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The National
29-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
Tiff Stevenson explores sex and politics at Edinburgh Fringe
The actress and comedian brings her new standup show, Post Coital, to the Monkey Barrel Hive from August 1 till August 24. The set weaves politics with modern existential anxieties, asking questions like how long a woman must stay sexy whilst positing that the UK Government must be on Ozempic since 'the economy is looking snatched'. Stevenson – who has appeared on shows like Mock the Week, 8 Out Of 10 Cats and the Bafta-winning series People Just Do Nothing – spoke with The National ahead of her return to the Fringe. READ MORE: Gogglebox axes only Scottish cast members after 3 years on TV screens 'It's a festival of ideas as much as it is art … and it's just the most exciting and creative place to be for the month of August', she said of her upcoming return to Edinburgh, where she has been amongst the best reviewed acts five times previously. 'There's still that feeling that when you pull in the train at Waverley station, you get a feeling of sickness in the pit of your stomach. You're like, 'oh, it's about to happen' – it's a mix of nervousness and excitement.' With this year's Fringe taking place in a political landscape which becomes more and more tumultuous by the day, Stevenson believes it's still important to be able to joke about serious topics. 'The main thing we have to do is err on the side of funny – lead with funny first and make people think second, because I think people now more than ever get turned off by thinking', she explained. 'As a left-wing person, we constantly focus on the minute differences that we have, rather than coming together as a whole in order to kind of make a cohesive change. 'These little, kind of micro-arguments that we have are not necessarily progressive. We have to be able to have difficult conversations, and we have to be able to dip into the grey areas to be able to try and make some headway. 'Comedy should be about making people think or showing them how you think and how you've got there, and they go away and ask some questions – no one wants to feel like they're being preached to.' She told The National that the show came from thinking about all of the 'wild and wacky ideas' that spring to mind once 'sex is out of the way'. (Image: Steve Ullathorne)'Maybe the UN should only meet after they've had a good shag', she joked. 'I feel like there's a lot of pent-up aggression in the world that could be released in a slightly healthier way, rather than firing penis shaped missiles and rockets. 'It feels very much like we're on the brink of World War Three at the moment, so I will be talking a bit about that in the show. There will be a combination, if I get it right, of personal, political and social themes.' Although Stevenson is English, both her father and her husband are from Scotland. She said her husband Paul, the director of Post Coital, keeps an eye on the 'sensibility' of things. 'We make sure we're not just plonking a show in Edinburgh that has nothing to do with Scotland or the people of Scotland', she said. In past shows, the comedian has touched on several slightly taboo subjects, like ageing in the public eye and our unhealthy dependency on the internet. Stevenson touched on the pressure of maintaining an eternal youth whilst speaking frankly about the lack of information and research on one of the biggest biological changes that women experience: the menopause. She said: 'I put a video out a few months ago about a perimenopausal vampire and people were saying 'Oh my God, you're putting yourself in an age bracket if you do that'. READ MORE: Study finds a third of boys believe revealing outfits are 'asking for trouble' 'I don't even know if I am menopausal and the reason that I don't know is because there's no information. 'All women have is asking other women, 'Have you had this?' 'Is this happening to you?' 'Do you feel angry all the time? I feel angry' and so on. 'That is a failing of all the medical institutions that there's no information available for women apart from us talking to each other, because the only the research only goes into illnesses and drug trials with men as the standard. 'So, it's hard, trying to understand the phases of life and what we go through without thinking 'this is everything and this totally defines me', as opposed to knowing that it's a part of life, and a part that we all move through.' Tickets for Post Coital are available through the official Edinburgh Fringe website. Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Scotsman
28-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Star of Live at the Apollo and 8 Out of 10 Cats comes to Edinburgh this September
Comedian Dane Baptiste – as seen on TV shows including Live at the Apollo, Mock the Week, and 8 Out of 10 Cats – brings his new tour show to Edinburgh on September 17 with a gig at Dreghorn Loan Hall. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The show is part of a ten-date tour of Scotland, organised by Aberdeen-based promoters Breakneck Comedy, which starts in Aberdeen on Friday, September 12 and finishes in Banchory on Sunday, September 21. Dane started out in comedy in 2012, and just two years later in 2014, he was nominated for the Best Newcomer Award at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe – the first Black British comic to be nominated for the award. After his success in Edinburgh, Dane went on to create, write, and star in Sunny D (BBC Three, 2015 - 2016), and has appeared on radio shows including Just a Minute and The News Quiz on Radio 4. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Breakneck Comedy founder, Naz Hussain, says: 'I'm so excited to be working with Dane on his tour of Scotland. As anyone who's seen him on shows like Live at the Apollo will know, audiences can expect non-stop laughs and a great night of comedy'. Dane has appeared on numerous TV shows including Live at the Apollo Naz explains that he believes comedy tours don't have to be confined to big towns and venues, 'at Breakneck Comedy we're all about bringing big names to smaller places, so as well as cities such as Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Aberdeen, we make sure that our schedules include smaller towns and venues, that don't normally get included in tours. 'I'm delighted that we've been able to add some new venues and locations to our list with Dane's tour. For us it's all about bringing comedy to as many people as possible and finding new venues and spaces that we can bring the laughter to' says Naz.
