British Comedy Guide

Tristram Fane Saunders

  • Journalist and reviewer

Press clippings

The best live comedy of 2025: shows to book now

From the whimsy of Atsuko Okatsuka to a proper tour for Jazz Emu's Knight Fever, our expert selects the hottest tickets of the year.

Tristram Fane Saunders, The Telegraph, 4th January 2025

How comedians are fighting cancer - with juvenile jokes, and courageous candour

Deluged by medical calamities, our stand-ups have hit back with terrific, transcendental shows that TV would be wise to learn from.

Tristram Fane Saunders, The Telegraph, 29th December 2024

Stand up comedy's problem with women: "Strip clubs are more welcoming"

Some UK comedy clubs are booking six times as many men as women. Is the problem women's jokes, or the male working environment?

Tristram Fane Saunders, The Telegraph, 19th September 2024

Nish Kumar: Nish, Don't Kill My Vibe review

Gaza, Trump, Boris - Nish Kumar has strong (and funny) opinions.

Tristram Fane Saunders, The Telegraph, 8th September 2024

Do Gooders review

Garrett Millerick's Do Gooders isn't searing, radical or experimental - but nor does it need to be, because the jokes are actually funny.

Tristram Fane Saunders, The Telegraph, 31st July 2024

Mark Steel is back doing what he does best - taking the mick out of your home town

Given the all-clear from cancer last month, Steel is back on Radio 4, visiting towns across Britain then hilariously ripping them apart.

Tristram Fane Saunders, The Telegraph, 26th June 2024

Jazz Emu review

A deliciously silly hour from Britain's finest young musical comedian.

Tristram Fane Saunders, The Telegraph, 7th June 2024

Rhod Gilbert review

Featuring marvellous, skating-on-thin-ice crowd work, the Welsh stand-up's new show sees him on tremendous and charmingly chaotic form.

Tristram Fane Saunders, The Telegraph, 9th May 2024

The 12 top stand-up comedy gigs, tours and festivals to buy tickets for in spring 2024

From Jazz Emus to Wales's smallest (and greatest) comedy festival, these are the hot tickets guaranteed to get you chuckling this spring.

Tristram Fane Saunders, The Telegraph, 30th March 2024

Lara Ricote review

Big-hearted, grotty show about the messiness of love.

Tristram Fane Saunders, The Telegraph, 24th February 2024

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