Showing titles in Performing Arts

In September 2007 an invited audience enjoyed a special performance by John Julius Norwich of a selection from his Christmas Crackers at the Jermyn Street Theatre in London to benefit the Venice in Peril Fund. Listeners to this audiobook can share the delight of the live audience as John Julius entertains us with a compilation of anecdote, prose, poetry and even song that is as charmingly conceived as it is delightfully performed.

Come Out, Come Out is a podcast about coming out of the closet, and it’s also a funny, joyful exploration of love, sex and the pursuit of happiness.

Purple Van Man, is '8 out of 10 Cats' star Sean Lock's fantastic new audiobook, recorded in front of a sold out audience at London's Hammersmith Apollo. We all know what white van man thinks about the world we live in but it's time to hear a different voice, the purple van man's voice. Filled with gags, opinions, deft observations and some silly voices, this is Sean Lock doing what he does best, spouting inspired jibber jabber as he crosses the country in his purple van. He will make you laugh like a drunken horse.

Stephen Merchant, the Emmy, BAFTA and Golden Globe award winning co-creator of The Office and Extras in his first ever live stand-up comedy tour and it has been well worth the wait. The Guardian says "his performance is priceless...he can do funny just by being there" and The Times states that "the man is hilarious".

Danny Wallace faces the absurdities, trivialities and challenges of being a man every day. It's not for everyone. Half the world don't have to.

For half a century Ken Dodd has been sending audiences around Britain in to spasms of laughter and at the age of 80 he is still performing. How did this feather duster salesman from Liverpool become one of the greatest comic geniuses of his generation? In this entertaining biography we follow his life from schooldays in Knotty Ash to the top of his profession with the odd excursion through the courts and Shakespeare!

His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, KG, KT, OM, GBE has been at the forefront of British public life since he married Princess Elizabeth in 1947. In the 70 years since, his wit (and the occasional 'gaffe') has continued to endear him to the nation, as he travelled the world taking his unique and charmingly British sense of humour to its far-flung corners. In the year in which the Prince has stepped down from his royal duties, this joyous and timely book celebrates his wry humour and supremely wicked wit.

Baddiel and Ripley’s Buy Leave It or Not is the comedy/consumer-advice podcast from old friends and comedy heroes David Baddiel and Fay Ripley. Listen in as they sort out your shopping trolley - unboxing and reviewing the products you didn’t even know you wanted. From full English breakfast-makers to vagina candles, all of modern consumer life is here. But the question is, will David and Fay Buy, Leave It or...Not?

Reading Scotland's Jesus should be like being called into the living room by your child shouting that they see a little red dot on the head of a TV newscaster, then riding the white hot bullet through the propaganda circuitry of his or her exploding brain. It's a funny book about the news, partly because it was decided that a pornographic book about Scottish Independence wouldn't really sell.

Sara Pascoe explores our modern social world though theories of evolutionary psychology and more. In a brand-new stand-up show recorded in front of live audiences in museums, Sara asks how our past influences our modern lives and how come we can still get emotionally hijacked by our primitive emotions.

In these series, Rhod Gilbert and Chris Addison introduce a line-up of the best and brightest stand-ups, inviting fresh faces and old hands onstage to display their comic talents. Each programme features three different stars - a newcomer who performs the opening act, an established comedian or double act offering up sketches, musical numbers or character pieces and a final headline artist. There’s some top-notch comedy from the compères, too, as they showcase their funniest routines.

Simon Mayo hosts a comedic battle between three teams to find out which is the funniest generation. Will the Up and Comers, the Current Crop or the Old Guard be crowned as the Golden Age of Comedy?

The aim of this audiobook is entertainment - and surprise - but there will be a fair bit of erudition and incidental education along the way. We discover the oldest words, the newest, the longest, the shortest, the most frequently used, the costliest (yes, words can come with prices attached), the funniest, the most fatal, the most unusual...From the words Shakespeare gave us to the latest in sexting, the best and the worst, the most amusing and amazing words are here.

Created by John Lloyd in 1977, The News Quiz has gone on to become one of the longest running panel games on BBC Radio 4. Originally hosted by Barry Norman, since then Simon Hoggart, Barry Took, Sandi Toksvig, Miles Jupp, Nish Kumar, Angela Barnes and Andy Zaltzman have taken up the chair. The satirical quiz show's panel of comedians and journalists trawl through news stories big and small to provide comedy, commentary, irony and irreverence. This is a brand-new collection of previously unpublished episodes taken from the archives

From his smash hit new show "Off on Tour We Go", Jason's new show is guaranteed to get you laughing, with hilarious tales ranging from shower mishaps and embarrassing stories to the phrases that people get wrong and dealing with nappies. Renowned for his hilarious observations and loveable, friendly delivery, Jason has been a firm favourite with comedy fans of all ages since his first solo stand-up show earned him huge critical acclaim. Jason Manford is now selling out huge arenas, including the Manchester MEN, where this show was filmed, and the London O2.

