Seann Walsh

When a sitcom arrives tagged with a premise so flimsy a butterfly could tear it asunder, it had better be something special. In the case of Seann Walsh vehicle Monks, serial benefit fraudster Gary Woodcroft evades prosecution by ... joining a monastery. Essentially it's One Flew Over The Nimmo's Nest. Sadly, the torturous proposition isn't backed by anything approaching gilted ribaldry, with a decent cast including Mark Heap and Angus Deayton reduced to delivering insultingly sub-panto fare throughout.

Radio Times review

"New and daring projects" were what comedy exec Shane Allen promised with this season of comedy pilots. This showcase doesn't feel as daring as a sitcom set in a monastery might once have done - when, for instance, a previous version of this project appeared on Radio 2 in 2000 and in an unbroadcast pilot in 2008, long before viewers gave clerical sitcoms their blessing via Rev.

This is worlds away from Rev.; it's a traditional studio sitcom with broad characters and pleasantly cartoony storylines - a bell falling out of a bell tower, drunken monks, and so on. Seann Walsh plays Brother Gary, who fled to the monastery to escape a conviction for benefit fraud. Mark Heap plays the monastery's second-in-charge, a former air traffic controller fuming with pent-up anger, and Justin Edwards looks promising as Brother Bernard, who likes a tipple.

Seann Walsh interview

Seann Walsh prefers a lie-down to a stand-up.

Opinion: Critic's notes - Audience...again

After the annoying chatty fan at Tommy Tiernan the other week there was another audience irritant at Seann Walsh last night at the Soho Theatre.

This week's new live comedy

Previews of Seann Walsh, David Trent and the Leicester Comedy Festival.

Radio Times review

Actors Robert Lindsay and Rufus Hound appear as a duo tonight to discuss their upcoming performance in the West End version of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels - no doubt Ross will be quizzing them on how scheming they can be in real life. Stand-up comedian Seann Walsh, who is about to embark on his Lie-in-King tour, has kindly got out of bed to share some banter on the sofa as well.

It'll be interesting to see if Ross can rap along in time to Tinie Tempah, who will be performing live. Let's hope Tinie doesn't completely overshadow fresh-off-the-production-line X Factor winner Sam Bailey, who will also be taking the stage.

Opinion: Comedy gets tied up - with ties

Lots of comedians seem to be getting tied up at the moment and I don't mean in a Fifty Shades of Grey way. John Bishop wears a tie. Jack Whitehall wears a tie. Frankie Boyle might come out with controversial jokes but there is nothing controversial about his tie. I think I've even seen Seann Walsh wear a tie.

Jack Dee heads another strong line-up in the stand-up showcase, his deadpan patter more than holding its own against the binge-drinking riffing of observational comedian Seann Walsh and a barrage of witty snippets from Milton Jones, acknowledged master of the one-liner. The only problem is, the 30-minute running time feels a bit rushed - this is one show that deserves some extra time to play with.

Radio Times review

As Jack Dee reminds us, he hosted the first two series of this show introducing all sorts of comedians who have now become household names. "I can't tell you how much I regret that... seeing people overtake you," he adds, shaking his head bitterly. He shouldn't worry. His patter is as sharp, self-deprecating and drily funny as ever.

Valiantly attempting to follow Dee's set is Seann Walsh, who riffs on the perils of binge-drinking, and Milton Jones, who wears such a loud shirt he actually doesn't need to say a word to get the audience falling about laughing. However, every single one of his jokes is terrific: his definition of Caucasian and his messy afternoons with ducks, pigs and other animals will make you guffaw - but never again will you end a phone call with "I'll let you go".