London comedy 2019: The best comedy shows of the year, from Hannah Gadsby to Tim Minchin

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Zoe Paskett17 December 2019

Good lord, haven’t we all needed a laugh this year? Shout out to all the comedians who have kept us on the right side of despair.

We’re paying homage to some of the best gigs of the year, from observational stand-up and big hitters to niche nonsense and newcomers.

These are Evening Standard comedy critic Bruce Dessau’s top ten shows from 2019:

John Kearns: Double Take and Fade Away

Bruce Dessau had his faith in comedy restored after watching John Kearns in his latest show. “Distinctive, thought-provoking and steering stand-up into rarely explored waters,” Double Take and Fade Away was leagues away from the comedy-by-numbers routines of some arena shows. “One minute he’s singing the praises of Leonardo Da Vinci, the next he is mocking him, noting that drawing helicopters is not the same as building them.” Five stars for Kearns’s “humour with a philosophical garnish”.

Hannah Gadsby: Douglas

Nanette - which became a global smash hit after being picked up by Netflix - was a tough act to follow, but Hannah Gadbsy wasn’t put off. “If she has not topped Nanette, its sequel, Douglas, certainly matches its brilliance,” said Bruce Dessau in his five star review. Douglas had less “volcanic ire and more mischief” in the show where every detail matters, from Where’s Wally to mansplaining. Gadsby’s “masterpiece of a show” was met with a well-earned standing ovation.

Tim Minchin

Andy Hollingworth

Tim Minchin’s first UK tour in eight years saw the “fiendishly clever” comic deliver a show “more music gig than stand-up set – except that rock lyrics are never, ever this funny”. From songs such as Rock ‘n; Roll Nerd to a very curse-heavy F**k This, he had the audience in stitches all the way up to the rafters.

Stewart Lee: Tornado/Snowflake

“This is Lee the clever crowdpleaser,” said Bruce Dessau in his review. Stewart Lee delivered two shows in one: Tornado, which stemmed from a Netflix listing error that confused his stand-up special with a shark Armageddon movie, and Snowflake, which plunges into the world of political correctness. Among teasing of Ricky Gervais and Phoebe Waller-Bridge, he was “equally swift to mock himself”. Although not all may agree with him, “it is testament to his talent that he is even brutally funny when wrong”.

Until January 25, Leicester Square Theatre, leicestersquaretheatre.com. June 27, 28, July 1-3, Royal Festival Hall, southbankcentre.co.uk

Janine Harouni: Stand Up with Janine Harouni

After a particularly well-received debut at Edinburgh Fringe, London-based New Yorker Janine Harouni bagged herself a Edinburgh Comedy Awards Best Newcomer nomination. “A natural anecdotalist with a compelling story”, Harouni had the right formula for a knock-out show, as she wove her relationship with her Trump-voting father into a “wider fable of compassion, tolerance and reconciliation”.

Until December 21, Soho Theatre, sohotheatre.com

Jessica Fostekew: Hench

Idil Sukan

Jessica Fostekew “found her voice” in Hench, a show about the tyranny of body image and her reaction to being called “hench” by a man in the gym. Another nominee for this year’s Edinburgh Comedy Awards – this time for best show – the voice she found is “a loud and vital one”. Bruce Dessau said in his review that the “laughs flow thick and fast alongside the anger”.

January 6-25, Soho Theatre, sohotheatre.com

Desiree Burch: Desiree’s Coming Early

Desiree Burch’s “compelling” monologue explored race, relationships and identity through a story about her quest for sex at Burning Man festival. “Desiree’s Coming Early is a near-perfect example of comedic storytelling,” said Bruce Dessau in his review. “Burch knows what she is doing. You will be hooked until the show reaches its, no pun intended, climax.”

Suzi Ruffell: Nocturnal

“This consummate performance confirms that the Portsmouth-born comic has truly hit her stride,” said Bruce Dessau about Suzi Ruffell’s show Nocturnal. It first debuted at the Fringe in 2018 (when it “deserved an award nod”), and saw the Portsmouth-born comedian talk about anxiety over everything from dating show Naked Attraction to internet trolls. She followed it up with Dance Like Nobody’s Watching, where she showed that comedy doesn’t need to come from misery. It has been a good year for Ruffell.

February 24-29, Soho Theatre, sohotheatre.com

Sophie Duker: Venus

Matt Writtle

Another comic who made an absolutely storming full-length debut at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe was Sophie Duker, with Venus. The Standard’s review called her “so assured that she is surely heading straight to the top” – no exaggeration, as she was nominated for Best Newcomer. The title was inspired by the Hottentot Venus, Sara Baartman, an African woman who was regarded as a freak in the 19th century because of her buttocks, and led to a show about feminism, race and perception. “While the subject matter might sometimes sound heavy,” said Bruce Dessau. “Duker has a tremendous lightness of touch.”

January 13-18, Soho Theatre, sohotheatre.com

Spencer Jones: The Things We Leave Behind

Sometimes silliness is what we need. Spencer Jones’s “D-I-Y brand of Tommy Cooper-meets-Noel Fielding” delivers it in spades, complete with googly eyeballs and no shortage of audience interaction. “From the moment he walks on his funny bones make everyone laugh,” said Bruce Dessau in his review. “It is nonsense but brilliant nonsense.”

January 11, Soho Theatre, sohotheatre.com

30 stand-up comedians you need to see

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