Bruce Dessau
- Journalist and reviewer
Press clippings Page 228
Latitude review: Nish Kumar
The inevitable running gag at Latitude was Brexit. Numerous comedians had hastily fashioned routines out of the horror show of the referendum fallout. Most were clever from a cushioned, cosy white middle class perspective. Nish Kumar played a trump card. His Brexit routine hinged on an incident when he was on the receiving of post-poll racism.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 18th July 2016Latitude review: Reggie Watts
Did I mention it was excellent? By the end of his show pretty much everyone was converted. People usually get up to walk somewhere else after a Latitude comedy performance. Here they got up to give Watts a standing ovation.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 17th July 2016Latitude review: James Acaster
While the structure might have been altered, there were plenty of new routines here that suggest that Reset will be every bit as strong as his previous Edinburgh shows. he had a neat story about the honey business, a gripe against museum museum rubbers and his impression of a praying mantis definitely deserves an award, even if it is only Best Impersonation of a Praying Mantis.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 17th July 2016Latitude review: Josh Widdicombe
The Devon comic has become pretty ubiquitous on television in the last couple of years and it is easy to see why.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 17th July 2016Latitude review: Sara Pascoe
Pascoe's set was mainly a truncated version of the truncated version of her touring show that I saw at Soho Theatre earlier this year.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 16th July 2016Latitude review: Katherine Ryan
Ryan is a star and she knows it, mockingly dubbing herself "TV's Katherine Ryan" but in this performance she sensibly introduced herself to people who may not have seen her onstage before and offered a bit about her Canadian background, growing up in the industrial town of Sarnia - "like Swindon without the character".
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 16th July 2016Latitude review: Al Murray Pub Landlord
Al Murray is going out on a UK tour this autumn so it'll be interesting to see how he addresses an issue, given that "Back off Brussels" and a general air of mock Europhobia has been part of the Pub Landlord's act for the past two decades. Has the joke bitten him on the bum?
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 16th July 2016Live review: Balham Comedy Festival Comedy Contest
It is a truth universally acknowledged - among stand-ups anyway - that you can't have too many comedy competitions.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 13th July 2016Vikki Stone joins BBC Proms team
Musical comedian Vikki Stone has joined the BBC team covering the Proms at the Royal Albert Hall.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 12th July 2016TV preview: Man Down, C4
Good to see Greg Davies back as helpless, hapless, hopeless giant man-child teacher Dan. There are some nice new treats in the supporting cast too, but they have to have pretty big personalities to stand a chance of competing with Davies. Luckily they are.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 11th July 2016