It's a wee bit eggy...

After propelling to fame as the hilarious heartthrob on ‘I’m a celebrity, get me out of here’ last year, Joel Dommett has become a household name, with many sceptics, myself included, now seeing him live to determine whether his stand-up shows live up to a high expectation. Yes, that is my chuffed little face at stage door! Accompanied with the perfect pre-show set list, which reminded me of my true, 13-year-old emo phase (which after 7 years I am still waiting to grow out of), Joel’s infectious energy and enthusiastic storytelling filled the entirety of the Mayflower Theatre, Southampton with instantaneous laughter, that continued throughout the evening. From storytelling to observation, dating fails to a confetti canon, a high level of excitement was maintained throughout, stemming one of the most relaxed, yet hilarious, atmospheres I’ve felt to date. Joel’s overall persona, performance and stage presence are well-crafted in the most genuine way possible, allowing an inst...

In a world where Trump is president, Brexit is underway and humanity appears to be taking a steady decline into a whole new pit of misery, you can always rely on Jon Richardson to focus on the real issues of the world, and spend a solid chunk of time complaining about how people have a complete inability to use a dishwasher. Touring to Southampton as part of his latest show, somewhat fittingly titled ‘Old Man’, Jon treated crowds to a series of hilarious jokes and antidotes about his life, which I can only be described as being a concerning level of relatable for the most part. With his act varying from topics such as his OCD tendencies to marriage, public toilets to new-found fatherhood, the much-loved comedian ensured that all members of the audience are catered for, and, even though he is such a small person, he easily managed to feel the large theatre space. Accompanied by a minimalistic stage, which featured symmetrical lighting across the back, all eyes were on him...

After years of watching Reginald D. Hunter take to the stage on popular comedy shows, I was thrilled to be seeing him for the first time live at the New Theatre Royal, Portsmouth. With nothing to base his live performance on, I didn’t quite know what to anticipate, and boy was I shocked at some of the material I heard. Accompanied by friend and fellow comedian Glenn Wool, the show, titled ‘Some People V. Reginald D. Hunter’ started off with a series of deeply honest and controversial jokes, intertwined with relatable silliness. Glenn was a great storyteller, with his clear anger bagging many laughs from the audience as a whole, and his controversy collecting a medley of laughs and gasps from the intimate audience (and yes, I was one of the terrible humans who was laughing). This level of comedy only escalated throughout the evening, as both comedians depicted their take on society in a searingly honest way, covering tabooed subjects such as race and sexuality, in a manner ...

On the 13 th April 2017, Chris Ramsey’s latest live show ‘Is That…Chris Ramsey?’ toured to the Guildhall, Portsmouth. With just half the seats being filled, I questioned why the rising star of television didn’t sell out such a small venue, especially since recently getting the chance to host his own show on Comedy Central, which is creatively named, ‘The Chris Ramsey Show’. Having watched him for years, including in shows like ‘Live at the Apollo’ and ‘Hebburn’, I expected a sell out; however, I actually enjoyed being part of a smaller and more intimate audience, and I feel as though it really helped out with the more casual feel of the show. Accompanying Chris Ramsey was friend and fellow comedian, Carl Hutchinson, who acted as the supporting act for the evening. It feels rare to have a supporting act which complements the main act of the evening, however, the combination of Chris and Carl was perfect. Carl produced a hilarious, well-timed and relatable set, and I hope he doe...

Honest, witty and more nostalgic than a 10p Fredo, Sue Perkins’ latest tour, ‘Spectacles’, was the perfect balance of a stand-up show and a book tour, neatly wrapped into a couple of side-splitting hours. The Simplistic Stage Focusing largely on her seventies childhood, the show revolved around Sue becoming who she as today, varying from tales of her unglamorous holidays to Brighton, the terror of Public Safety adverts and not to mention the overall gut-wrenching horror that was her childhood haircut. Accompanied by just a screen to display some hilarious family photos, as well as some flattering photos (sense the sarcasm) of fellow bake host Mel, and a copy of her latest book from which she occasionally read, Sue filled the stage of the King’s Theatre Portsmouth with her brilliantly flamboyant persona, making you feel more like a friend than an audience member. Revealing her hidden and unexpected depths, and insight into Perkins memoirs was a true treat, and although I am ha...

Optimistic, light-hearted and fuelled with compassion is the only way I can think to describe Adam Hills at the best of times, and his latest tour of Clown Heart was certainly no exception. Usually, I am a fan of darker and more twisted style of comedy, which probably says far too much about me as a person, but as an avid fan of the Channel Four talk show The Last Leg , I jumped at the chance to see the host, Adam Hills, live, despite my scepticism. On the show, Hills is undoubtedly smart and quick-thinking, and yet when piling into the theatre, I couldn’t help but starting to feel a growing anxiety that he would be the sort of comedian who is great on TV, but, for lack of a better word, disappointing when live. Obviously, I was quickly proven wrong.  The show started with a support act, who also completely blew all of my expectations out of the water. Ian Coppinger , who dare I say is the newfound king of improvisation, should definitely be a household name by now. ...