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BCG Daily Sunday 16th August 2015

Press clippings

The best thing I re-watched last week: Detectorists

The first time I watched Detectorists it was on YouTube. It was formatted so the picture filled up only about a third of the screen. The rest of the field was taken up with a frame emblazoned with the show's name across the top. Despite the poor viewing conditions, it was still probably the best comedy I saw last year. In fact, it won the BAFTA for best situation comedy of 2014 and a second series is currently in production.

Carmen Croghan, Everything I Know About The UK..., 16th August 2015

Matt Forde interview

The political comedian on the lunacy of Labour, being marooned with Nigel Farage, and why he loves Jeremy Kyle.

Adam Jacques, The Independent, 16th August 2015

The European stand-ups who talk funny

They come over here and take our punchlines... Hang on, let's not get all right-wing-press about the foreign stand-ups appearing at the Fringe.

Alan Morrison, Sunday Herald, 16th August 2015

Reviewer review: Helen Ackrill (Chortle)

Helen Ackrill has a strong sense of what's fair, and never criticises anything without first giving a thorough explanation. And when she praises something she tends to do it from the side, above, below and close up. Helen Ackrill tends to say the same thing over and over again.

Boxley De Ribeiro, Chortle, 16th August 2015

Chris Langham interview: disgraced actor opens up

Disgraced actor opens up about his child sex abuse images conviction and why he's making a film in an orphanage.

Cole Moreton, The Independent, 16th August 2015

Naked ballet dancers, pigeons and Egg Roulette shock

More pigeon news. On Thursday in this blog, I mentioned the tussle performer Adrienne Truscott had with pigeons inside her flat. Yesterday, Malcolm Hardee Comedy Awards judge Claire Smith of The Scotsman told me she had seen last year's Malcolm Hardee Award winner Candy Gigi running out of a sandwich shop.

John Fleming, John Fleming's Blog, 16th August 2015

Interview: rarely asked questions - Alex Edelman

There is a long tradition of American artists being quickly embraced in the UK, from Jimi Hendrix to Bill Hicks. I think at the moment Alex Edelman is in the process of joining that illustrious list.

Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 16th August 2015

The ten best Fringe shows I've ever seen

I like a bit of everything. This is in no order and in no way definitive. It would be different if I wrote it tomorrow.

Charlie Baker, Chortle, 16th August 2015

'The sociopath we all wish we could be'

Rhys James chooses his comedy favourites.

Rhys James, Chortle, 16th August 2015

The honest truth about dishonest practices

Colin Cloud gives the lowdown on fellow magicians.

Colin Cloud, Chortle, 16th August 2015

Felicity Ward interview

The Australian comic explains that her show about irritable bowel syndrome and anxiety has no 'serious moment'.

Stephanie Merritt, The Observer, 16th August 2015

The Edinburgh fringe's puppet noir stars

Puppets pop up in lots of children's shows at Edinburgh, but they also play leading roles in productions that are definitely not safe for toddlers. Here's a who's-who guide to the principal puppets in a trio of fringe thrillers.

Chris Wiegand, The Observer, 16th August 2015

Interview: Aatif Nawaz, Muslims Do it 5 Times a Day

A chat with Aatif Nawaz.

Hannah Whitcombe, Fresh Fringe, 16th August 2015

Interview: Kelly Kingham, Inside Out

A chat with Kelly Kingham.

Hannah Whitcombe, Fresh Fringe, 16th August 2015

Interview: Spencer Jones, The Herbert in Proper Job

A chat with Spencer Jones.

Hannah Whitcombe, Fresh Fringe, 16th August 2015

Interview: James Wilson-Taylor, Bat-Fan

A chat with James Wilson-Taylor.

Hannah Whitcombe, Fresh Fringe, 16th August 2015

Interview: Stephen Bailey: Should've Been a Popstar

A chat with Stephen Bailey.

Hannah Whitcombe, Fresh Fringe, 16th August 2015

Papa CJ visits the #WOWwagon (Link expired)

Papa CJ came along to the #WOWwagon to chat about his Fringe show Naked, and give us an insight into the comedy scene in India.

