever felt intimidated by a comedian towering over you on stage then don’t sit in the front row when Greg Davies is on the bill; the man is hug... Hal Cruttenden 6 October, 2004 Hal Cruttenden is an odd personality for stand-up; he’s a big man, incredibly camp, not gay, and terribly posh sounding. It’s a bit like watching Russell ... Harvey Oliver 11 June, 2004 If the name doesn’t mean anything then, as Quasimodo once said, “the face should ring a bell.” Harvey Oliver is an incarnation of Jeff Stevenson who has b... Henning 19 June, 2004 The phrase "German comedian" may strike you as an oxymoron on a par of absurdity with the likes of an "underwater hairdryer". Henning, therefore, comes as... Hils Barker 17 August, 2003 When Hils Barker enters the stage you are struck by how petite this young woman is. Despite the youthful appearance it become clear very early on that she p... Howard Read 23 March, 2005 Place on Bill: 2nd Act Venue: Barnstromers – Capitol, Horsham Date of show:20th November 2004   To claim that Howard Read is ‘off the ... Howard Read - The Little Howard Appeal 10 July, 2006 Venue: The Hawth, CrawleyDate: 9th July 2006 Howard Read comes across as a fairly average man and approaches the stage as a fairly standard comedian: he is... Howard Spencer-Mosley 25 May, 2004 Open spots can often be funny for all the wrong reasons.  At best you expect to see a fairly inexperienced comedian still finding his or her way but ... Ian Stone 18 September, 2004 If I was a betting man, and my local Ladbrokes burnt down on the day of the Gra... Inder Manocha 17 August, 2003 I'm not sure where to start, I think this was the highlight of my Edinburgh festival. As soon as Manocha started his act the audience was spellbound. His sl... Ivan Steward 8 June, 2004 There are times when you can't quite decide whether Ivan Steward is funny because he's very clever or beacause he's very bad.  There is a perple... Jack Cowley 1 November, 2004 Apparently there are two sides of Jack Cowley’s (formerly Russell) stand-up; there’s the Cowley who performs a standard, set routine and then there’s an a... Jack Dee 8 April, 2004 It has been a funny time for Jack Dee over the past few years.  'Funny' as in 'odd', rather more than 'Funny' as in 'ha ha ha ho ho ho'.  T... James Sherwood 29 June, 2003 James Sherwood brought the evening to a close as the last act of the National Talent Hunt 2003 final at the York Comedy Festival.  He was instantly a... Jeff Innocent 16 May, 2004 The East-End gangster image of Jeff Innocent needs no explanation and by the time he reaches the microphone he has already established a massive stage prese... Jeremy Hardy 15 October, 2003 Whether or not you agree with the political views, you can't fail to be impressed by Jeremy Hardy's calm insightful way his monologues are put across. Top... Jeremy Lion 3 April, 2006 There are few pleasure in life as great as seeing a top-notch performer in a venue far, far smaller than they are capable of selling out. Jeremy Lion warmed... Jo Brand 22 May, 2003 When you go to see Jo Brand, you have a fairly good idea what to expect.  Even while booking your ticket you have an idea of what will be in the act... John Newton 12 October, 2004 The first things that strikes you about John Newton is that there is nothing massively striking about him.  First impressions are that his appearance, ... John Ryan 5 June, 2004 Londoner John Ryan is instantly at east with a crowd. His relaxed manner is infectious and even the coldest of crowds couldn't help but warm to him. ... Johnston & Johnston 8 July, 2003 Johnston & Johnston are an act who could potentially terrify the more inebriated members of an audience into thinking that they were seeing quadruple.... Josie Long 20 May, 2005 Place on bill: 1st Act Venue: Creased Up - The Hawth,Crawley Date of show: 12th May 2005   No offence intended but Josie Long looked like she w... Jovanka Steele 20 July, 2004 An American female comedian? At an English music festival? And one with talent? Surely not! Jovanka Steele arrived on stage with a great deal of energy, ju... Karl Spain 22 July, 2004 Guilfest 2004 on a wet Saturday is not the ideal place for an MC. To be quite honest, a fair number of the crowd in the comedy tent were only there because ... Keith Barrett Show (Live) 9 August, 2005 I have to be honest, I was unsure as to how this show was going to work.  The TV series, while hilarious in parts, was often hit and miss and occas... Kerry Godliman 4 July, 2003 Many female comedians fall into the trap of alienating half of their audience by concentrating on female specific subjects and slagging off blokes, all of... Kevin McCarthy 24 March, 2005 Place on Bill: Headline Venue: Barnstromers – Capitol, Horsham Date of show:20th November 2004     Kevin McCarthy is a cross... Kevin Precious 1 October, 2004 There seems to be two performance stances to compering a stand-up show; there is the comedian who simply throws easy questions to the audience to convenie... Lee Bannard 28 September, 2004 There is an air of apprehension as Lee Bannard takes to the stage. He looks ill at ease which is not a promising start for any comedian let alone an open ... Lee Mack 24 June, 2003 You'll probably know Lee Mack from his work on ITV's "The Sketch Show" and Channel 4's stand-up show "Gas".   