Showing titles in Performing Arts

Decades before The Daily Show, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour proved there was a place on television for no-holds-barred political comedy with a decidedly antiauthoritarian point of view. In this explosive, revealing history of the show, veteran entertainment journalist David Bianculli tells the fascinating story of its three-year network run---and the cultural impact that's still being felt today.

Few television shows revolutionized comedy as profoundly or have had such an enormous and continued impact on our culture as In Living Color. Inspired by Richard Pryor, Carol Burnett, and Eddie Murphy, Keenen Ivory Wayans created a television series unlike any that had come before it. In Living Color shaped American culture in ways both seen and unseen. Now, Homey Don't Play That! reveals the complete, captivating story of how In Living Color overcame enormous odds to become a major, zeitgeist-seizing hit.

Before Kevin nearly died backstage from his widely reported massive heart attack, he killed onstage discussing his marriage, his kid, his friends and his work (or lack thereof).

In Finding Your Funny Muscle, Mike shows you how to “flex” your ideas into funny, original, and relatable humor that gets big laughs—and makes you memorable for the right reasons.

Stage Hypnosis Made Easy by International Comedy Stage & Television Hypnotist Jonathan Royle is subtitled "How to Become A Comedy Hypnotist" and it will most certainly teach you that in a simple step by step easy to understand manner. No stone is left unturned in this large format A4 Encyclopedic Style Book of almost 250 pages made up of over 92,000 words which will reveal to you all of the until now most jealously guarded Secrets of the Comedy Stage Hypnotists and Street Hypnotism Performers. Numerous Rapid & Instant Hypnotic Inductions are taught within the pages of this book, many of ...

After nine years in production, the most rumored comedy album is finally hitting the streets. Macdonald has reimagined the sketch comedy record for a new generation and has brought Will Ferrell, Tim Meadows, Molly Shannon, and Artie Lange, among others, who lend their voices and insanity to this hilarious release. Produced by Brooks Arthur of Adam Sandler fame, Ridiculous contains 12 sketches and a bonus track of classic Norm standup for a total of almost 75 minutes of material.

Alan Zweibel started his comedy career selling jokes for seven dollars apiece to the last of the Borscht Belt standups. Then one night, despite bombing on stage, he caught the attention of Lorne Michaels and became one of the first writers at Saturday Night Live, where he penned classic material for Gilda Radner, John Belushi, and all of the original Not Ready for Prime Time Players. From SNL, he went on to have a hand in a series of landmark shows - from It’s Garry Shandling’s Show to Curb Your Enthusiasm.

In his theatrical debut, comedian Mike Birbiglia takes the audience on a hysterically funny and intensely personal journey through his struggles with sleepwalking and his reluctance to confront his fears of love, honesty, and growing up. Sleepwalk with Me is the rare collision of comedy and theatre that touches your funny bone and tickles your heart.

December 2022 marks 55 years of Just a Minute, Radio 4's longest-running and most beloved panel game. To commemorate this milestone, this special collection comprises five classic series of the hit show from 2010 and 2011, featuring a wealth of favourite panellists attempting to prove they have the gift of the gab.

Michael Palin's diaries begin when he was newly married and struggling to make a name for himself in the world of television comedy. But Monty Python was just around the corner...Enjoying an unlikely cult status early on, the Pythons then proceeded to tour the USA and Canada. As their popularity grew, so Palin relates how the group went their separate ways, later to re-form for stage shows and the celebrated films The Holy Grail and Life of Brian.

On a mission to spread the laughs (and groans). Daily Dad Jokes Podcast - Dad jokes that are guaranteed to make you laugh and your family and friends groan! Top dad jokes are curated and produced daily. Sourced from the Dad Jokes subreddit on Reddit! Credits are in the show notes pages of each episode.

Lewis Black has some things to get off his chest! With his weekly podcast "Lewis Black’s Rantcast," the Grammy-winning comedian does just that. Channeling his anger in ways only a man who’s devoted his entire life to ranting can do. The tirades are sometimes big, other times small, yet they are always fun-spirited and truly hilarious. No topic is safe from Black’s trademark style of comedic yelling and animated finger-pointing. Skewering anything and anyone that gets under his skin. On the "Rantcast," Black isn’t the only person getting things off his chest, each week Lewis allows fans...

Meet the hapless management consultants of Unthinkable Solutions - idealistic team leader Ryan, sociopathic Sophie and hippy-dippy Daisy. Enthusiastic and enterprising, they’re strong on jargon (and always ready to ‘imaginate, reincentivise and skin the leopard’), but short on practical ideas - unfortunately for the unsuspecting corporations that come to them for help.

Kevin Hart highlights the fascinating contributions of black history's unsung heroes in this entertaining - and educational - comedy special.

Radio 4's longest-running panel show, in which contestants are challenged to speak on a on a given topic for 60 seconds without hesitation, deviation or repetition, returns with Sue Perkins at the helm for this complete collection of episodes from 2023. Featuring quickfire improvisation, inspired ad-libbing and spontaneous hilarity - as well as a live studio audience - join Sue Perkins and her guests as they battle for points, glory and the perfect, uninterrupted minute.

Lauren Weedman is not okay. She's living what should be the good life in sunny Los Angeles. After a gig as a correspondent with The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, she scored parts in blockbuster movies, which led to memorable recurring roles on HBO's Hung and Looking. She had a loving husband and an adorable baby boy. In these comedic essays, she turns a piercingly observant, darkly funny lens on the ways her life is actually not okay.

The Ricky Gervais Show on Xfm is where Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant first met Karl Pilkington. The trio, who have been talking drivel ever since, later went on to create one of the most downloaded podcasts in history.

Just a Minute is the grandaddy of panel games, entertaining Radio 4 listeners since 1967 with wit, whimsy and wonderful wordplay. To mark the show's 55th anniversary in December 2022, here are five fantastic series from 2011, 2012 and 2013, all chaired by the legendary Nicholas Parsons. Among them is Series 62, which commemorated JAM's 45th birthday with an episode tackling the same subjects given out in the very first series, and featured two special editions from Mumbai.

In this special compilation, you'll hear exhilarating excerpts from classic interviews with 14 stars of comedy, including Tracey Ullman on her zany characters, Chris Rock on growing up small and black in a white neighborhood, Carol Leifer on the inspiration for her brand of cabaret comedy, and Henny Youngman on his famous line, "Take my wife, please."

Public speaking can be terrifying. For David Nihill, the idea of standing in front of an audience was scarier than cliff jumping into a thorny pit of spiders and mothers-in-law. Without a parachute or advanced weaponry. Something had to change.

In what doesn't sound like the best plan ever, David decided to overcome his fears by pretending to be a comedian called "Irish Dave" for one full year, crashing as many comedy clubs, festivals, and shows as possible.