uk comedy – The Comedy Bureau

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 254: Alexis Dubus & Attempting to Translate Comedy in 2025

April 17, 2025

The brilliant Alexis Dubus has made an entire career out of not only playing a character, but playing a misanthropic Frenchman, Marcel Lucont and that presents quite a winding path here in 2025, especially as Dubus is set to play a handful of American dates as Lucont coming up very soon. We have a badinage as well as an in-depth chat about Alexis’ journey in and out of himself and Marcel and how he is forging ahead with a character drenched in tasty irony.

Follow Alexis @alexisdubuscomedy and Marcel Lucont @marcel.lucont and get tickets for his 4/21 show at The Elysian here.

Produced by Jake Kroeger
Music by Brian Granillo
Artwork by Andrew Delman and Jake Kroeger

TCB Debriefing 8/4/23: The Pod Generation, Asteroid City, Ziwe’s black friend Essays, Russell Howard

August 4, 2023

News

asteroid city, black friend essays, peacock, pod generation, russell howard, uk comedy, ziwe

1. It almost comes as no surprise that there are a number of high concept sci-fi dramedies coming our way soon since Black Mirror has been such a cultural milestone for years. Already, there’s the very trippy Landscape with Invisible Hand and, also due out very soon, will be Sophie Barthes‘ film festival hit The Pod Generation. From the trailer, one sees Emilia Clarke and Chiwetel Ejiofor navigate trying to have a child in a future where every baby is a test tub– er, egg tube baby. Full disclosure, when we first heard the title, we thought this might have something to do with podcasts. Look for The Pod Generation in limited release next Fri. Aug. 11th.

2. Also this next Friday, Wes Anderson‘s hysterical, madcap, brilliant, incredibly self-aware comedy Asteroid City will be streaming on Peacock (Deadline).

3. You’ve seen the iconic IG Live legend, Baited, as well as the iconic Showtime series adaptation, and, hopefully, her live on stage (probably somewhere in Brooklyn). Now, you can get an iconic book from the one and only Ziwe aptly titled, black friend Essays. Since Paramount idiotically brought Ziwe on Showtime to an end, this book is required reading. Pre-order now; get it Oct. 17th.

4. One of the UK’s best comedy exports, the effervescent, yet shrewd Russell Howard, is back on the road (note: he was one of the handful of comedians that actually pulls off a gigantic global tour). Howard just announced a good ol’ U.S. of A. (East Coast and some of the Midwest to be accurate) tour running from Oct. 4th-22nd. Get tickets here.

5. Some comedians, when dismounting, use the past tense when referring to themselves (e.g. I’ve been [name of comedian] rather than the existential present tense. Is this an indicator that they’ve played more of a stage persona than their actual selves? We think about this at every single stand-up show we watch.

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 153: Mary O’Connell & Winning a Comedy Contest on OnlyFans TV

March 1, 2023

News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report

comedy contest, london comedy, mary o'connell, only fans, uk comedy

Only Fans isn’t only for individually empowered adult content anymore and, to prove that, Only Fans put on their very own stand-up comedy competition on their safe-for-work side of the platform of.tv. Up and coming UK comedian Mary O’Connell emerged victorious for the Only Fans Creative Fund: Comedy Edition winning £100K and talks us through that entire wild ride as well as how UK comedy is getting on these days compared to us here, Stateside.

Follow Mary @marywiththegoldshoes on IG, @marydoesgigs on Twitter, and @marebearmarebear on Only Fans.

You can watch the entire Only Fans Creative Fund: Comedy Edition completely for free at of.tv here.

The Comedy Bureau @thecomedybureau across platforms and please, please support TCB via Patreon or on Venmo (@jakekroeger).