Hosted by Mark Nelson, this lively show sees a panel of celebrities competing to share the best, worst and most hilarious anecdotes from their daily lives. Each guest is vying for the audience's vote as they try to convince Mark that their 'good' story is the most joyful, serendipitous or worthy, and their 'bad' story is the most unfortunate, outrageous or unforgivable. To keep them on their toes, they're also faced with some spontaneous surprise questions. Collected here are 39 of the finest episodes from Series 2-14, featuring a fantastic mix of talent from across Scotland and beyond.

Top comedian Ross Noble travels from London to Caberra in this superb live recording. Ross has the golden touch when it comes to comedy: relaxed, assured and spilling over with great comedic ideas. Hilarious comedy.

David Sedaris' remarkable ability to uncover the hilarious absurdity teeming just below the surface of everyday life is surpassed only by his ability to make his stories even more hilarious when he reads them aloud. This is the complete recording of Meet David Sedaris Series Six, for Radio 4, and he reads essays from several of his books as well as many brand-new diary pieces and extras.

Audible Live returns to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2019 to bring you more hilarious stand-up from the world's best comedy festival.

Providing you with the antidote to every annoying little thing, these rules are not made to be broken. 488 Rules for Life is not a self-help book, because it's not you who needs help, it's other people. Whether they're walking and texting, asphyxiating you on public transport with their noxious perfume cloud, or leaving one useless square of toilet paper on the roll, a lot of people just don't know the rules.

Are you ready to set sail into the future? Climb aboard HMS Boosh, hoist the perspex anchor, set the controls for the heart of the sun and come navigate the electrical seas with Cyborg Patrick and his Neon Barnacles. In this live Boosh presentation, you will hear Howard wrestle with the problems of the universe in tiny shorts, while Vince gets his hair extra big and flounces about. You shall then weep with salty joy as Bollo and Naboo move about and say stuff in their own special way.

Top Irish comedian Ed Byrne live in concert with another hilariously funny show. Ed sees the world in a marvellously witty way that has you thinking and laughing in equal measure. A comedian at the very top of his game.

David Sedaris's remarkable ability to uncover the hilarious absurdity teeming just below the surface of everyday life is surpassed only by his ability to make his stories even more hilarious when he reads them aloud.

Over eleven seasons and eighty-four episodes, Jerry Seinfeld drove around in classic cars, grabbing coffee and chatting with the funniest people alive. He reminisced with the late Garry Shandling; bantered with legends Steve Martin, Tina Fey and Eddie Murphy; reunited with the cast of Seinfeld; and even paid a visit to President Barack Obama in the Oval Office. These and dozens of other guests talked about the intricacies of stand-up, the evolution of their careers and personal lives, and whatever else popped into their brilliant minds.

Radio 4's longest-running panel show, in which contestants are challenged to speak on a on a given topic for 60 seconds without hesitation, deviation or repetition, returns with Sue Perkins at the helm for this complete collection of episodes from 2024. Featuring quickfire improvisation, inspired ad-libbing and spontaneous hilarity - as well as a live studio audience - join Sue Perkins and her guests as they battle for points, glory and the perfect, uninterrupted minute.

Mention Milton Jones to most people and the first thing they think is 'Help!'. Milton Jones is a man who can help anyone, anywhere - whether they need it or not. Because, in his own words, there's ''no problem too problemy''. When you're close to the edge, then Milton can give you a push...

The world of wildlife is full of surprising and magical quirks - and Sue Perkins - comedian, broadcaster and Just a Minute host - is on a mission to discover them all. In this fantastic series, recorded at ZSL London Zoo and the Eden Project, she's joined by a diverse group of comedians and natural history experts for some entertaining sessions of 'Show and Tell'.

Comedian, halloumi enthusiast and absolute lad Joe Lycett presents That's the Way, A-Ha, A-Ha, Joe Lycett Live. Join Joe as he tackles the tyranny of Post Office jobsworths, confronts the stupidity of celebrities on Twitter and accidentally gets into an argument with Isis (not that one) in this hilarious Chortle Award-winning show recorded at the Duchess Theatre in London's West End.

The hilarious memoir from award-winning comedian Bridget Christie. When Bridget Christie walked into her local bookshop, she thought she'd come out with a book. And maybe a calendar of cute photos of cats (hopefully unlike you've just done). The last thing she thought she'd be leaving with was the need for a new wave of feminism and the start of an incredibly successful career.

Why do some women still expect men to buy their dinner? Why do some men feel depressed after masturbating? What the hell is going on with porn? Comedian Sara Pascoe explores the complex connections between sex, power and money. This audiobook is a thoughtful and entertaining journey through anatomy and arousal, dating and sex work, animals and technology, and Pascoe makes our most baffling human behaviours less mysterious.