Ross Noble

Cutty Sark's hold is unveiled as London's new venue

London's newest theatre was today unveiled in the hold of the Cutty Sark. Comedians Alan Davies and Ross Noble, round-the-world yachtsman Sir Robin Knox-Johnston and sailing enthusiast Griff Rhys Jones are among the inaugural line-up of performers in the 100-seat venue at King William Walk, Greenwich.

'Asking a comedian to improvise an entire stand-up set is like asking a magician to do actual magic.' So say the creators of this fully improvised stand-up show of which this, the second episode, doesn't disappoint.

Comedy purists will love the pared-back nature of it - watching comedians in a dingy club, their fear palpable, sweating as they think on their feet. You'll gain a new admiration for comics too, as it exposes the finely-honed craft of a performer's routine. As Rufus Hound sagely comments: 'As long as you're hilarious, nothing can go wrong.' No pressure, then.

This week, American comedian Eddie Pepitone goes first, creating skits by responding to subject matter posted on a screen behind him. He doesn't fare too badly, though quick-witted Matt Kirshen, who follows him, nails it. Luckily, he's on before Robin Williams, who's such a presence and a pro that he'd captivate an audience of wild baboons. Expect to see the likes of Drew Carey and Ross Noble in upcoming shows.

If the thought of doing stand-up leaves you with clammy hands, then the premise for Set List will give you night terrors. Three stand-up comedians, in this case TJ Miller, Richard Herring and Frank Skinner, undertake the daunting task of doing an ad-libbed set based on topics which appear on a screen behind them. With no preparation and no trusted material to fall back on, what results is a nerve-wracking, frequently funny but ultimately inconsistent half-hour of comedy.

Much inevitably depends on the quality of the material they're given and some comedians are more at ease with the format than others (one imagines the likes of Robin Williams, Ross Noble and Greg Proops will flourish), but each of the comedians on display here manages to shine at times, most notably Miller. Watching seasoned comedy performers squirm under the stage lights as they rack their brains for funny ideas is strangely satisfying, though.

Jimmy Carr on Ross Noble criticism: 'Why slag things off?'

Jimmy Carr has defended Mock the Week after it was recently criticised by Ross Noble.

The Twitter-led adventures continue apace as irrepressible comedian Ross Noble cherry-picks his favourite tweets from the daft, dangerous and entertaining selection proposed by his faithful followers. This week his devotees become bona fide disciples as their leader sets up his own religion in the West Country. Next he embarks on an ambitious experiment to test out a Noble version of the theory that involves monkeys, typewriters and the works of William Shakespeare. Friends, chimps, countrymen, lend me your tweets...

TV review: Ross Noble's Freewheeling - episode 2

It all feels very slapdash and cheap but... it's funny. Ross Noble is just plain funny and his love of the strange and ability to go with the flow and improvise can turn even the most mundane event into something hilarious.

This week, Ross Noble takes more suggestions from the public via Twitter to determine the next destination for his peculiar travel-meets-improvised comedy show. First up it's a trip to Chesterfield, where Ross is told a shameful tale about Phil Tufnell. Then he's tied up with a massive scarf and lightly harassed at the Women's Institute in St Helens. But easily the best of all is an offer from Martin Daniels to help his dad Paul get an old magic trick out of his shed in Banbury. It's unexpected telly gold.

TV Review: Freewheeling

The sight of Ross Noble verbally sparring with a bible-bashing slightly manic street preacher in a shop doorway or hugging a fan whose flies were undone were the highlights of my evening. There is clearly plenty more mileage in Freewheeling.

Ross Noble interview

Ross Noble's new TV venture, Freewheeling, starts on Dave tonight. Part-travelogue and part comedy show, the programme sees him zipping around the country on his motorbike, taking his lead as to what to do next from suggestions made by his followers on Twitter.

TV review: Ross Noble: Freewheeling, Dave

There were definitely moments last night when we might rather have been watching "Great Pavements of Britain". Not every member of the public "gets" Noble's particular brand of whimsy and his encounters with these blank-faced Britons were usually awkward, or even sad, as opposed to funny. But though he led us down several dead ends, Noble did eventually turn onto the road marked "quality television".