Produced by Jake Kroeger
Music by Brian Granillo
Artwork by Andrew Delman and KT

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 75: Kelly McInerney & The New Landscape of Comedy

September 1, 2021

News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report

comedy scene, la comedy, ms. pat, steve harvey, uk comedy, what we do in the shadows

There is a vast new landscape to comedy as things may or may not continue to open up for live comedy here in the U.S. and across the world. Navigating this new world of comedy is, it would seem, as daunting as starting over, which is why we talk to LA staple Kelly McInerney about how she is figuring her way through a scene she already knew (and possibly looking across the pond to the UK for more opportunity). She’s also reviewed movies while stoned on the podcast she co-hosts, IMDWeed, leading to what movies they’ve missed out on watching high (2001: A Space Odyssey?!?). Finally, “hot” takes on Ms. Pat getting an hour special, What We Do in the Shadows’ After the Shadows, Steve Harvey getting his own court show.

Follow Kelly @hollyweirdo on IG and Twitter and listen to IMDWeed wherever you get your podcasts.

The Comedy Bureau @thecomedybureau across platforms and please, please support TCB via GoFundMe, Patreon, or on Venmo (@jakekroeger).

Produced by Jake Kroeger
Music by Brian Granillo
Artwork by Andrew Delman and KT

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 19: Sam Varela & Thinking of Everyone

August 5, 2020

News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report

comedy quarantine, ellen, eric andre, joan rivers, picture this, uk comedy

Prolific indie comedy producer Sam Varela is this week’s guest on TCB Field Report. Before quarantine, Sam produced so many wonderful comedy shows in LA and NYC. In quarantine, she immediately transitioned to building up the nightly IG Live stand-up show @comedyquarantine and doing a virtual edition of Picture This!, the live animated comedy show. Sam zooms with TCB’s Jake Kroeger to talk keeping comedy going in this pandemic as well as inclusion and accessibility for everyone in that regard. Also, they gives takes on a petition for Eric Andre to host Ellen, unreleased Joan Rivers material that’s going to be released, and the UK’s recovery plans for comedy.

Please follow the shows that Sam produces @comedyquarantine & @picturethiscomedy as well as sign-up for newsletter that will keep you up-to-date on those shows and more at nakedcomedy.org.

The Comedy Bureau @thecomedybureau across platforms and please, please support TCB via GoFundMe, Patreon, or on Venmo (@jakekroeger).
Produced by Jake Kroeger
Music by Brian Granillo
Artwork by Andrew Delman and KT

Pick of the Day: Help Save Live Comedy (in the UK), Sundays in August

August 3, 2020

News

benefit show, save live comedy, uk comedy

We’re at the top of August in 2020 and what lies ahead for live performance including live comedy still is very uncertain. In short, those are things, amongst so many things, that need help to survive all around the world.

So, for live comedy in the UK, there will be a big, three day benefit live-stream as part of UK initiative Save Live Comedy (a big portion that will be performing at the Clapham Grand, though likely w/o any audience) featuring over 40 wonderful UK comedians. That’ll include:

LIVE ON STAGE:
Rachel Parris / Fern Brady / Thanyia Moore / Marcus Brigstock / Sindhu Vee / Josh Jones / / Eleanor Tiernan / Rich Wilson / Yuriko Kotani / Garrett Millerick / Nigel Ng / Charlie Partridge/ Kerry Godliman / Dane Baptiste / Jessica Fostekew / Kwame Asante / Helen Bauer/Carl Donnelly / Rosie Jones / Don Biswas / Mawaan Rizwan / Holly Burn / Ed Byrne / Jen Brister / Kane Brown / Lost Voice Guy / Sikisa Bostwick-Barnes / Sarah Keyworth / Catherine Bohart / The Scummy Mummies / Glenn Wool / Tony Law / Huge Davies / Desiree Burch / James Acaster / Tim Vine / Felicity Ward

VIA SATELLITE LINK UP:
Bethany Black / London Hughes / Myra Dubois / Luisa Omeilan / Nish Kumar / Aisling Bea / Sue Gives A Fuck / Mick Ferry / Sarah Callaghan / Lucy Baker (Shesus & The Sisters)

