Steve TimmsWhat is comedy? Many actors have tried to give a suitably succinct description. For Charlie Chaplin, ‘Life is a tragedy when seen in close up but a comedy in long-shot.’ Stan Laurel chose to be less analytical: ‘What is comedy? I don’t know. Does...
Carmel ThomasonThere is probably little I can tell you about From the Vine you can’t grasp from the poster alone. But, in the midst of one of the most chaotic 18 months I can remember, familiarity and predictability wrapped in the warmth of Italian sun make for an...
If we think about 1980’s comedy, we think of revolution. The alternative crowd burnt the rule book, and the likes of Alexei Sayle, Rik Mayall, Jennifer Saunders and Ben Elton barged their way to the front of the television queue. But some...
Martin ThomassonThe Play That Went Wrong is a relentlessly inventive, immaculately choreographed farce. For the first time ever, I have to begin a review with a health warning: please don’t try drinking white spirit, and don’t (for a joke) put it in anybody else’s...
Treat your dad to something different this Father’s Day on June 20. Here’s our pick of quirky gifts that won’t break the piggy bank. Solid Cologne Aftershave has always been a popular gift for Father’s Day. And this wallet-sized...
Paul ThomasonCartoon favourite, Maya the Bee is back for her third full-length cinematic escapade. And don’t worry if you haven’t seen the first two, because this computer animated movie can be enjoyed without any prior knowledge of the earlier...
Alan Ladd Jr is, as his daughter, Amanda describes: ‘The most influential executive you’ve never heard of’. Unless of course you work in the movie business, where anyone who is anyone has a story to tell about him, with the names signed up to this...
Paul Thomason spends a creative, fun and competitive afternoon playing Taskmaster which brings all the silliness of the TV show to your front room. It must have been the ultimate task for board game producers, Ginger Fox but somehow they’ve...
Theatre returns to Salford Quays in May with an immersive outdoor production, ‘C-o-n-t-a-c-t’. The show premiered in Paris under social distancing conditions last summer and comes to Salford Quays and Central Manchester for a 6-week run in a...
Following a sell-out debut tour in 2019, Britain’s Got Talent winner, Lee Ridley – aka Lost Voice Guy – has a brand new show for 2021, Cerebral LOL-sy. He talks to Carmel Thomason about life during Covid and looking forward to...