Musical comedy awards, London
Now in their seventh year, the annual musical comedy awards are helping to revive the often-derided genre of the comic song. Rather than celebrating the already famous, the MCAs are explicitly geared towards encouraging new talent - and although they haven’t yet unearthed any bona-fide breakout stars, previous finalists have certainly cemented their place on the circuit. The 2010 winners Abandoman and 2009 finalists Frisky And Mannish regularly tour and enjoy sizeable cult followings, while last year’s winner David Elms – a purveyor of lo-fi acoustic numbers – is very much talked about as one to watch. In addition to 2015’s hopefuls, this week’s final features performances from several more established names. Rob Deering – provider of genial guitar-based spoofs – is the host, while the celebrated Cassetteboy, whose YouTube mash-ups of The Apprentice and The One Show have netted them plenty of fans, offer their own unlikely take on club culture.
The Bloomsbury Theatre, WC1, Fri
Tim Vine: Tim Timinee Tim Timinee Tim Tim To You, On tour
There are several great punning comedians on the circuit – think of the whimsical Milton Jones, the drily deadpan Stewart Francis or the low-key genius of Gary Delaney – but for many comedy fans the master of the genre is the evergreen Tim Vine. There’s a lot about Vine’s approach to comedy that simply shouldn’t work: he always seems excessively eager to please and delighted by his own cleverness, he’s frequently on the verge of laughing at his own jokes, and has a faux-naive style that by rights should set your teeth on edge (see that latest title for evidence). Yet somehow, rather than being irritating, he comes across as impossibly endearing. Given the sheer quantity of jokes that he pumps out there’s an inevitable hit and miss factor, but for every piece of wordplay that makes the audience groan, there are five or six triumphs.
Redgrave Theatre, Bristol, Sat; Civic Theatre, Darlington, Tue; Playhouse, Whitley Bay, Wed; Harrogate Theatre, Thu; Aylesbury Waterside Theatre, Fri; touring to 13 Jun
Des Bishop: Made In China, London
A lot has already happened to Des Bishop. He moved from New York to Ireland when he was a kid. He’s overcome alcoholism, testicular cancer and being educated by a paedophile priest. And he’s managed to turn all of these experiences into justly acclaimed stand-up shows that make you think and feel as well as laugh. Made In China is something of a departure, with Bishop now going on an active quest rather than simply being buffeted by whatever life has thrown at him. Reasoning that economic trends mean the Chinese will soon be masters of us all, he decided to get ahead of the curve and spent a year over there trying to learn the language in order to be able to perform a stand-up set in Mandarin. It didn’t go exactly as planned (although he did get the chance to appear as a contestant on the Chinese version of Take Me Out), but it’s certainly provided him with some great material for this latest show.
Downstairs, Soho Theatre, W1, Sat to 11 Apr
