Bruce Dessau
- Journalist and reviewer
Press clippings Page 285
Opinion: Brains beats banter again
So John Kearns won the Foster's Edinburgh Comedy Award today. The first ever Best Newcomer to win the main prize in the following year and, perhaps more significantly, the first Free Fringe performer to win the Edinburgh Comedy Award. The Free Fringe has been having more of an impact every year since Imran Yusuf first picked up a Best Newcomer nomination, but that's another story. I want to celebrate and discuss Kearns' victory here.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 23rd August 2014Tim Vine bags another Dave funniest joke award
TV channel Dave has announced the winner of the seventh annual award for Dave's Funniest Joke of the Fringe.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 19th August 2014News: Lenny Henry to play Richard Pryor?
Comedian and actor Lenny Henry is working on a play with the National Theatre about the life of legendary American stand-up comedian Richard Pryor. Talking to Robert Elms on BBC London today Henry revealed that this is one of the various projects he is currently working on.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 18th August 2014News: Celia Pacquola wins top prize
Australian comedian Celia Pacquola has beaten over 100 hopefuls to be named the winner of the Amused Moose Laughter Award 2014 for her show Let Me Know How It All Turns Out.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 17th August 2014Opinion: 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 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 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 2014