Comedy

A new documentary from the magazine examines the British broadcasting ban on Sinn Féin leaders’ voices. But one figure looks oddly familiar

Just when America most needs dissenting voices, the comedian is retiring from his brilliant WTF podcast after 16 years

In back rooms, tiny pubs and even horse boxes, lesser-known standup comedians keep the eccentric spirit of the Edinburgh Fringe alive

The Father Ted creator and GB News commentator are off to America in search of "artistic freedom"

Our editor-at-large’s rundown of the pick of the week’s cinema, streaming and books

Nato and chess aren’t traditional topics for stand-ups. But North Macedonian comedian Vlad Ilich makes it work in three languages

The Italian-Northern Irish stand-up has built a huge following by poking fun at Britain’s past

In a difficult year for Edinburgh, Sir Ian provides an exhilarating spectacle - but there are joys to be found elsewhere in the city

We need the Fringe more than ever, but European comedians are finding the price of playing there beyond a joke

The Mash Report, the BBC show which was accused of left-wing bias, will not return for another series. The programme, a satirical take on the week’s news which featured Nish Kumar and Rachel Parris, first aired in 2017. The BBC said in a statement: “We are very proud of The Mash Report but, in order […]

A German television show has mocked Boris Johnson and his Brexit proposals in a spoof of Netflix’s The Crown entitled ‘The Clown’. Extra3, which airs on public broadcaster NDR, derided the UK’s departure from the European Union and its prime minister in a spoof trailer which is going viral in the European country and now the […]

Former UKIP leader Gerard Batten has been mocked after claiming that Dawn French’s Vicar of Dibley character symbolises “satanism”. In a call to “defund the BBC”, the short-lived UKIP leader was branded an “idiot” for his musings on the popular comedy show. He tweeted: “Please retweet this. Dawn French, the BBC’s Vicar of Dibley wears […]

In the past, The Edinburgh Fringe has often been a hotbed of some of the most satirical and illuminating political comedy. So what does 2018 have to offer? The writer and novelist JOHN NICHOLSON is our man in the Athens of the North When many of our most important politicians are such ridiculous, ludicrous, grotesque […]

Heard the one about the comedian being sued by an ex after she used him in her act? IAN WILKIE says it is no laughing matter Stand-up comedian Louise Reay is being sued by her ex-husband for defamation after allegedly referring to him in a derogatory manner during her show at the Edinburgh Fringe. The […]