Headlining the launch event of the... Lucy Porter 28 September, 2003 As a member of the audience, witnessing Lucy Porter walk onto the stage can be a disorientating experience.  At only around 14 inches tall (estimated... Manolis Zontanos 6 October, 2004 Even though his dishevelled hair and chilled vibe gives him a very ‘dude’ attitude and it is all too easy for him to slip into this persona when his set t... Mark Thomas 20 November, 2004 I was trying to remember when I last saw Mark Thomas live and I reckon it must have been well over five years ago. Considering I rate him as my favourite ... Martin Beaumont 28 May, 2004 Martin Beaumont looked like he had just got back from a Caribbean holiday as he stood their in his bright blue Ha... Martin Evans 28 June, 2005 Place on bill: 2nd Act Venue: Creased Up - The Hawth,Crawley Date of show: 12th May 2005   South African, Martin Evans is a simple act to qua... Matt Green 20 September, 2005 Place on bill: 2nd ActVenue: Creased Up - The Hawth, CrawleyDate of show: 8th September 2005 Most comedians will use a defining characteristic (if they hav... Matt Hollins 28 June, 2004 Leicester's Matt Hollins mixes a range of original subjects, off the wall stories and puns.  It's no mean feat to find untrodden ground in comedy th... Matthew Osborne 23 November, 2003 The physical presence of any comedian is natuarally important. Matthew Osborne utilises not only his superb stage presence but his calm confident manner t... Michael Legge 11 June, 2004 Aside from a bit of opening material and some stuff about theme tunes (with a little help from the sound guy) Irishman Michael Legge didn't real... Michael Smiley 21 December, 2003 Not many comedians have the skill to talk about terrorism and not only convince you that they know what they're talking about but also to make it funny! ... Mike Milligan 28 May, 2004 From the moment he reached the stage Mike Milligan was hurling insults left right and centre.  As the evening's compere he spent almost his entire fi... Milton Jones 15 October, 2003 The comedy here speaks for itself! Short, punchy routine with material ranging from daft one line groan wrenchers to some nicely thought out gags. The fas... Mitch Benn 30 May, 2004 "Oh God no! It's a singing comedian!" is a sentiment echoed by many an audience member at the appearance of a musically inclined comic.  It's also th... Neil Mooney 12 March, 2006 Place on bill: Open micVenue: Creased Up - The Hawth, CrawleyDate of show: 8th December 2005 Neil Mooney sets quite an imposing figure; he's a big bloke wi... Nick Doody 6 October, 2004 Nick Doody looks like such a nice guy – almost totally unsuited for today’s world of stand-up where a physical oddness or quirky mannerism is required to ... Nina Conti 19 January, 2004 Before Nina Conti even opens her mouth she has two hurdles to overcome.  Firstly there is a common perception that female comedians "just generally ar... Patrick Monahan 24 May, 2005 Place on bill: 1st Act Venue: Barnstormers – Capitol Arts Centre, Horsham Date of show:15th May 2005   Patrick Monahan effuses confidence. He... Paul B Edwards 5 July, 2005 Place on Bill: 1st Act Venue: Barnstromers - Capitol, Horsham Date of show:21st November 2004   Paul B Edwards made an aside half way through his... Paul Kerensa 22 July, 2004 "Local Lad Does Good At Guilfest 2004" would be the tabloid headline here. Currently living in Guildford, Paul Kerensa had the advantage of playing at hom... Paul Sinha 23 March, 2005 Place on Bill: 1st Act Venue: Barnstromers – Capitol, Horsham Date of show:20th November 2004 I’d have to consider Paul Sinha to be one of the ... Pete Cain 18 November, 2004 Pete Cain is one of those comedians who have adopted a ‘character’ to perform instead of delivering a set being himself. Well, I hope that’s the case anyw... Phil Nicol 28 September, 2003 The 'Travel-Ways Guide to Canada'  describes Canadians as "A calm, peaceful and friendly people".  