Nestled on the hillside of a lush valley in Dartmoor is a predictably-picturesque Devon village called Widecombe-in-the-Moor. It was from this landscape that the (aptly-named) stand-up comedian Josh Widdicombe emerged, albeit from the tiny hamlet of Haytor Vale, just down the road. With hair like the curls of the local White-Face Dartmoor sheep, the 33-year-old […]
Comedy
Review: Pete Firman’s Trix
Pete Firman is a unique performer in the world of illusion, combining stand-up comedy and magic to create spellbinding yet funny shows. Having appeared on the likes of Channel 4’s Dirty Tricks and the BBC’s The Magicians, Pete has gradually been making a name for himself since he first appeared on the scene in 2003 […]
Jokes on the butt or butt of the jokes?
Too often female comedians are forced to make themselves the butt of the joke rather than showcasing their own wit and experience. Why is this, I wonder? Having seen Sarah Millican live a few years ago, I can say that, at least to a degree, female comedians restrict themselves, deliberately or not, to joking about […]
Review: Bristol Comedy Garden
Cast your minds back to the week following the EU Referendum result. It was a turbulent one, to say the least. Crashes and resignations, speeches and revelations: everything that could have happened seemed to happen. So it’s fair to say that my trip to Bristol Comedy Garden on Tuesday 28 June came as a blessed […]
Review: How to be Single
The premise of Christian Ditter’s How to be Single reads like a Taylor Swift lyric: four girls – “happy, free, confused and lonely at the same time” – struggling to overcome or, rather, embrace singledom – “it’s miserable and magical”. Naturally, such a plotline risks becoming a giggly “sisters before misters” cliché – perfect fodder […]
Review: Betrayal
T he year 2016 marks a new dawn for the Northcott Theatre. Firstly, there’s the new Executive Director, Paul Jepson, who has brought with him a scintillating vision for the future. Secondly, there’s a newly-renovated box office, which now gracefully adorns the front entrance. But as is so often the case in theatre, most of the […]
Why I owe it all to… Satire
Following the recent anniversary of the Charlie Hebdo attacks, the debate surrounding ‘free speech’ has re-surged with as much vehemence as ever. Whether due to the mounting threat of terrorism, the powerhouse of social media or heightened multiculturalism, free speech has garnered the title of being one of, if not the most important, human value […]
An interview with Avenue Q
Avenue Q is the hilariously crude, yet masterfully-written comedy musical from the minds of Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx. Shotgun Theatre are putting on a production of the hit later this month, so I asked them a few questions on what we can expect. Here’s what they had to say: Firstly, can you give us a rundown of […]
Daniel Sloss: from Fringe to fame
You might not have heard about Daniel Sloss recently, but he’s certainly not disappeared from the circuit. Instead, he’s taken his fiery wit overseas to America, where he’s been met by great success on The Late Late Show and Conan. Now, he’s gravitated back to Edinburgh for another sell-out tour… You’re taking your tour, Dark, to the Exeter Phoenix in November. Are you excited to visit the West […]
Exeter at the Edinburgh Fringe 2015
The iconic Fringe festival is set to consume Edinburgh once more, with thousands of performers billed to ply their trade from Friday until the end of August. The University of Exeter have a rich history of success at the Fringe, and our student groups and societies often make the annual pilgrimage up the A1 to […]