MUSIC: Lorraine Bowen / Diane Chorley

HOSTED BY AL MURRAY and JAYDE ADAMS

There have been a handful of benefit events for live comedy in the U.S. as well as Mike Birbiglia’s Tip Your Waitstaff and it would be nice to see live comedy get support all around. This Save Live Comedy Online Fundraiser is set for Sundays in August including Aug. 9th, 16th, and 23rd on or around 11AM PT/2PM ET and can be streamed for free if you RSVP, but is selling “virtual front row” tickets for £9.99 and accepting donations on top of that. Get/reserve tickets here, here, and here respectively.

UK’s Cultural Recovery Fund Includes Support for Comedy Venues

July 29, 2020

News

cultural recovery fund, uk comedy

(via Variety)

While the U.S. government is still trying to selfishly hash out a second stimulus package for Americans that have to remain in lockdown because of COVID-19, the UK government has already gotten on to dedicating funds to the performing arts, one of the hardest industries by the pandemic.

Overall, the UK’s Cultural Recovery Fund, which will initially oversee the distribution of over $640 million to live performance venues of all kinds, including ones dedicated to comedy. That’s one round of funding out of a total $1.14 billion that has been earmarked for the entire fund.

As it stands now, live comedy in UK has either gone virtual with the likes of Tiff Stevenson doing a version of her weekly stand-up show on IG Live or drive-in shows featuring such big UK acts as Daniel Sloss playing for a packed car park. This recovery package will hopefully float enough venues through lockdown so Stevenson, Sloss, and more can have those venues to play when venues can safely open and operate once again.

The future is still very uncertain with, well, everything, but especially when it comes to events that involve a large number of people gathering indoors (unless you live in Taiwan or New Zealand right now). It’s encouraging to see some sort of relief for the performing arts arrive somewhere.

If you’d like to see similar recovery support for venues Stateside, you can take action with the National Independent Venue Association at saveourstages.com.

June 28, 2019

Uncategorized

los angeles, lyric hyperion, solo show, stand up comedy, tiff stevenson, uk comedy

The UK’s whipsmart Tiff Stevenson is back in town and bringing her latest hour show with her. Every time we’ve seen Tiff in LA, we’ve thoroughly enjoyed her cleverly crafted material that she makes work both in the UK and here in the States.

So, with that said, go see her work shop her latest show, Mother at Lyric Hyperion this coming Monday. Get tickets here.

December 10, 2017

Uncategorized

greek theatre, griffith park, los angeles, los feliz, romesh in america, romesh ranganathan, stand up, uk comedy

The UK’s Romesh Ranganathan, who we got to saw drop in at a local show several weeks ago and enjoy, is doing it up big by having his first big U.S. show at The Greek Theatre right before Christmas.

It’s also being a taping as part of a documentary series.

Tickets are $10-$57 (plus fees) and you can (and should) get them here.

The rest of our listings for comedy shows, events, open mics, maps, and more can be found at www.thecomedybureau.com.

October 3, 2017

Uncategorized

comedy show, hollywood, live comedy, los angeles, max and ivan, sketch comedy, the reunion, ucb, ucb sunset, uk comedy

One of the UK’s beloved comedy duos, Max & Ivan, has crossed both the pond and the country to perform their award winning show The Reunion.

As of right now, this is a one-night-only special event, so you best get your tickets soon. They’re going for $7 and you can (and should) get them here.

The rest of our listings for comedy shows, events, open mics, maps, and more can be found at www.thecomedybureau.com.

UK Based French Comedian Marcel Lucont Nails It on Set List

January 4, 2014

Uncategorized

improvised stand up, marcel lucont, nerdist, set list, uk, uk comedy

The UK based French comedian Marcel Lucont isn’t thrown off by the random topics of Set List even if English may be his second language.

Watch Lucont do improvised stand-up like it’s completely part of his normal act/he’s an native English speaker.