Showing titles in Performing Arts

Doug Stanhope is one of the most critically acclaimed and stridently unrepentant comedians of his generation. What will surprise some is that he owes so much of his dark and sometimes uncomfortably honest sense of humor to his mother, Bonnie.

Tipped as one of the most talented and popular comedians to have recently emerged, Paul Chowdhry is definitely the man to look out for in 2012. With his hilariously dry observational humour he has impressed audiences throughout the UK, leaving fans wanting more, and his appearance on Channel 4’s Stand Up for the Week brought him massive critical acclaim and a growing fan base, all of which has led to him being titled the UK’s Number 1 Asian Comedian.

Your favorite teacher-comedians from the Bored Teachers Comedy Tours sharing stories and experiences from the classroom and beyond, brought to you by Bored Teachers. Episodes drop every Sunday!

David Sedaris's remarkable ability to uncover the hilarious absurdity teeming just below the surface of everyday life is surpassed only by his ability to make his stories even more hilarious when he reads them aloud. This is his third series for Radio 4, and he reads diary entries and essays...

When I was twenty-one, a girl introduced me to five magic words that changed my life: Happy, thank you. More, please. Kyla Cobbler's path to self-love hasn't run smoothly. From making questionable dating decisions, to using booze to quell her constant Irish state of mortification, to getting...

The last ever episodes of the acclaimed quotations quiz, devised and introduced by Nigel Rees - including the historic 500th show Ever since 1976, Quote... Unquote chairman Nigel Rees has quizzed a host of well-known personalities on the origins of popular sayings, both familiar and obscure, and...

Jon Richardson’s new audiobook Nidiot takes the star of '8 Out Of Ten Cats’ and ‘Live at the Apollo’ to new levels of frustration. Recorded live in front of a sold out audience at the legendary Hammersmith Apollo we find that becoming happy hasn’t necessarily ruined his life.

During the course of a career that began in the late 1940s, Lenny Bruce challenged the sanctity of organized religion and other societal and political conventions; he widened the boundaries of free speech. Critic Ralph Gleason said, "So many taboos have been lifted and so many comics have rushed...

For over a decade between 1974 and 1985, lugubrious funnyman Les Dawson had radio audiences in stitches with his hit comedy show Listen to Les. Included in this collection are 26 vintage episodes, showcasing the gravel-voiced master of mirth at his very best. All your favourite characters are here, including gossip-loving housewives Cissie and Ada; chat show host Cosmo Smallpiece; the elegant Sophisticates and the hilariously dismal Desponds—as well as Wotan, Man of Steel; the debut appearance of comic discovery Justin Jest.

Rich Hall's critically acclaimed grouchy, deadpan style has established him as a master of absurdist irony. Renowned for his expertly crafted tirades, quick-fire banter with audiences, and delightful musical sequences. Rich Hall's plainspoken, growling indignation and acerbic observations have an unerring talent for hitting his targets with precision every time, leaving his audience hanging on every word and winning him fans all over the globe.

The show that holds a mirror up to nature and then proceeds to give it a rather embarrassing haircut.

'Hello dear listener and welcome to Peggy & Me, the story of my life after getting a beautiful Shih-Tzu Bichon Frise cross puppy (I call the breed a Shitty Frise - fun) in the form of Peggy. Some of you may be thinking: "a book about a dog, how totally brilliant, I need hear no more, I'm sold."...

Julie Walters, Alan Rickman, Dora Bryan, Jim Broadbent and Celia Imrie, Hugh Lloyd, and many more join Victoria Wood in this positively bloated bumper collection oozing with songs, sketches, and monologues...

Back in 1972, people had never heard of Samantha, Sven, nor Mrs. Trellis, and had no idea of the rules of Mornington Crescent, nor what points are for. The year 2022 marks 50 years of radio insanity—of the nation's finest comic minds being given silly things to do, with some of them set to music. Celebrate the Golden Anniversary of the greatest radio comedy of all time, the antidote to panel games, with the epic and exhaustive, fully authorized history of both I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again and its beloved spin-off, I'm Sorry, I Haven't a Clue.

Daughter of Major Derek Hargreaves (spy?) and June Hargreaves (spy's wife?) sister of Sara (born to be Head Girl) and Ben (the usurper), Jenny's comedy career took off via drama school, cider, sausage rolls, sleeping with men who looked like they lived under a carpet, punk poetry, anorexia, bedsit misery, waitressing and not really having a clue about anything. This was a world before microphones, mobile phones, before everyone gave up smoking or started taking coke. Jenny Eclair was on the comedy circuit before there really was a comedy circuit.

Marcus began his comedy career at Bristol University where he performed stand up and character shows and soon won the BBC New Comedian of 1996. He has since emerged as a major comedy, writing, and acting talent, with an impressive list of TV and film credits. Devil May Care is a satirical live show with Marcus taking on the role of Lucifer, regaling us with his views on moments in history and the modern world, interacting with the audience and trying to ensure his makeup doesn’t run!

Steve Martin's riveting, mega-bestselling, beloved, and highly acclaimed memoir of a life, a vocation, and an era—named one of the ten best nonfiction titles of the year by Time and Entertainment Weekly. In the mid-seventies, Steve Martin exploded onto the comedy scene. By 1978 he was the...

From the beginning of time, there have been many monumental questions that have perplexed the human race such as: Why are we here? What is the meaning of life? And... Who’s on first?

This has proven to be the most significant book ever written on stand-up comedy. It truly comes to life as an audiobook, especially with ‘before & after’ examples of punchlines. It explains groundbreaking methods and theories that give you the tools to fast-track your stand-up to the next level and will permanently change the way you look at writing and performing comedy.

Mark Steel is back with two more series of his award-winning show, in which he explores nine weird and wonderful places around the UK and beyond. After thoroughly researching each town's history, people and idiosyncrasies, he goes on to write and perform a tailor-made evening of stand-up for the residents.