Showing titles in Performing Arts

Join professional comedy writer Joel Morris on a hilarious journey into the hidden world of shared laughter, where he reveals the mechanisms that make jokes work and what comedy can teach us about ourselves. Offering astute analysis of everything from stand-up to slapstick and sitcom to spoof, Morris examines comedic patterns, rhythms, and dynamics to uncover the algorithms that secretly underpin comedy.

David Mitchell hosts the hilarious panel show which turns honest men into lying cheats. In this devious and delightfully funny competition, four comedians have the audacity to lie through their teeth for victory. They compete against each other with lies, untruths and dishonesty. Tall tales, white lies, blatant bluffs and misdirection rule. Can they smuggle the truth past each other, or will they be caught in the act of lying?

Ricky chats with Diane Morgan, Mark Watson, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Daniel Sloss, Stephen Knight, Ben Smith and Andrew Doyle.

The collected radio shows of award-winning stand-up comedian Bridget Christie 'The current queen of crusading UK comedy' - Guardian Writer, actress and stand-up star Bridget Christie has won numerous awards, performed 12 hit Edinburgh Festival Fringe shows and written the critically-acclaimed...

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.

Adopted at six months old by Dubliners Sean and Helen Gallagher, PJ spent much of his childhood knocking back Lucozade with the local alcoholics in his parents' northside pub. But the chaos that reigned for his first ten years was nothing compared to what happened when - having lost the pub - Helen took in psychiatric patients from the local hospital to give them 'care in the community'. Now it was a household of ten - PJ, his sister, his parents and six lost souls. Worst. Idea. Ever. Madhouse is PJ's riotous life story.

All twelve episodes of the BBC Radio 4 sketch show starring Robert Webb and friends Welcome to Concrete Cow, the sketch show where anything is possible. Written by James Cary, who won a Silver Sony Award for Think the Unthinkable, this silly, surreal and ingenious comedy stars one half of...

A finely matured selection of episodes from the long-running topical Radio 4 panel show, chaired by Barry Norman, Barry Took, Simon Hoggart, Sandi Toksvig and Miles Jupp. These 14 archive editions, all published for the first time, span the decades from 1978 to 2017 and recall the headline-grabbing issues, incidents and individuals of yesteryear.

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.

Award winning stand-up comedian Alan Carr’s long awaited second stand-up show Spexy Beast Live. recorded in front of a sold out crowd of 13,000 fans at the Manchester Evening News Arena as part of his 33 date UK and Ireland arena tour, Spexy Beast Live sees Alan back on stage and follows on from where his debut best-selling release Tooth Fairy left off.

By rights, Ozzy Osbourne should not be alive. He spent forty years on a hell-raising, bat-biting, ant-snorting*, drink and drug-fuelled bender. He broke his neck going two miles an hour on a quad bike and died twice in a chemically induced coma. And yet - at 62 years old - he is healthier and...

'A wonderful book, I don't expect to read a better memoir for a very long time.' ROBERT WEBB, author of How Not To Be A Boy 'Funny and heart breaking in equal measure' FERN BRADY, author of Strong Female Character 'The guiltiest of literary pleasures: a memoir that you open with trepidation and...

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...

In three series of fast-paced comedy, packed with brilliant banter and quickfire improvisation, Jason Byrne shares his experiences of education, relationships, sport, food, money, ageing, work and much, much more. From going on a first date to the birth of his children, from poo in the school playground and 'When Mediums Have Sex' to getting in trouble with the police, Jason probes a new theme with each new episode. As first heard on BBC Radio 2, there's top-notch stand-up, madcap sketches, plus special guests.

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!

Penguin presents the unabridged, audio download edition of Modern Romance, written and read by Aziz Ansari. People today have more romantic options than at any point in human history, and thanks to social media, smartphones and online dating, our abilities to connect with these options are...

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 the complete recording of Meet David Sedaris Series Six, for Radio 4...

THE UNMISSABLE, LAUGH-OUT-LOUD MEMOIR FROM BELOVED BRITISH COMEDIAN HARRY HILL: A MUST-READ FOR ANYONE IN NEED OF A LAUGH 'The funniest book I've read in years' - ADAM KAY 'A brilliant insight into what it takes to go from regular funny bloke to one of the best stand-ups I've ever seen' - LEE...

The ground-breaking show that exploded on to TV screens in the 70's turning a whole host of club comedians into stars overnight. Frank Carson, Charlie Williams, Bernard Manning, Duggie Brown, Ken Goodwin and Stan Boardman amongst others. This re-union in Blackpool brings four of the original artists back on stage and also includes a great documentary with interviews and performances from the other stars.