Bruce Dessau
- Journalist and reviewer
Press clippings Page 302
Opinion: British Comedy Awards predictions
Cynics and conspiracy theorists regularly suggest that The British Comedy Awards judges sit around a big solid gold table carving up the awards so that each network gets its fair share of prizes and each management company is satisfied that the performers they want to get a push get that push. This is categorically not true. The table is silver. No really, it's not true.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 5th December 2013Review: Barry Humphries, London Palladium
After an impressively energetic song and dance, the housewife superstar was replaced by a moving video retrospective and then Humphries as himself, taking a richly deserved bow.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 5th December 2013Opinion: charity begins on the stage
Five stars to Lee Mack for being honest about his appearance at the Royal Free Rocks with Laughter benefit on Sunday night at the Adelphi. During his short set the cheeky chappie glanced at the banner behind him and said "Let's not forget the real reason we're here tonight. And that's to try out new material for the tour."
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 4th December 2013Bill Bailey, Wembley Arena - comedy review
Terrific lines were expertly delivered at this final show of Bill Bailey's lengthy Qualmpeddler tour.
Bruce Dessau, Evening Standard, 2nd December 2013Review: That Mitchell & Webb Sound
What comes across most strongly is that Mitchell and Webb clearly love what they are doing.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 26th November 2013Opinion: Tunnel club - the sequel
Further to our story last week about the dusting off of some wonderful pictures from the glory days of Malcolm Hardee's Tunnel Club, photographer Bill Alford has been in touch with some more memories of those days and some more info about his involvement. And, best of all, he has given Beyond The Joke permission to run some classic, rarely seen pictures from those legendary gigs. This is Bill's story.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 25th November 2013Opinion: The Seven Ages of Comedian
The Monty Python reunion has been making me think a bit about old comedians lately.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 21st November 2013Opinion: Tunnel visions
Thanks to Nick Revell pointing them out on Twitter, I've been enjoying wading through some lovely old comedy pictures from the mid-1980s taken by Bill Alford. It is appropriate that they come from Malcolm Hardee's Tunnel Club because to me they feel like an episode of Time Tunnel.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 20th November 2013TV preview: Backchat, BBC3
It all works very nicely and while it will do Jack Whitehall's career no harm whatsoever it will also probably work wonders for his father, much in the same way that Harry Enfield's father Edward build up quite a head of steam out of being an irascible old arse when Harry Enfield made it big.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 20th November 2013Monty Python reunion - Will it fly or be a dead parrot?
If they are going to produce new work, however, the hardest challenge will surely be for Cleese, who tended to collaborate with the late Graham Chapman.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 19th November 2013