BCG Daily Tuesday 28th January 2014

News: Julian Barratt unveils Jon Breeze

No press tickets issued, no reviewers invited to Julian Barratt's first "love blast" at the Soho Theatre in the guise of relaxation guru Jon Breeze, who wants to "touch your now".

Lack of British women in comedy: where's UK's 'Girls'?

In a televisual environment where female comedians are edited or drowned out on panel shows, we're crying out for more voices.

Radio Times review

Vic has redecorated Bob's front room using wallpaper patterned with horses - German honeymoon horses, "Some galloping, some not so galloping." It doesn't sound like much of a catchphrase, but as each of the characters enters and picks up on it, the joke builds ridiculously. It's also another instance of the way Bob gets slightly excluded by the other characters and mocked for being a bit square - not least by his sneering teenage (Norwegian) son Erik.

But it's oddball friends Beef and Bosh who steal the show tonight. Beef (the terrific Matt Berry) enters wearing a roaringly daft catsuit, accessorised with "the most yellow of all my yellow belts", then surpasses it later with a tent-like Hawaiian muumuu dress. Add in a coconut-topped pizza, iron-ore shoes and some African nerve agent and you have the best episode yet.

Nick Helm interview

Nick Helm talks about dealing with "all sorts of fucking people" and making them laugh.

Lenny Henry honoured at Critics' Circle Theatre Awards

Lenny Henry has been honoured by top theatre critics for his latest stage role in August Wilson's classic American drama Fences.

The Establishment Club, comedy review

When this reprise of Peter Cook's 1960s satirical club debuted in 2012 it was an underwhelming affair. George Galloway and comedian Terry Alderton topped and tailed the bill that night. They do so again today, but luckily the parallels end there.

TV review: Hank Zipzer

This is unmistakably an opening episode as the establishment of the characters is hammered home with earthquake-like subtlety while a couple of the performances are a little wooden.

5 things you might not know about the ISIHAC crew

Barry Cryer, Graeme Garden, Tim Brooke-Taylor, Jeremy Hardy and Jack Dee are taking the beloved radio show on the road. Here's some facts about them.

Omid Djalili, comedian & actor - portrait of the artist

The stage star talks reveals how comedy cost him his athletic figure, why he struggles to be taken seriously as an actor - and why doing a 10-metre dive on Splash! changed his life.

Alexei Sayle to give lecture at De Montfort University

Veteran funnyman Alexei Sayle is making his debut appearance at Dave's Leicester Comedy Festival next month.

Jonathan Creek takes aim at Sherlock

The new series of Alan Davies's whodunit introduces a character who claims to be able to make Sherlock-like deductions - but can't - in a send up of the hit BBC One drama.

Tom Wrigglesworth interview

"I found this box of tapes that contained interviews between me and my grandad," says the 37-year-old from Sheffield, who would record their conversations when he was a teenager.