Lots of bum and poo gags to keep the kids happy In each of its incarnations " books, television series and theatre shows " covering more than 80 titles, Horrible Histories, created by Terry …
Nice in-jokes and smart observations about actors A running gag in David Nicholls' novel The Understudy is that its main character is called Steve McQueen. Not that Steve McQueen, the multi…
Immersion in Georgian court intrigue Les Enfants Terribles is the theatre company behind several interesting immersive projects, including Alice's Adventures Underground and Inside Pussy Rio…
Ben Elton's new comedy is a gagfest What joy it is to welcome this offshoot of the television series to the West End stage " complete with several of that show's cast, plus a few new additio…
Mischief Theatre and Penn & Teller mash-up Mischief Theatre's "Goes Wrong" oeuvre is now well established: broad humour combined with physical comedy and slapstick mishaps. Magic Goes Wr…
Mischief Theatre with another enjoyable farce Mischief Theatre is a wonder of modern commercial theatre. In 2008, group of young actors who had met at drama school started the ensemble " wri…
Purists may quibble at circus-themed show When Qdos brought back pantomime to the Palladium three years ago after an absence of nearly 30 years, it set the bar high with superb production v…
David Baddiel's debut play tackles a big issue David Baddiel is a very fine comic, and over the past few years has become an acclaimed author of children's books. So I'm genuinely sad to sa…
Jane Austen redux fizzes with ideas What a joy Laura Wade's latest play is. Transferring from its successful run at the Minerva Theatre at Chichester last year, The Watsons is developed from…
Jacobean comedy gets a rare outing It was a bold choice by director Blanche McIntyre to stage Ben Jonson's seldom performed, sprawling slice-of-life play in the bijou Sam Wanamaker Playhouse…
Final outing for Phoebe Waller-Bridge as her iconic creation We're saying goodbye to a much treasured friend. Fleabag will live on, of course " other actresses have and will inhabit the role…
More from the world's biggest and best arts festival The Red Pleasance Dome ★★★★ Comic Marcus Brigstocke has spoken in the past about his addictions and now he ha…
More from the world's biggest and best arts festival On the Other Hand, We're Happy Summerhall **** This affecting co-production between Paines Plough and Theatr Clywd of Daf James's play t…
Jeremy Herrin's production of modern classic feels leaden Michael Frayn's Noises Off is a modern classic, a backstage sex farce that pokes affectionate fun at a profession he loves. And now …
Penelope Skinner probes the men's rights movement Penelope's Skinner's monologue was a critical and audience hit at last year's Edinburgh Fringe, when its talking point found its moment. He…
David Ireland's dark, absurdist comedy about identityDavid Ireland is a playwright who likes to jolt his audience and Cyprus Avenue, a dark absurdist comedy about an Ulster unionist afr…
Martin Crimp's latest about a sex game is all talk and no actionWhen it was announced that Cate Blanchett was making her National Theatre debut with Martin's Crimp's new play, When We h…
West End transfer for Tony Kushner's musical about race and povertyWith the politics of hate alive and well both sides of the Atlantic, this seems a good time to revive Tony Kushner and…
Enjoyable but underpoweredPaul Merton has a lot of strings to his bow " stand-up, improv artist, historian of silent-movie-era comedy, quiz-show panellist, to name a few " and now he adds pa…
Susie McKenna creates fast-paced fun in a busy mixSusie McKenna and Steven Edis have been creating pantos for Hackney Empire for 20 years, and over that time its seasonal offering has become…
Dick jokes in abundance told in urban street style pantomimeIn 2009 Sean Holmes, then Lyric Hammersmith's artistic director, made a bold move by reintroducing panto at the lovely Frank Match…
Two-hander with a Walt Whitman poem and a clever twistHere's a good pub quiz question: after Shakespeare, who was the most performed playwright in America last year? Arthur Miller? Tennessee…
Les Dennis is superb as a washed-up comicLes Dennis was once a marquee name on Saturday night television as host of Family Fortunes, but since giving up the light entertainment lark he now p…
James Graham tells of the "coughing major" who wanted to be a millionaireYou could be forgiven for not remembering the "coughing major" brouhaha in 2001, coming as it did the day b…
Jamie Campbell came out at 14, wore a dress to his school dance and dreamed of being a drag star. Throught it all, he was supported by his mother. Now, their lives are the subject of a music…