Andrew Ahn's contemporary reworking of Ang Lee's Oscar-nominated classic The Wedding Banquet—with a new screenplay by Ahn co-written with the original film's writer James Schamus—is a delightfully warm and uplifting rom-com with heart and soul, and an ensemble cast to die for. Shifting the setting west from New York to Seattle, Ahn and Schamus also... Continue Reading →
Following the short film My Trip to Spain, Theda Hammel and John Early continue their creative collaboration with the deliciously dark and hilarious 2020-set comedy feature Stress Positions, which world premiered at Sundance and was the closing night selection of MOMA's New Directors/New Films festival. As well as writing and directing, Hammel also serves as... Continue Reading →
London-based performance artist, writer, comedian, and theatre maker Krishna Istha first became interested in stand-up comedy when they saw Zoë Coombs Marr and Hannah Gadsby perform live. Seeing them in action "changed my perspective of what stand-up was and who it is for" recalls Istha, who is part of a lineup of seven genderqueer comedians—including... Continue Reading →
New York stand-up comic, writer, and actor Jes Tom follows a sell-out Off-Broadway run of their acclaimed solo show Less Lonely (presented by their friend Elliot Page) with a hilarious set as part of a lineup of seven genderqueer comedians in Hannah Gadsby's Gender Agenda. The comedy special, which was shot at London's iconic Alexandra... Continue Reading →
Theda Hammel returns to Sundance following her 2022 TV pilot My Trip To Spain, with her feature debut as writer-director-composer-editor and star, Stress Positions, playing in the festival's US Dramatic Competition. With its dry, sometimes uncomfortable tone, that easily shifts from offbeat to satirical to absurd to farcical, this deliciously dark, thought-provoking comedy sees her... Continue Reading →
Based on her on 2020 book—Yes, I Can Say That: When They Come for the Comedians, We Are All in Trouble—Emmy-winning veteran comedian Judy Gold's thrillingly ambitious new one-woman show—Yes, I Can Say That!—examines stand-up comedy’s ability to speak truth to power, and the dangers of censoring and silencing comedians. Not only is it provocative,... Continue Reading →
Fluent in five languages, with a singing range of six octaves, pinup good looks, and charisma for days, Matteo Lane is already a gay hearthrob (as a quick glance at his Instagram will confirm) and fast becoming a New York stand-up comedy institution, regularly performing at the legendary Comedy Cellar in the West Village. Before... Continue Reading →
Often edgy, always fiercely intelligent and hilarious, stand-up comedy rising star Robin Tran is performing in Los Angeles this week as part of Netflix Is A Joke: The Festival. Named one of Just For Laugh’s New Faces of 2021, her comedy frequently deals with her identity as an Asian trans lesbian and her experience of... Continue Reading →
On Saturday, May 7th, Billy Eichner will host Netflix Is A Joke: The Festival's Stand Out: An LGBTQ+ Celebration at The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. Promising to be a starry night of queer entertainment, the lineup features Bob the Drag Queen, Eddie Izzard, Fortune Feimster, Gina Yashere, Guy Branum, James Adomian, Joel Kim Booster,... Continue Reading →
Somebody Somewhere, a new comedy series created by High Maintenance writers Hannah Bos and Paul Thureen, which premieres on HBO this Sunday January 16th, feels like a breath of fresh air with its layered characters, unhurried pace, mix of poignant moments and gentle humour, and a compelling performance by comedian and singer Bridget Everett (Inside... Continue Reading →
