I contributed three articles to the British Comedy Awards magazine in December 2012; an interview with Sarah Millican, a feature on the university days of the Fresh Meat cast and profiles of various comedians (including Omid Djalili and Jack Whitehall) who play football.
Read MoreThe Independent Saturday 5th May, 2012 When I read that the award-winning comedian and frenetic brainbox Russell Kane had secured a book deal for a tale about a misanthropic, anhedonistic comedy critic, my first reaction was “Really? And he doesn’t even know me that well…” I realised a few pages into the book, however, that […]
Read MoreES magazine, 11th November 2011 Once upon a time, a full house and a few laughs were the best a stand up could hope for. These days, with book deals, DVD spin-offs and arena tours, the big names are cashing in big-time… [issuu viewMode=singlePage width=420 height=594 shareMenuEnabled=false printButtonEnabled=false backgroundColor=%23222222 documentId=120102182451-3d3de26a33624a6ab61c4568a90e7f1a name=laughing_all_the_way_to_the_bank username=julian_hall tag=comedy unit=px id=940377e5-92aa-eec8-ba14-0bdeb63e9f1d […]
Read MoreThe Stage, 6th June 2011 The word ‘masterclass’ was freely bandied about the O2 immediately after Jerry Seinfeld finished his first publicised UK appearance in thirteen years. Ninety minutes of consummate stand-up will do that. Rarely smiling at even the punchlines he knew he could be most proud of, the American veteran approached set-ups and […]
Read MoreRoyal Albert Hall, London Reviewed by Julian Hall The Independent Friday, 24 September 2010 A national treasure, a comedy god, the acceptable face of Richard Dawkins; whatever you wish to call Stephen Fry there’s a weight of expectation on his one-man show. Tonight, though the library salon-style set is sumptuous, the performer exhibited more sparkle […]
Read MoreLembit Opik takes the stage Prospect magazine, 3rd June 2010 Perhaps Lembit Opik turning from politics to comedy was not such a surprise. After all, this is the man who played cheeky boy to a Cheeky Girl and had a penchant for backing doomed leadership campaigns within his own party, with the effect of Norman […]
Read MoreShowstopper! Leicester Square Theatre, London The Independent, 5th May 2009 Matt Lucas is partly responsible for some of the most visceral and grotesque humour in British comedy. So it was both intriguing and refreshing to see him in an altogether more ponderous, and sometimes bashful mood, for his guest role in this improvised musical. Sporting […]
Read MoreReviewed by Julian Hall Hexagon, Reading The Independent, 24th March 2009 When Rob Brydon’s support act, Hal Cruttenden, announces himself, there’s the customary puzzlement from the section of the audience that didn’t realise there was a warm-up. When Brydon announces himself, after the interval, there seemed to be a smaller group that hadn’t realised that […]
Read MoreWhen the Comedy Store threw open its doors, it rewrote the joke book. Julian Hall celebrates 30 years of mirth – and 10 comedians recall their first, nerve-wracking, appearances there. The Independent, 18th May, 2009 Once dubbed “Comedy’s Unofficial National Theatre”, The Comedy Store is 30 years old this month. Quality control has been the […]
Read MoreThe Secret Policeman’s Ball, The Albert Hall, London By Julian Hall Wednesday, 8 October 2008 Having attended the last two outings of Amnesty International’s Secret Policeman’s Ball at The Albert Hall, it strikes me as an occasion as bewildering for it’s audience as it is for the acts who have never played this grand venue […]
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