Bruce Dessau
- Journalist and reviewer
Press clippings Page 275
Josie Long, Soho Theatre - comedy review
Josie Long has found a rich new seam of material -- herself. In her new show, Cara Josephine, she weaves this heart-warming tale of failed romance with quick-witted passion.
Bruce Dessau, Evening Standard, 21st January 2015What changes when you see a show more than once?
I gave Josie Long's Cara Josephine four stars when I reviewed the show in Edinburgh and four stars in the Evening Standard and I'm not for a moment saying that it doesn't deserve all of the raves it is getting, but the interesting thing is that I have seen the full show twice now and bits of it five times - at Latitude, in Edinburgh, at the Greenwich Comedy Festival and supporting Aziz Ansari - and there were moments which I viewed differently this time round, as follows.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 21st January 2015Interview: Rarely Asked Questions - John Dredge
John Dredge is a prolific podcaster and YouTube clip-maker. Barely a week goes by without something by Dredge landing in my inbox and brightening my day.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 20th January 2015Mat Ricardo, Purcell Room, Southbank Centre - review
This variety circuit regular is a welcome yet curious addition to the London International Mime Festival as he rarely stops talking during his performance.
Bruce Dessau, Evening Standard, 20th January 2015Alex Edelman, Soho Theatre - comedy review
There is also political heft here. He reflects on his generation's disillusionment with Barack Obama and reveals that his degree at New York University cost him a jaw-dropping $191,000, which puts UK fees into perspective.
Bruce Dessau, Evening Standard, 19th January 2015News: Midlands Comedy Awards full results
Birmingham comedian Andy Robinson beat stiff competition to be voted Best Act and Best Compere of 2014 at the Midlands Comedy Awards. The Glee Club was awarded Best Club, while Nottingham's Fowl Humour was given the prize for Best Open Mic Show.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 16th January 2015TV preview: Catastrophe, C4
Channel 4's new sitcom Catastrophe starts with a bang. Not the nuclear variety as in ITV2's Cockroaches though. Here the bang is the sex between the two characters Sharon and Rob (Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney) who have just met in a bar. It's a fast and furious shag and one of many that punctuates the hilarious first episode.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 16th January 2015Mark Thomas presents first Linda Smith Lecture
Comedian Mark Thomas is to present the inaugural Linda Smith Lecture at the Gulbenkian Theatre in Canterbury on May 12. The talk is being put on by The British Stand-Up Comedy Archive as part of a series of events this year.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 14th January 2015Opinion: never make friends with a comedian
After I posted a story yesterday about Stewart Lee standing in for Stuart Maconie on BBC6 Music's Freak Zone, it was pointed out to me that Lee had previously been critical of Maconie in his 2008 show 41st Best Stand-Up Ever. Lee was putting the boot into talking head pundits-for-hire and mentioned that Maconie, for a fee, can recall any aspect of human experience.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 13th January 2015TV review: Cockroaches, ITV2
It won't be the end of the world if you miss Cockroaches, but future episodes promise appearances from Alexander Armstrong and Nigel Planer and it certainly feels worth sticking with.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 13th January 2015