Matthew Dunne-Miles, WOW247, 16th August 2015

Dickens Abridged perform at the #WOWwagon (Link expired)

Dickens Abridged came along to the #WOWwagon to perform a song from their Fringe show.

Nick Mitchell, WOW247, 16th August 2015

Meyers, Soames, Lazy Susan & Dickens Abridged (Link expired)

Juliet Meyers, Richard Soames, Lazy Susan and Dickens Abridged came along to the #WOWwagon to tell us about their Fringe shows, choose their favourite films - and give their reaction to the break-up of Kermit and Miss Piggy.

Nick Mitchell, WOW247, 16th August 2015

Miles Jupp interview

Miles Jupp has had an eventful year. He and his wife Rachel had their fifth child, they've moved from London to south Wales, he's performed at the National Theatre, can be seen in the film The Last Sparks Of Sundown, and from next month he's the new host of The News Quiz on Radio 4.

Rachel Corcoran, The Daily Express, 16th August 2015

Tom Stade interview

Canadian comic Tom Stade is a regular at the Edinburgh Fringe - he even lives in the city full-time. This year he is performing a new stand-up show as well as appearing in Mickey Down and Konrad Kay's Giant Leap, his first acting job for a decade.

Georgia Snow, The Stage, 16th August 2015

Holly Jack & Louise Stewart discuss Burnistoun comeback

The actresses are in the one-off special on BBC One tomorrow night in a cast that also includes Still Game's Isa.

Steve Hendry, Daily Record, 16th August 2015

Ben Norris: Talking love, loss and motorways

In his "one-man show about love, loss and motorways" - The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Family - writer and performer Ben Norris recounts the story of the time he took off on a hitch-hiking tour of all the places his emotionally distant father had lived - most of them just off the M1 - in an attempt to understand him better.

Chris Cooke, ThreeWeeks, 16th August 2015

Lieven Scheire: Revenge of the nerds

Science stand-up and "Belgium's funniest physicist" Lieven Scheire is at the Fringe this year promising to talk you through "from the special relativity of Einstein to Belgians being the hobbits of Europe".

Lieven Scheire, ThreeWeeks, 16th August 2015

Three to see on 17 Aug

Three recommended shows for Monday at the Edinburgh Festival 2015.

ThreeWeeks, 16th August 2015

Interview: Lloyd Griffiths, Great Grimsby's Big Turn On

A chat with Lloyd Griffiths.

Hannah Whitcombe, Fresh Fringe, 16th August 2015

Interview: Simon Minty and Steve Best

A chat with some of the cast of Abnormally FUnny People].

Hannah Whitcombe, Fresh Fringe, 16th August 2015

Interview: Elvis Mcgonagall, Countrybile

A chat with Elvis Mcgonagall.

Hannah Whitcombe, Fresh Fringe, 16th August 2015

Interview: Maddy Anholt, Diary of a Dating Addict

A chat with Maddy Anholt.

Hannah Whitcombe, Fresh Fringe, 16th August 2015

Interview: Phil Jerrod, Neanderthal

A chat with Phil Jerrod.

Hannah Whitcombe, Fresh Fringe, 16th August 2015

Interview: Darren Walsh, Punderbolt

A chat with Darren Walsh.

Hannah Whitcombe, Fresh Fringe, 16th August 2015

Interview: Ali Brice

A chat with Ali Brice/

Hannah Whitcombe, Fresh Fringe, 16th August 2015

Rob Brydon interview

Rob Brydon is sitting in a café in sleepy Teddington, close to his west London home.

Chris Harvey, The Telegraph, 16th August 2015

Absolutely Anything review

Simon Pegg cannot save this bleak comedy, which looks and feels as if it was made in the mid-80s.

Jonathan Romney, The Observer, 16th August 2015

A Good Day for a Gunging

The king of gunge, Dave Benson Phillips, speaks to Evan Beswick about reviving Get Your Own Back - and then douses him in slime.

Evan Beswick, Fest Mag, 16th August 2015

Spotilight: Harriet Kemsley

Comedian Harriet Kemsley prepares to overshare at the Edinburgh Fringe.

Victoria Woodhall, Mail on Sunday, 16th August 2015

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