Glasgow Times
19-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
Comedian Dane Baptiste set to bring tour to Glasgow
Dane Baptiste, known for appearances on Live at the Apollo, Mock the Week, and 8 Out of 10 Cats, will perform in Glasgow and Cumbernauld this September as part of his new stand-up tour. The shows are part of a 10-date tour across Scotland organised by Aberdeen-based promoters Breakneck Comedy. Read more: Lewis Capaldi reveals love for legendary Glasgow comic and Paolo Nutini (Image: Supplied) Naz Hussain, founder of Breakneck Comedy, said: "I'm so excited to be working with Dane on his tour of Scotland. "As anyone who's seen him on shows like Live at the Apollo will know, audiences can expect non-stop laughs and a great night of comedy." Dane began his comedy career in 2012 and was nominated for Best Newcomer at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe just two years later, becoming the first Black British comic to receive the nomination. Following his success in Edinburgh, he created, wrote, and starred in the BBC Three sitcom Sunny D, and has also appeared on BBC Radio 4 shows including Just a Minute and The News Quiz. Now, as part of his new tour, Dane will perform at New Town Hall in Cumbernauld on Saturday, September 13, and at Community Central Hall in Glasgow on Saturday, September 20. Read more: 'Ferrari of comedy' set to perform in Glasgow this summer (Image: Supplied) These performances highlight Breakneck Comedy's ambition to spread entertainment events beyond the confines of big towns and venues. "At Breakneck Comedy, we're all about bringing big names to smaller places, so as well as cities such as Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Aberdeen, we make sure that our schedules include smaller towns and venues that don't normally get included in tours. "I'm delighted that we've been able to add some new venues and locations to our list with Dane's tour. "For us, it's all about bringing comedy to as many people as possible and finding new venues and spaces that we can bring the laughter to." The tour begins in Aberdeen on Friday, September 12, and concludes in Banchory on Sunday, September 21.
Metro
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Favourite British comedian forced to cancel shows after saying he's quitting sta
Rob Beckett has been forced to axe a string of shows after previously announcing he was quitting stand-up. The comedian began performing stand-up in 2009, making his debut at Edinburgh Fringe three years later. He is now best known for appearing on shows including Mock the Week, 8 Out of 10 Cats, Taskmaster and Lol: Last One Laughing UK. However, in March, the 39-year-old detailed his plans to take a step back from the stage. A month after Rob had announced he was stepping down from his BBC Radio 2 show, he explained he was planning on pausing stand-up shows to prioritise time with his children. Although he'd had shows planned in Scotland next week, Rob's now had to pull the plug after falling ill. Posting a message on Instagram, he wrote: 'Hello everyone, I'm so sorry but I'm not well and can't do the shows in Scotland this week. 'Aberdeen has been rescheduled to Wednesday 14th Jan 20206 and Edinburgh has been rescheduled to Thursday 15th Jan 2026. 'The venue will be in touch, but tickets remain valid for both shows. I hate doing this, but I'm not well enough to give you the best show possible, but I look forward to seeing you all at the new shows.' Despite his plans to take a break from stand-up, Rob has shows throughout the UK up until April next year. While most of Rob's upcoming stand-up shows have sold out, these ones still have tickets available: Southend- Cliffs Pavilion (September 10) Derry- Millennium Forum (September 25) Dublin- 3Olympia Theatre (September 27) However, after the cancellation of his Scotland shows, he won't be back on stage again until September, where he will perform in Liverpool, Sheffield, Southend, Buxton, Oxford, Belfast, Derry and Dublin, before he embarks on a tour of Australia. When previously explaining his decision to spend more time with his family, Rob told The Sun: 'I'll still do stand up and local clubs and charity gigs but I'm going to take a break from touring until the kids are 16/17. 