Bruce Dessau
- Journalist and reviewer
Press clippings Page 285
Opinion: Should critics quote jokes?
To quote jokes or not to quote jokes, that is the perennial question for comedy critics. This has particularly been bothering me in the last couple of days after I ran a rave review of Bec Hill and she complained that I had printed one of her jokes, thus ruining the surprise for fans.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 12th August 2014News: Daniel Kitson plays major benefit gig
Daniel Kitson is to compere a major London benefit gig in aid of a charity fighting homelessness among young people. The gig will take place at the Palace Theatre on October 6. Also appearing are Stewart Lee, Katherine Ryan and Josh Widdicombe. The charity they are suppprting is Laughing Point, a fundraiser in aid of leading youth homelessness charity Centrepoint.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 10th August 2014Did Jim Davidson really deserve such harsh reviews?
I noticed last night that Jim Davidson had retweeted my Evening Standard review of his Edinburgh Fringe debut. I was surprised as I gave him a very qualified three stars. Then I read the reviews in The Times and The Guardian and saw that they had given his attempt to reinvent himself as a more benign banter merchant a rather more brutal two stars. I guess my review was one of the better ones.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 5th August 2014Edinburgh preview: Everyone's A Winner
I know that Edinburgh should be about looking forward rather than looking back, but 2014 may be the year that more previous Edinburgh Comedy Award winners are appearing at the Festival than ever before. Of course, there are more Edinburgh Comedy Award winners than ever before, but there does seem to be a plethora of them returning. Is it to cash in on their fame? Is it to show the young whippersnappers how it's done? Is it just sentiment and trying to recapture the spirit they had when it all began? Is it all that and more? Who knows, but here are some famous names to look out for.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 30th July 2014Interview: Vikki Stone
Bruce Dessau interviews Vikki Stone about her new Fringe show.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 28th July 2014Edinburgh Fringe preview: Alfie Brown
Alfie Brown was one of the first comedians I wrote about when I launched this website.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 27th July 2014Edinburgh Fringe preview: The Pin
Sometimes a sketch combo is simply not very funny from first sketch to last sketch. Not The Pin though. Ben Ashenden and Alex Owen are unashamedly smart cookies who have refined the process with forensic precision and have a consistently high hit level.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 26th July 2014TV preview: Noel Fielding's Luxury Comedy
The second series, subtitled Tales From Painted Hawaii, seems more accessible.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 26th July 2014Edinburgh Fringe preview: David Trent
Multi-media comedy had been done before, but when David Trent appeared on the scene a couple of years ago he turned heads with his angry combination of clips and quips.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 25th July 2014Latitude Review: Mark Watson
Watson decided that he liked being in the middle of the floor surrounded by discarded pizza boxes and plastic glasses so much he would do the whole gig there.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 24th July 2014