Freeze! London
Tom Basden and Tim Key are a phenomenal comedy double act. When they get the chance to be, that is: both are obliged to spend far more time attending to the needs of their extremely successful solo careers. Key is an Edinburgh award-winning comic, but is perhaps best known for his appearances as Sidekick Simon in the Alan Partridge universe. Basden focuses more on behind-the-camera work, co-writing ITV2’s Plebs, as well as adaptations of Kafka and Dostoevsky for the theatre. When the two work together as Freeze!, it’s a chance to let off some creative steam and revel in a chemistry honed over nearly 15 years of on-off collaboration. Like any great double act, they have their onstage relationship completely worked out. Key is confident and domineering, while the usually guitar-strumming Basden is more put-upon, but ready to engage in passive-aggressive sulking if he doesn’t get his way. It’s a great platform for some envelope-pushing sketch comedy – shame it’s only an occasional treat rather than a regular thing.
Soho Theatre, W1, Tue 22 & Wed 23 Dec
New Year’s Eve, Nationwide
For some, the new year serves only as a reminder of the inexorable passing of time and the inescapable fact of our own mortality – and Jools Holland playing boogie-woogie piano is unlikely to help matters much. Better to lighten the mood and head out to one of the comedy clubs that will be providing entertainment until the clock strikes 12. In Nottingham, star of E4’s Almost Royal Ed Gamble heads a bill that also includes slice-of-life tales from Suzi Ruffell (The Glee Club). Reginald D Hunter will be ready to puncture any festive mood with his brand of no-bullshit truth-telling, as he doubles up at gigs in south London (Royal Oak, New Malden; Hampton Playhouse). Paul Sinha takes time out from ITV’s The Chase to deliver finely honed political stand-up (Covent Garden Comedy Club, WC2). While in Edinburgh, improv rap group Abandoman offer a hip-hop ceilidh (Paradiso Spiegeltent, St Andrew Square).
Funz & Gamez Tooz, London
There’s no denying that Phil Ellis’s Funz & Gamez have experienced an extraordinary 18 months. They first emerged from the comedy circuit of the north-west to storm the Edinburgh fringe of 2014 – winning the Panel Prize for the act that best captured the spirit of the festival. Since then, they’ve played to enthusiastic crowds up and down the country and made their own BBC TV pilot. A show that is supposedly aimed at kids – and, in fact, contains more than enough to keep them thoroughly entertained – at the same time Funz & Gamez work to comprehensively subvert all the familiar tropes of children’s entertainment. Ellis’s host tries to be fun and engaging while clearly battling personal demons and insecurities, and is assisted by a deeply dysfunctional band of costumed misfits – such as alcoholic Uncle Rick, out-of-it Jim The Elf and a potentially dangerous Bonzo The Dog. This follow-up to last year’s triumphant debut shows there’s plenty of gas in the concept yet.
