Andy Zaltzman

Baconface heads up Alternative Comedy Experience

Added to the ranks of explicitly political comics like Josie Long and Andy Zaltzman are the staunchly left-wing Grainne Maguire, libertarian, instinctive contrarian Liam Mullone and the uncompromising, anti-consumerist Alfie Brown.

Andy Zaltzman interview

Prior to his upcoming Political Animal shows and solo night at Udderbelly, satire behemoth Andy Zaltzman fulfils some contractual obligations.

Review: Political Animal

Is it possible to have too much politics at a satirical show? That thought lodged in my brain half-way through Political Animal, which featured Andy Zaltzman, Bridget Christie, Chris Coltrane and Francesca Martinez.

The Alternative Comedy Experience is a show 'curated' by Stewart Lee to showcase what he considers to be some of the most exciting stand-ups around today. As with most undertakings by Lee, this is in no way meant to pander to the general population. The show features a line-up of stand up comedians, cutting between sections of their material and backstage clips with Lee himself interviewing the acts. The line-up is predictably eclectic, this week featuring Andy Zaltzmann, Glenn Wool, Stephen Carlin, Sam Simmons and Maeve Higgins.

It's unlikely that you'll enjoy every stand up on each show, but the mix of styles and material mean that you are almost certain to find something that you will like, and maybe even discover someone you would not have previously considered. In earlier episodes I've greatly enjoyed Tony Law's routines, having previously discounted him based on certain panel show appearances.

Maeve Higgins was my highlight from this week's show, though, with a fantastically understated routine of ideas for films in which she could play the starring role. It was a real disappointment that her segment was so short, and I hope that we see more of her in next week's final episode. Andy Zaltzman and Glenn Wool were funny as usual, although in entirely different ways. Stephen Carlin seemed to rely too heavily on material derived from Scottish stereotypes, and didn't bring anything new to the table that we have not seen in some form or another before.

Unfortunately I just didn't 'get' Sam Simmons. Certain members of the audience seemed to really enjoy his incoherent rambling and energetic delivery, so I can't fault his appearance; this show is meant to push the boundaries of TV stand up, acting as almost an antithesis to shows like Live at The Apollo (which it directly follows on Comedy Central).

The thing I like most about this show, though, is not the acts, nor is it the short interview sections. It's the realism. Although the show is heavily edited, you really get a feel that it is being thoroughly honest; it's in a proper comedy club (it stresses this at the beginning), the audience are up for it but not overly forgiving, and when jokes don't land they don't leave them on the editing room floor.

Preview: The Week Ahead April 22 - 28

Previews of Rob Newman, Andy Zaltzman and Chris Ramsey.

Udderbelly Festival 2013: the comics' choices

Comedians playing the pop-up venue give their personal picks. Susan Calman recommends Andy Zaltzman; Doc Brown recommends Glenn Wool; and Michael Winslow recommends The Boy with Tape on His Face.

The Bugle - Podcast of biting political humour

Sharp, incisive satirical podcast from Andy Zaltzman and John Oliver.

Pub Landlord Al Murray is your host in the first of a new series of the stand-up show, and after a whirlwind bus-top tour of London - "Covent Garden! Not a single nun, not a single flower, a complete lie" - he takes to the stage in Shepherd's Bush, celebrating the Jubilee, Pippa Middleton's rear and taking the mickey out of the poor souls in the front row. Also on stage: Richard Herring deconstructs children's hand signals, while Andy Zaltzman transcribes his involvement in his child's birth.

The fourth series of this reliably funny stand-up comedy show opens with a bang tonight, as Al Murray's Pub Landlord embarks on an open-top tour of the capital. "The whole world looks to London," he says proudly, "and then sends its slack-jawed teenagers to chain-smoke and shoplift in the Trocadero." The tone set, Murray proceeds to give a fine, typically provocative performance in front of a paying crowd at the Shepherds Bush Empire before introducing support performances from Richard Herring and Andy Zaltzman.

Review: Andy Zaltzman: Armchair Revolutionary

After a lengthy and highly entertaining series of pre-show public announcements, Andy Zaltzman takes the stage, improbably high forehead peaked by even more unlikely shock of red hair, accessorised with a classic 'arrow through the head' prop.