Travel-Ways does not know its arse from its e... Pierre Hollins 18 September, 2004 An impromptu reshuffle in the bill did not phase Pierre Hollins as he stood there calmly smoking a cigarette (for effect) then idly and smoothly inte... Rebecca Carrington 12 March, 2006 Venue: The Hawth, CrawleyDate of show: 4th February 2006 Rebecca Carrington is a comedian of a different breed. Not your standard run-of-the-mill stand-up ... Rex Boyd 12 May, 2004 When Rex Boyd introduces himself we find out a little bit about him, such as that he is originally from Kansas, USA but has been living over here for... Rhod Gilbert 4 July, 2003 Rhod Gilbert was the fourth act of the evening at the final of the York Comedy Festival's National Talent Hunt, but just a couple of minutes into his set ... Richard Herring 17 May, 2005 Place on bill: Headline Venue: Creased Up - The Hawth,Crawley Date of show: 12th May 2005   Richard Herring has been doing stand-up for a long ti... Ricky Grover as Bulla 24 June, 2003 To the sweet melodies of "I LIKE TO MOVE IT, MOVE IT!" Ricky Grover took to the stage as "Bulla" for a minute or so of bounding around the stage shadow bo... Rob Collins 27 September, 2005 Place on bill: CompereVenue: Creased Up - The Hawth, CrawleyDate of show: 8th September 2005 Rob Collins takes his task of compering very seriously; he kno... Rob Deering 6 November, 2003 One thing that you notice about the Edinburgh Festival is the compact format that the performers have to adhere to. There is a sense of desperation to mak... Roisin Conaty 18 September, 2004 Most recently noted as one of the finalists in this year’s Babycham ‘Funny Women’ competition, Conaty was a refreshing blast of colour and glamour amongst... Ronnie Edwards 15 May, 2004 The publicity blurb tells us to expect an "English-born, Jamaican-bred Canadian jester". Is a man in pointy shoes, a coloured suit, bell-laden thre... Ross Noble 24 November, 2003 Ross Noble - The Dancehouse Theatre, Manchester Thursday 20th November 2003 ... Rudi Lickwood 27 May, 2004 You'd be forgiven for thinking that Rudi Lickwood might be an Eddie Murphy impersonator. He's not, he just looks a bit like Murphy with his gap-toothed sm... Sabrina Matthews 14 May, 2004 "Chocolate and tampons" are the first topic of discussion for Sabrina Matthews, an American comedian hailing from L.A.  One wonders if this is a... Sean Collins 29 April, 2004 Tall, Canadian Collins looks like he's either not entirely bothered about doing what he is or is just so damned relaxed he could be speaking to you from h... Shazia Mirza 21 December, 2003 It's rare nowadays to find something that truly qualifies as ground breaking. Most subjects and taboos have been tried and re-worked over and over again. ... Simon Evans 10 June, 2004 A much sought after headline act, Simon Evans is a comic at the top of his game and wreaking of experience.  The snobbish and supe... Sinck 31 May, 2004 "Move bitch! Get out the way!" signals the arrival of Brooklyn New York's Sinck.  It's evidenty his standard intro music, forming the basis of hi... Stephen K Amos 1 November, 2005 Place on bill: HeadlineVenue: Creased Up - The Hawth, CrawleyDate of show: 13th October 2005 Stephen K Amos comes on with what looks like a nasty smell und... Steve Best 10 June, 2004 A frenetic mix of disassociated outbursts, non-stop one-liners and surreal visual gags makes Steve Best a tricky act to quantify. Not consistently laugh-o... Steve Gribbin 20 July, 2004 You'd think it'd be difficult to be a quick fire comedian with a guitar. Most singing comedians prefer to use their songs to pad out time, leaving the actua... Steve N Allen 16 October, 2004 Steve Allen bounded on stage with delightful enthusiasm and no visible signs of hesitancy. As he began his material there was a definite recognisable... Stu Who? 7 May, 2004 Hailing from Glasgow, and bringing with him what is possibly one of the dirtiest laughs on the circuit, Stu Who? knows how to handle a crowd. On the occa... Tanyalee Davis 29 April, 2004 Canadian born, L.A. living Davis has a theme to her act and it's her. I almost feel cheated about knowing that she is only three-and-a-half feet tall befo... Terry Alderton 30 September, 2003 Terry Alderton is a likable enough Essex comedian. However, he still lacks that edge that would make him a really good act. The main thrust of his performa... Tom Price 18 October, 2004 Tom Price looks like he’s just come straight off Country File; with his foppish quiffed, blonde hair, rustic brown jacket, wide-eyed, toothy smile and ter... Tommy Tiernan 28 September, 2003 I'd heard about Tommy Tiernan before I saw him at Best of the Fest, but had never actually heard any of his material. I was pleased to find that he lived up... Tony Hendriks 21 October, 2004 When I was at school we had a headmaster who delivered his assemblies by staring at the back wall of the room. For some reason he could not look at us in ... Windsor 13 November, 2004 I think you would be hard-pressed to not be immediately drawn to Windsor as he exudes a charming friendliness with a permanent toothy grin plastered acr... Woody Bop Muddy 18 November, 2004 To the invigorating grunge tones of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” Woody Bop Muddy takes to the stage.  As the audience are treated to a disturb... Yianni 30 September, 2004 Yianni seemed to face a couple of problems with his set. Firstly he didn’t really make an impact and was gradually loosing out to a rising tide ... Zoe Lyons 22 June, 2005 Place on bill: 1st Act Venue: Creased Up - The Hawth,Crawley Date of show: 9th June 2005   Zoe Lyons has already established herself a formid...