The Week in Comedy: David Walliams, Mark Watson & Jesus Christ
Catherine Tate, Philip Glenister and Joanna Scanlan will star alongside David Walliams in his new six-part sitcom, Big School. The show, due to air on BBC One next year, revolves around dysfunctional staff and unrequited love at Greybridge School. The announcement comes a month after Walliams made a guest appearance at the 2013 South Shields Lecture.
Walliams’ former double-act partner Matt Lucas will also star in a new series on BBC One. Lucas is making a silent comedy called Pompidou.
Stewart Lee has added literally hundreds of stand-up dates to his 2013 diary – including an autumn tour of the UK, and a return to the Edinburgh Fringe. Read.
Speaking of the world’s largest arts festival, tickets for shows go on sale tomorrow. Giggle Beats will be providing a low-down of all the North East acts appearing in Edinburgh.
Comedian Chris Stokes is releasing a comedy album based on his 2012 Edinburgh show, An Opera Written on Napkins. The album will be recorded at XS Malarkey in Manchester on April 7, and then released on Chris Stokes’ blog.
Mark Watson has earned himself a new book deal. Watson is publishing two new novels: Hotel Alpha, a story about four characters whose lives meet both in a London hotel and online, and Unhappy House.
Pete Firman on comedy and magic: “They used to put me on in the middle to break up the acts, and now I’m in a position where they’ll have me close the show, which is nice. But there was no sense of being looked down upon. I know some comics are a bit snotty – ‘he’s cheating’ – but if you get up on stage you could be doing the most amazing act in the world, but if they don’t like you, they don’t like you. So no, I’ve never felt any kind of magicism.” He was speaking to the British Comedy Guide.
Stand-up Omid Djalili is back in the North East next month – for two work-in-progress shows. Djalili is performing at The Stand in Newcastle on Sunday 14 April – with shows scheduled ‘back to back’ at 5pm and 8.30pm.
Geordie duo Ant and Dec made a surprise return to the music charts this week – as their PJ and Duncan hit, ‘Let’s Get Ready To Rhumble’, topped the iTunes charts.
Comedian Andrew Lawrence is heading to Barnard Castle this May – as part of the town’s spring celebrations. Lawrence is performing at the Barnard Castle Meet. Details.
FX have ordered a second season of Jim Jefferies’ US sitcom, Legit. However the show, which calls back to some of Jefferies’ stand-up, is to move to sister channel FXX.
Carl Donnelly has released a new video online – teaching you and your mates how to dance. Watch.
Tony Law, Richard Herring and Stewart Lee were the big winners at this year’s Chortle Awards. Law picked up Best Club Comic and Best Show.
Eddie Izzard: “Doing new material makes comedy one of the hardest creative mediums. My analogy for it is driving – imagine you’re driving, and you know how the car works but you don’t have a map and you don’t have an instructor, you have to use the sun and the stars as guiding things; just be in the traffic and see what you can find out.” Izzard was chatting with London is Funny.
Last but not least, former Tory MP Anne Widdecombe thinks she’s being persecuted by Monty Python and Bill Hicks – sort of. In the BBC One documentary Are You Having A Laugh? Comedy And Christianity, Widdecombe said: “Jokes about Christianity are everywhere you look, but for me and many Christians the mocking of Jesus Christ is deeply hurtful. Comedy should keep its hands off what it sacred.”
And on that note, Happy Easter!
