Tag: Comedy

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Books, Columns, Comedy, Review

Reading Corner: Wilt by Tom Sharpe

Wilt (1976) by Tom Sharpe is probably the funniest book I have ever read. And I’m talking laugh out loud funny. As an English student with months and months of lockdown stretching ahead of me, I probably should have made a list of every great Victorian novel and slowly made my way through them with a sense of dignified purpose and achievement. Obviously, this was not the case and, as my Netflix history will prove, I have spent very little of this holiday actually reading. However, once I picked up Wilt, I forgot all about a fourth binge of the entirety of Community (shocking, I know) and was hooked. Continue reading Reading Corner: Wilt by Tom Sharpe

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Columns, Film/TV, Review, What's Happening

Why Do Women Have to *Literally* Spill Their Guts to Be Funny?

You can watch Bridesmaids for free on BoB. Bridesmaids has taken on a special cultural significance since its release in 2011. Hailed as “terrifically funny, smart and tender”, the film, under Paul Feig’s directing and Judd Apatow’s producing, remains a frank display of women behaving badly. Yet it is precisely this ‘behaving badly’ that remains a sticky topic.  Though the film has remained a critical … Continue reading Why Do Women Have to *Literally* Spill Their Guts to Be Funny?

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Editorial Team, Film/TV, Review

Frost on Film: The Personal History of David Copperfield

With his latest directorial instalment, Armando Iannucci has attempted to transform Charles Dickens’ masterpiece David Copperfield into a satirical affair which discusses contemporary social issues. The results are mixed as there are moments of genuine warmth throughout, but there are equally numerous occasions when jokes fall flat and twists in the plot fail to create the level of emotional outpouring one would have expected. Iannucci’s unique style is partially to blame for this as his ironic humour, which had elevated The Death of Stalin so brilliantly, in this instance limits the emotional heft of the source material. Continue reading Frost on Film: The Personal History of David Copperfield

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Editorial Team, Lifestyle, Literature, Local, Performance Arts, Review, What's Happening

Review: Spork! The Valentine(ish) Edition @ Exeter Phoenix

Spork! is a delightful evening of poetry, comedy, rap and performance, which brings together local artists in celebration of spoken word. Hosted by Chris White, Spork! is full of the weird and wonderful, it’s variety making each show unique, exciting and guaranteed to include something for everyone. On Tuesday 11 February, I was lucky enough to see their ‘Valentine(ish)’ special, in which poetic performances were based (loosely) on theme of love. Continue reading Review: Spork! The Valentine(ish) Edition @ Exeter Phoenix

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Comedy, Editorial Team, Interview, Performance Arts, Theatre, Writing

Interview: Tessa Peake-Jones, Actor in Bang Bang!

Farce is “a particular sense of humour”, Tessa Peake-Jones admits as we sit down to chat in Bang Bang!’s rehearsal space at Exeter’s Maketank. It’s less than a week before their opening night at Exeter Northcott and for Peake-Jones, known for her roles in Only Fools and Horses and Granchester, this is her first experience acting what she refers to as “proper farce, traditional farce.” It is also the stage writing debut of British comedy legend, John Cleese, who has previously achieved global success with works such as Monty Python and Fawlty Towers. Continue reading Interview: Tessa Peake-Jones, Actor in Bang Bang!

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Editorial Team, Interview, Performance Arts, Theatre

Interview: Wendi Peters, Actor in Bang Bang!

Adapted by John Cleese from a late 19th century comedy by Georges Feydeau, Bang Bang! begins its UK tour at the Exeter Northcott Theatre, performing from 6-15 February. It’s a farce about extra-marital affairs, deception, revenge, traps and chaos!

I interviewed Wendi Peters, who plays Countess Latour, prior to the show’s opening and was intrigued to hear how she’d describe the play in her own words. “Bang Bang! is a fast, funny farce. It’s absolute mayhem. But it’s brilliant mayhem.” Audiences can expect things to go “horribly wrong,” the unusual breaking of the fourth wall, for doors and wardrobes to come in, and a pair of trousers to play a role in the comedy (as is typical of farce). She affirms, “it is just brilliant, and it will definitely keep your attention and keep you laughing for a full two hours.” Continue reading Interview: Wendi Peters, Actor in Bang Bang!

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Comedy, Editorial Team, Exeter Uni, Local, Performance Arts, Review

Review: Com Soc’s A Streetcar Named Shakira

Have you ever dreamt of witnessing a real, live witch burning? Or getting the inside scoop on Gwyneth Paltrow’s successful skincare range? Maybe not, but “A Streetcar Named Shakira” is a comedy sketch show which will give you just those things (and more). Bursting with originality, confidence and energy, this innovative performance engages the audience and delivers a night full of side-splitting laughter. Continue reading Review: Com Soc’s A Streetcar Named Shakira

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Comedy, Editorial Team, Exeter Uni, Review, Theatre

Review: Comedy Society’s ‘SpaceBar’

This year, Comedy Society have risen from the unknown and successfully become one of the most prominent, exciting, and innovative theatre societies at the University. After their Term 1 show Asockalypse Now, in which audience members were awarded one free sock with each ticket, I was intrigued to see their newest sketch-show SpaceBar. From the very beginning, I was not disappointed, as the small cast … Continue reading Review: Comedy Society’s ‘SpaceBar’

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Comedy, Editorial Team, Local, Performance Arts, Review

Review: Felicity Ward @ Exeter Phoenix

The Women of the World (WOW) Festival graced the stages and galleries of the Exeter Phoenix last weekend to celebrate female artists, in the year that marks the centenary of female suffrage. It was a weekend of workshops, DJs, performances and plays, showcasing a wide range of female talent. And yet the audience of comedian Felicity Ward’s stand-up gig was far from female-only. Marketed as a festival “for women and for anyone who knows a woman”, people of all age ranges and genders were present at the gig, and the audible laughter that circulated throughout her performance indicated the wide-reaching scope of Ward’s humour. Felicity Ward is an Australian comedian, who stumbled into stand-up while pursuing a career in acting and has featured on Live at the Apollo and been nominated for the Edinburgh Comedy Award for Best Show in 2018. Ward is currently touring the UK with her newest material, with her Exeter performance coming a couple of weeks into the tour. Continue reading Review: Felicity Ward @ Exeter Phoenix

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Comedy, Editorial Team, Interview, Performance Arts

Interview with Felicity Ward

Since entering the world of comedy in 2008, to being nominated for the Best Show award with Edinburgh Comedy, Felicity Ward has gone from strength to strength. RAZZ had a chat with her about all things comedy and how her career has progressed. What can we expect from your Bust a Nut tour? It’s just an hour of straight up club material. Basically, what happens … Continue reading Interview with Felicity Ward

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