Comedy News Round Up

New Female Comedy Club, Louis Theroux, Ivo Graham, Ben Elton, Smoggie Queens

Slapped wrists time. I’ve realised that the Subscribe button is not always appearing on my Substack stories, which may explain a recent drop in paid subscribers. Below is my latest round-up of comedy news. If you like what you see please consider paying to subscribe or upgrading to paid so that I can continue to do this. And if you can’t see that damned disappearing subscribe button please leave a comment and I’ll sort it out. Annual subscription works out at less that £5 a month. Go on, you know you want it…

There has been a lot of talk lately about female comedy stand-ups on the circuit and clubs not booking them. Hot Water in Liverpool has responded by setting up a regular female stand-up night called Crushing! Is it the answer or is it creating a female stand-up ghetto? I’ve heard both suggestions.

Crushing! will take place each Thursday from September 26 when the compere is Kate Tracey (pictured above). The club says that it is part of their commitment to offering more stage time and support to women in comedy, from up-and-coming talent to seasoned headliners. Read more about it here.

Ben Elton (below) has been there and done that and now he’s being there and doing that all over again. His latest tour, Authentic Stupidity, is doing so well a new leg and a West End run has just been added. I’m all for new comics breaking through, but sometimes you can’t beat an intelligent, seasoned comic who really puts on a great show. Dates and details here.

And talking of new comics breaking through Ivo Graham (pictured below) has announced live tour dates for his Grand Design show. I saw his previous show in Edinburgh in 2023 and was a bit disappointed but I’ve also seen this one and it’s a real return to form, full of stats, lists and hilarious accounts of embarrassing misadventures. Self-deprecation doesn’t come much smarter. Details here.

Smoggie Queens is a new out and out BBC comedy centred around a gang of friends who are fiercely proud of their North Eastern town of Middlesbrough and their small pocket of the LGBTQ+ community. Filming has just wrapped and the full cast including Alexandra Mardell as Lucinda (below) has been announced. Read more about it here.

And finally, I know he’s not strictly a comedian but Louis Therous (below) has frequently brought a smile to my face. Like a billion other celebrities he launched a podcast during lockdown, his one featuring probing star interviews. He is now returning with a new series and one of the interviewees is comedian Trevor Noah. Find out more about the podcast and who else is on it here.

Read more comedy news every day on beyondthejoke.co.uk