David Walliams

The conceit here is that every week David Walliams's sketches are played opposite a different sidekick. Tonight, it is Jack Whitehall, who proves a surprisingly versatile counterpoint, as a pathological status-flaunter and a passive-aggressive Sherlock Holmes, among others. It doesn't all land - dating shows have long been in on their own joke - but the album of operatic football chants feels as if it could one day be revealed as prophecy.

David Walliams interview

David Walliams has got an impressive list of famous faces together to play the Friend in his new comedy sketch show series.

There was a time when David Walliams was everywhere, and it was not a particularly good time. When a celebrity becomes "flavour of the month" and is pushed at us relentlessly things becomes wearying, no matter how good they might be. Years back Walliams was in sketch shows, sitcoms, took on various presenting roles and did the rounds of the chat show couches as a children's author. The Walliams mania has mercifully died down and perhaps he has now subsided to being a camp Christmas thing.

In this new series he appears in sketches with a "friend." There'll be a different one each week and tonight it's comedian Jack Whitehall. It kicks off with a scene which borrows so heavily from the Monty Python "nudge nudge wink wink" sketch that you can see the punchline coming a mile off. Other targets for the mild jokes include Cumberbatch's Sherlock and embarrassing dating gameshows.

David Walliams interview

David Walliams has said he "almost lost sight" of his comedy career ahead of his first sketch show since Little Britain ended eight years ago.

Gangsta Granny to make West End debut

David Walliams' Gangsta Granny will come to the West End next year, playing at the Garrick Theatre.

David Walliams warns about West End ticket prices

David Walliams has become the latest high-profile figure to criticise the cost of ticket prices in the West End, warning the industry could become a pastime for "a privileged few".

New series of the word-wrangling panel show, with guests including David Walliams (AKA all the Carry On films stuffed into one suit) and Jonathan Ross (who brings along some cat nappies as a mascot). Isy Suttie is in Dictionary Corner alongside Susie Dent, Jon Richardson has brought a Ouija board to assist him ("at various points I may go into a trance-like state"), and there are two faintly rude-sounding anagrams for you to untangle.

The 1996 Edinburgh Fringe

Clearing out this week, I unearthed the 1996 Edinburgh Fringe programme and some flyers So for no other reason than nostalgia, here's how the festival has changed in 20 years.