James Kettle

This week's new comedy: Edinburgh special

Nick Helm, Todd Barry and Hot Tub.

Tell us a joke then

As the Edinburgh festival kicks off, James Kettle asks a bunch of this year's comedy stars to tell us their best gag.

Edinburgh fringe festival new comedy

A look at some of the new acts at this year's Fringe.

The comedians' guide to the Edinburgh festival fringe

Our expert panel tell us their inspirations, favourite funny words, and what always gets a laugh.

Alan Davies gives the lowdown on stand-up comedy

With the launch of ITV1's new comedy talent show Show Me The Funny, Alan Davies talks to James Kettle about stand-up.

Should comedians take a stand against Funny Women?

The Twitter touchpaper is lit again as comics vent their rage over the competition's new £15 entry fee. Are they going overboard?

Reflections from a former (semi-)finalist

Whenever anxious relatives or friends ask me to account for how my comedy career is going, I tend to fall back on the same few hackneyed thoughts. I tell them "you've got to keep a lot of plates spinning", that "you never know what's around the corner" and (my personal favourite) "there's no such thing as a big break - just a series of smaller ones."

When heckling goes bad

The battle of wits between standup and audience is integral to live comedy - but what happens when it gets out of hand?

Generation game: comedians who keep it in the family

This year on the Edinburgh fringe, several young comics are following their parents into the laughter-making business. But isn't it all a little bit cosy?

Operating in a post-Lee & Herring, post-Josie Long tradition of super-intelligent but whimsical comedy, the debut solo show from John-Luke Roberts can't be faulted for ambition. Where many new stand-ups opt for little more than a pugnacious hour of their best material from the circuit when making their fringe bow, Roberts has added a certain touch of theatricality and conceptual thinking. The murder in the title occurs midway through the show and the main tactic Roberts uses as a means of distraction is his fantastically ornate but deeply silly brand of comedy, dripping with absurd puns and utterly unexpected left turns. Watch out for a section which gently mocks the cliche of aggressive stand-up banter, as Roberts very carefully insults members of the crowd with some pre-arranged abuse. And watch out for the murder; you might miss it.