Bill Bailey, On tour
He may not be as constant a presence on TV as he was in the heyday of his Never Mind The Buzzcocks captaincy and turn as Dylan Moran’s foil in Black Books, but Bill Bailey continues to excel in his solo live work, playing regular tours in big venues to a dedicated following. The fundamentals of his stage act remain the same as ever: stand-up sections that use elements of the whimsical and surreal to make surprisingly penetrating comments about the way our world works; and comedy songs that see both a dizzying level of musicianship and a phenomenal level of ingenuity. However, this isn’t just a case of an established act trotting out old favourites. Despite his status as a much-loved figure (surely close to national treasure status), Bailey continues to push himself, always willing to explore new topics and musical genres with reliably funny results.
Séance Fiction: The Improvised Haunting, London
The ever-expanding celebration of Halloween has extended its witchy fingers into the world of comedy. Marc Wootton may have abruptly cancelled the live resurrection of his love-it-or-loathe-it psychic Shirley Ghostman, but eerie humour is still on offer this weekend courtesy of Séance Fiction, where a group of acclaimed writer-performers will create an entirely spontaneous communion with the dead. Like a medium, they’re going to reach out to the other side and have a conversation with a deceased person. Unlike a medium, they’re entirely open about the fact that they’re making it up as they go along. Among those participating are regular improvisers Suki Webster (a member of the Comedy Store Players), Phil Whelans (from sketch group Pros From Dover) and David Reed. Known for his work with Victorian-themed outfit the Penny Dreadfuls, he may also be familiar to parents thanks to regular appearances on CBeebies’ Twirlywoos.
Beardyman, On tour
The level of invention going on in musical comedy these days is quite something. While there are still plenty of skilled performers with guitars and keyboards, there’s also a new breed of acts exploring the wilder shores of hip-hop and electronica. Darren Foreman (AKA Beardyman) operates in a similar space to Rob Broderick’s acclaimed Abandoman, creating impressive rap pieces entirely prompted by audience suggestions. But Beardyman pushes things further through his multilayered tracks, largely created with loops of his own beatboxing. Very little instrumentation is involved; at the core of all his compositions are the noises he can make with his own lips, teeth and tongue. The end result is hugely entertaining and feels as if you’re witnessing something utterly unrepeatable.
City Hall, Hull, Wed; The Junction, Cambridge, Thu; Norwich Playhouse, Fri; touring to 29 Nov
