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Interview: Kathy Maniura on her show ‘Cycling Man’ – ‘he’s actually quite horrible … but it works!’
Comedian, actor and writer Kathy Maniura debuted at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2023 with Objectified, an absurd character comedy show where she brought to life a variety of objects including a paper straw, a wine bottle and an electric scooter. The show and its subsequent tour was described as ‘an exquisitely realised, understated delight’ by…
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‘Malory Towers’ review – ‘vibrant and lively with a strong moral core’
Malory Towers is a series of books written by still-omnimpresent children’s writer Enid Blyton, most well-known for The Famous Five series. As the programme for this show says, in 2017 she was still the 12th most popular children’s author, with her books being the most translated works for children in the world (UNESCO). Active from the late 1930s…
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‘Eat the Rich (but maybe not me mates x)’ review – ‘effortlessly vivid and fun’
It’s a beautifully sunny day in Bristol and I’m heading over to the Bristol Old Vic to see ‘Eat The Rich (but maybe not me mates x),’ by Jade Franks. The show, currently being developed by Netflix as a TV series, began life as stand-up sets before Franks worked it into a full play. A…
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Interview: Ozzy Algar on their show ‘Speed Queen’ – ‘a solo show is not a solo endeavour’
Ozzy Algar’s 2025 debut Edinburgh Fringe show ‘Speed Queen,’ followed Pet, the proprietor of the last laundrette on the Isle of Wight, as she described her life and the community around her. Blending clowning, comedy and folk horror, it received rave reviews. Having just returned from performing at the Adelaide Fringe, Ozzy is taking Speed…
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‘Hooray for Hollywood’ at the Ustinov Studio review – ‘a testament to genuine passion for the form’
The last show I saw in the Ustinov was ‘The Last Five Years,’ by Jason Robert Brown, and it seems only right to return for a wider celebration of movie musicals – ‘Hooray for Hollywood,’ as performed by Liza Pulman and Joe Stilgoe, with the latter also playing the piano. The stage is set with…
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Review: ‘Is This Thing On?’ – ‘meanders unsuccessfully – despite the talent involved’
One night in the early 2000s Manchester, John Bishop was performing stand-up. He’d begun some months previously on a whim, after taking a spot to avoid paying the venue’s entry fee. In the final stages of a divorce, he was telling a joke about his soon-to-be ex-wife when he unmistakeably heard her laugh in the…
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‘The Last Five Years’ at the Ustinov Studio review – ‘transcendent and beautiful’
The Last Five Years is the Ustinov Studio’s Christmas show for 2025. I was very excited to see it as a long-time fan of the 2015 film adaptation soundtrack, starring Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan. By Jason Robert Brown, it is the semi-autobiographical story of the relationship between Jamie, a newly successful writer, and Cathy, an…
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Josie Long: Now Is The Time of Monsters review – ‘endearingly intimate and vigorously potent’
Josie Long visits the Old Vic with her acclaimed 2025 Fringe show, ‘Now Is The Time of Monsters.’ It’s lovely to see comedy in the Old Vic, as it’s such a beautiful venue, and since winter has apparently arrived in Bristol at 11am today, it feels appropriately cosy to go to the theatre and watch…
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Julie Masli: ha ha ha ha ha ha ha review – ‘enigmatic charisma’
Julie Masli brings her acclaimed show ‘ha ha ha ha ha ha ha,’ to the Old Vic. The show has had huge success, being voted the Most Innovative Show by the Offies and winning the 2023 Best Show Award at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, among considerable other recognition. The show’s blurb is ‘ hahahahahahahahahaha…
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Helen Bauer: Bless Her review – ‘effortless charisma and magnetism’
It’s a great night for comedy on North St on this drizzly September Sunday; Ahir Shah is doing a double work-in-progress show at Bar 57, and just ten minutes away, Helen Bauer brings her tour show ‘Bless Her,’ to the Tobacco Factory. I head to the latter, where the usual large stage area has been…
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