Bruce Dessau
- Journalist and reviewer
Press clippings Page 289
Eddie Izzard joins Stand-Up for Labour line-up
Eddie Izzard headlines a fundraiser for the Labour Party on September 21 at Manchester Opera House. The full bill for Stand Up With Labour has now been confirmed. Izzard is to be joined by Phill Jupitus, Ian Stone, Sara Pascoe and host Stephen K Amos. All proceeds from the event will go to the Labour Party.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 1st September 2014Opinion: why is comedy hooked on misery?
Comedy loves misery. That's the theory. That's why grumpy Tony Hancock was so funny. That's why Les Dawson made a hit out of rarely cracking a smile. And more recently Jack Dee's perma-scowl has been part of the secret of his success.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 27th August 2014TV preview: Big School
David Walliams, Catherine Tate, Frances De La Tour, Joanna Scanlan, Philip Glenister and that bloke form the BT adverts. You can't fault the cast of Big School, which returns for a second run. The challenge is making something mainstream enought for primetime BBC One but still interesting enough so that the talented performers don't sleepwalk through it.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 27th August 2014Opinon: How important are funny faces in comedy?
Alan Davies recently suggested comedians can be divided into two groups, golfers and self-harmers. I think you can currently divide them into the serious face brigade and the comic face brigade.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 26th August 2014Opinion: 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 2014