'Then I'll do a big tour when they're sixth form and when they go to Uni, me and Lou are going to spend Feb and March in Australia bumming around.' The comedian also revealed that when he is 50, he wanted 'to do a psychology degree'. When revealing he was quitting his radio show, Rob said in a statement: 'I've had such a laugh each Sunday getting to know the listeners, but as my tour schedule hots up and my family forget what I look like, I've decided to step away from a weekly show.' More Trending However, the comedian also promised fans that he would return. He added: 'But you won't get away from me that easily as I'll be back presenting shows on Radio 2 later in the year when normal service is resumed!' Rob has been married to teacher Louise Watts since 2015. They share two daughters. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: All episodes of the 'funniest show on TV' are finally free to stream MORE: Amazon confirms beloved 98-year-old star will return in 2027 sequel to iconic 80s comedy MORE: Netflix fans rush to binge 'must-see' series after huge Rotten Tomatoes boost
Daily Mirror
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Comedian forced to apologise to fans after cancelling gigs over ill health
Mock the Week star, Rob Beckett, has said sorry to fans after cancelling a number of shows from his UK Giraffe tour, admitting he's 'not well enough to perform' Rob Beckett has been forced to cancel a string of gigs on his popular Giraffe tour due to ill health. The Mock the Week star, 39, told ticket-holders he wasn't well enough to perform for the Scottish leg of his concerts as he took to Instagram with an apology. Admitting he 'hated doing this' but was too poorly to go on stage, Rob wrote: "Hello everyone, I'm so sorry, but I'm not well and can't do the shows in Scotland this week. Aberdeen has been rescheduled to Wednesday 14th Jan 20206 and Edinburgh has been rescheduled to Thursday 15th Jan 2026. The venue will be in touch but tickets remain valid for both shows. I hate doing this, but I'm not well enough to give you the best show possible, but I look forward to seeing you all at the new shows." Responding to the news on X, formerly Twitter, several fans said they were 'gutted' Rob had been forced to cancel as they wished him a 'speedy recovery', adding that they hoped they'd 'see him soon'. It comes after the dad-of-two, who is one of the most recognisable comics in the country, admitted that he wanted to take a step back from stand-up. Speaking to The Sun, Rob said he needed to prioritise his family as the dad of two young. daughters. Lifting the lid on his career in March, he said: "I'll still do stand up and local clubs and charity gigs but I'm going to take a break from touring until the kids are 16/17. "Then I'll do a big tour when they're in sixth form and when they go to Uni, me and [wife] Lou are going to spend Feb and March in Australia bumming around." And when he's 50, Rob plans to change tack from comedy completely, revealing: "When I'm 50 I want to do a psychology degree." It was more than a decade ago that the bespectacled star started doing stand-up comedy, which lead to a whole host of appearances on TV shows and podcasts. Rob has been on the likes of 8 Out of 10 Cats, Rob & Romesh Vs... and All Together Now and also narrates reality series Celebs Go Dating. His impressive career must be the envy of many stand-ups starting out in the business, but in his memoir, A Class Act, Rob admitted he was 'headed for a breakdown' after a stint of filming in Cape Town, South Africa. During the shoot, which was sandwiched between dates in his sell-out comedy tour, the comic claimed he was "the unhappiest I have ever been. He wrote: "I woke up on January 5 in a five-star hotel room thinking it would be better and easier for everyone if I was dead. Rob continued: "I thought I was a confident and well-balanced person, but I wasn't. I was feeding off that drug of attention and applause and laughter from the gig," the 35-year-old continues. "You chase it like a drug, but the reality is that being content is what you're after, which comes from inside." After talking with his manager, Rob went on to seek a therapist's help for eight months, which he says, thankfully, gave him breathing space. He shared: "I did some therapy to calm my brain down. I wouldn't say I had a breakdown because that would be unfair to people who have had them, but I was definitely heading that way. "The timing of getting therapy and the pandemic and my gigs stopping was lucky. It gave me the breathing space that you can't always take if you've got a busy schedule."
