Bruce Dessau
- Journalist and reviewer
Press clippings Page 214
Review: Piccadilly New Comedian of the Year award
The Piccadilly Comedy Club New Comedian of the Year final has become a pretty good talent-spotter in recent years.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 31st December 2016Judges Announced for new comedy writing competition
The three judges have been announced for the first David Nobbs Memorial Trust writing competition, which opens for submissions on 1st January 2017. Founder of Yellow Door Productions and former head of comedy at Sky and the BBC, Lucy Lumsden, seasoned writer and comedian Marcus Brigstocke, and comedian and campaigner Josie Long have volunteered their time to support the recently founded charity.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 30th December 2016TV preview: Cunk on Christmas, BBC Two
Following a one-off on Shakespeare earlier this year Philomena Cunk returns with a seasonal sequel exploring the meaning and traditions of Christmas. It's an important time of the year, she tells us. In fact as Cunk explains at the start of the programme in her distinctive flat northern tones, "Christmas is such a big deal even Richard Dawkins probably does it."
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 29th December 2016TV review: The Entire Universe
Noel Fielding as a shiny gold Bee Gee singing about gravity? That's just one of the many delights of this truly odd programme which mixes music, comedy and science in a way that has rarely been done before. The Sky At Night this ain't.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 26th December 2016Preview: Inside No 9 - The Devil Of Christmas
A new series of Inside No 9 starts in early 2017 but as a brilliant curtain raiser here's a one-off episode with a Yuletide theme. The Devil of Christmas is set in December 1977 in an Alpine chalet where a nice middle class English family has arrived to enjoy a skiing holiday.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 24th December 2016TV review: Walliams & Friend with Miranda Richardson
I don't know how much this week's guest Miranda Richardson cost but I did wonder how available she was as she doesn't do a great deal in this episode.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 23rd December 2016Scott Gibson, comedy review
This natural narrator effortlessly finds humour in the horror, writes Bruce Dessau.
Bruce Dessau, Evening Standard, 22nd December 2016Bruce Dessau's top comedy gigs for 2016
Having been spoilt for choice when it came to picking TV highlights the live highlights felt thinner on the ground this year. The Edinburgh Fringe featured a lot of very good shows but few really great ones. Maybe comedians were a little knocked sideways by the Brexit vote. but two did respond well - see below. Elsewhere there were a few excellent big gigs and small gigs and it was nice to see some West End runs rather than bank raid arena one-offs. These shows are listed in absolutely no particular order.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 21st December 2016Michelle Wolf, comedy review
Deceptively smart observations on gender and politics.
Bruce Dessau, Evening Standard, 21st December 2016Interview: Rarely Asked Questions - Viv Groskop
I don't really know journalist Viv Groskop but I do know her writing. It is sharp, funny and well-observed.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 19th December 2016