This past week, people in Edinburgh paid £31 to see the television comedian Michael McIntyre’s warm-up shows of work-in-progress for his forthcoming stadium tour. Personally I never do warm-up shows for my own standup. My grandfather was of the opinion that you couldn’t polish a turd. He did, however, believe very strongly in lacquering them,…
I remember my first experience of the Edinburgh Fringe through a nostalgic haze. The Fringe was the postwar utopian ideal, but with jokes, experimental theatre and a lot of fried food; anyone could perform in it if they could raise the programme entry fee, still only a modest £246 today. Anyone might get audiences and…
“Visiting athletes enjoying their first taste of an East End curry have just discovered a new purpose for their Olympic Rings!” That was the tweet that started it all. Fans of me and my comedy work will know I am an inescapable presence on the Twitter social networking site and have more than 900,000 followers.…
Last week, I was reading Word, the culture primer for time-poor ageing hipsters, a midlife crisis in magazine form. Apparently, in December, the Tory feminist MP Louise Mensch, (whose ill-judged jokes about Occupy protesters on a recent Have I Got News for You sank slowly and silently like quern stones dropping down a deep Cotswold…
Britons from Scotland are the butt of many jokes. They are, apparently, financially cautious, fond of liquor and mistrustful of fruit. They delight in sexualised invertebrate torment and underestimate in their provision for female public toilets. And they over-indulge in recreational drug abuse. In fact, one of the few insults witty enough to be forgivable…
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube