The Upcoming
  • Culture
    • Art
    • Cinema
      • Movie reviews
      • Film festivals
    • Food & Drinks
      • News & Features
      • Restaurant & bar reviews
      • Interviews & Recipes
    • Literature
    • Music
      • Live music
    • Theatre
    • Shows & On demand
  • Fashion & Lifestyle
    • Accessories
    • Beauty
    • News & Features
    • Shopping & Trends
    • Tips & How-tos
    • Fashion weeks
  • What’s On
    • Art exhibitions
    • Theatre shows
  • Tickets
  • Join us
    • Editorial unit
    • Our writers
    • Join the team
    • Join the mailing list
    • Support us
    • Contact us
  • Interviews
  • Competitions
  • Special events
    • Film festivals
      • Berlin
      • Tribeca
      • Sundance London
      • Cannes
      • Locarno
      • Venice
      • London
      • Toronto
    • Fashion weeks
      • London Fashion Week
      • New York Fashion Week
      • Milan Fashion Week
      • Paris Fashion Week
      • Haute Couture
      • London Fashion Week Men’s
  • Facebook

  • Twitter

  • Instagram

  • YouTube

  • RSS

CultureTheatre

Centrepoint Laughing Point

Centrepoint Laughing Point | Comedy review
25 February 2014
Timothy Bano
Timothy Bano
Avatar
Timothy Bano
25 February 2014

In aid of Centrepoint, a charity for young homeless people, a cluster of fine comic talent gathers for one night only in London’s Palace Theatre. Compère Joe Lycett, whose last Edinburgh show had by far the best title (If Joe Lycett then You Should’ve Put a Ring On It) rouses the audience into an enthusiastic frenzy, then introduces “not 11, not 12 but ten acts”.

First up is Kerry Godliman lamenting a woman’s labour intensive lot to look beautiful. Her funny voices liven up stories about vajazzles and eye cream. Mark Watson fills the stage with his awkward, nervous energy; there are a few deadpan minutes from Mike Wozniak. James Acaster’s whimsical flights of fancy about being an undercover cop posing as a stand-up comedian are gentle, silly fun. 

Nick Helm and Lou Sanders bring some variety to the otherwise strictly observational comedy on offer. Helm does his beardy, shouty thing for ten minutes then jumps off the stage and, unable to get back on, someone in the front row kindly thrusts his hand up Helm’s backside to give him a boost. Sanders gives a brilliant and insane set singing a duet with a felt vagina on a stick and asking an audience member to pour sugar over her head. Some punters are in convulsions, others stony-faced. Jon Culshaw slips immediately into a Terry Wogan impression, and it does not get much more topical from there: Tony Blair, George Bush, Les Dawson. The impersonations are perfect and it is a skill to be admired, but Culshaw provides little in terms of material.

The team from Channel 4’s The Last Leg are eagerly anticipated. First-timer Alex Brooker’s frank humour, tempting the audience to laugh at jokes about disabled people, is warmly received even if the set is rough around the edges. Josh Widdicombe’s set exemplifies the best of British: the weather, Heathrow, WHSmith. The headliner, Adam Hills, is by far the most confident and has such a likeable, easy-going onstage presence that it is impossible not to warm to him. He is the perfect down-the-pub dad, with stories about the Ashes and the Paralympics. After nine comedians and two hours he manages to revive the tired audience with charm and skill.

Hills is the highlight of an evening of great comedy for an important cause, masterfully held together by Joe Lycett.

Timothy Bano

Centrepoint Laughing Point was a one-off event at the Palace Theatre. For further information and future events visit Centrepoint’s website here.

Related Itemsreview

More in Theatre

A Livestream with David Bedella at Crazy Coqs Online

★★★★★
Regan Harle
Read More

Undercover at Morpheus Show Online

★★★★★
Michael Higgs
Read More

Playing ON: An interview with Jim Pope on life-changing theatre

Georgia Howlett
Read More

Sunset Boulevard at Curve Theatre Online

★★★★★
Selina Begum
Read More

Hip Hop Cinderella

★★★★★
Catherine Sedgwick
Read More

Theatre in 2020: a recap (and an outlook for 2021)

Michael Higgs
Read More

A new world of theatre: Aimie Atkinson on groundbreaking theatre platform Thespie

Ezelle Alblas
Read More

Dick Whittington at the National Theatre

★★★★★
Samuel Nicholls
Read More

Living Newspaper: A Counter Narrative – Edition Two at the Royal Court Theatre

★★★★★
James Humphrey
Read More
Scroll for more
Tap
  • Popular

  • Latest

  • TOP PICKS

  • Outside the Wire
    ★★★★★
    Cinema
  • A Livestream with David Bedella at Crazy Coqs Online
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • Undercover at Morpheus Show Online
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • Blithe Spirit
    ★★★★★
    Cinema
  • Pearl Charles – Magic Mirror
    ★★★★★
    Album review
  • WandaVision: Marvel’s charming sitcom proves an astounding success
    ★★★★★
    Cinema
  • Sleaford Mods – Spare Ribs
    ★★★★★
    Album review
  • The Queen’s Gambit: A chess story that’s not about the moves but the motives
    ★★★★★
    Cinema
  • Away
    ★★★★★
    Cinema
  • Imperial Blue
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • WandaVision: Marvel’s charming sitcom proves an astounding success
    ★★★★★
    Cinema
  • The Queen’s Gambit: A chess story that’s not about the moves but the motives
    ★★★★★
    Cinema
  • Undercover at Morpheus Show Online
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • Ten short literary collections to get you back into reading
    Literature
  • Mayor
    ★★★★★
    Cinema
The Upcoming
Pages
  • Contact us
  • Join mailing list
  • Join us
  • Our London food map
  • Our writers
  • Support us
  • What, when, why

Copyright © 2011-2020 FL Media

Fame at the New Wimbledon Theatre | Theatre review
Circa Waves at the Sebright Arms | Live review