Comedy Store (Stand-Up)
Comedy (Stand-Up)
A stand-up comedian is someone that performs in comedy clubs, usually reciting a fast paced succession of amusing stories, short jokes and one-liners, typically called a monologue. Some stand-up comedians use props, music, or magic tricks in their acts.
Stand-up comedy is perhaps the easiest field of entertainment for new talent to enter, because many smaller venues hold "open mic" events where the inexperienced can perform comedy before a live audience. However, perhaps more than any other performer, the stand-up comedian is at the mercy of the audience, which is an integral element of the act. A truly adept stand-up comedian must nimbly play off the mood and tastes of any particular audience, and adjust his or her routine accordingly. The test of a master stand-up comedian is the ability to not only face down a "heckler," but win over and entertain the rest of the crowd with a retort. Many of the all-time greats are featured below.
Right: Steven Wright
Ben Elton: The Definitive Live Collection (2008)
7/10
Starring: Ben Elton
Ben Elton, the undisputed king of stand-up comedy, presents his definitive live collection. Four live hilarious stand-up shows available for the first... Read more
Beyond the Fringe (1964)
7.8/10
Starring: Peter Cook, Dudley Moore, Jonathan Miller, Alan Bennett
Thought to be lost forever, this is a rare filmed version of the famous comedy revue that launched the careers of Peter Cook, Dudley Moore, Alan Benne... Read more
Bill Bailey's Remarkable Guide to the Orchestra (2009)
7.7/10
Starring: Bill Bailey
If you've ever seen a Bill Bailey stand-up show you'll know he's not only hilarious but also incredibly musically talented, coaxing perfectly executed... Read more
Bill Bailey: Bewilderness (2001)
8.1/10
Starring: Bill Bailey
Bill Bailey's 2001 routine finds our long-haired hero at the height of his comedic powers in Swansea, with a rapt audience of Welsh folk and some blok... Read more
Bill Bailey: Cosmic Jam (1995)
8.4/10
Starring: Bill Bailey
The long-awaited DVD release of Bill Bailey's 1995 stageshow that prompted the BBC to give him his own show 'Is It Bill Bailey?'. His well-known whim... Read more
Bill Bailey: Dandelion Mind (2010)
7.7/10
Starring: Bill Bailey
Featuring Bill's trademark musical interludes, observations and stories of the road, 'Dandelion Mind' will be based loosely on the theme of doubt (or... Read more
Bill Bailey: Part Troll (2004)
8.4/10
Director: Nick Morris
Starring: Bill Bailey
Bill Bailey, star of "Never Mind the Buzzcocks" and "Black Books" is one of the funniest bearded, babbling, bug-eyed druids the world has ever seen. H... Read more
Bill Bailey: Qualmpeddler (2013)
7.6/10
Starring: Bill Bailey
Rapturously received throughout Australia, New Zealand and the UK, Bill recorded this terrific new show at his local, the Hammersmith Apollo. Furious... Read more
Bill Bailey: Tinselworm (2008)
7.3/10
Starring: Bill Bailey
Filmed at Wembley Arena at the end of a sell-out tour of the UK, it's everything you expect from Bill and more. Using huge screens, films and animatio... Read more
Bill Hicks Live (2004)
8.7/10
Director: Chris Bould
Starring: Bill Hicks
Legendary, late comedian Bill Hicks was just starting to gain critical mass when he passed away in 1994. A comic's comic, Hicks was dedicated to stand... Read more