Comedy Store (Stand-Up)
Comedy (Stand-Up)
A stand-up comedian is someone that performs in comedy clubs, usually reciting a fast paced succession of amusing stories, short jokes and one-liners, typically called a monologue. Some stand-up comedians use props, music, or magic tricks in their acts.
Stand-up comedy is perhaps the easiest field of entertainment for new talent to enter, because many smaller venues hold "open mic" events where the inexperienced can perform comedy before a live audience. However, perhaps more than any other performer, the stand-up comedian is at the mercy of the audience, which is an integral element of the act. A truly adept stand-up comedian must nimbly play off the mood and tastes of any particular audience, and adjust his or her routine accordingly. The test of a master stand-up comedian is the ability to not only face down a "heckler," but win over and entertain the rest of the crowd with a retort. Many of the all-time greats are featured below.
Right: Steven Wright
Victor Borge: The Funniest Man in The World (2008)
8.4/10
Starring: Victor Borge
Taking its title from the New York Time's declaration that he was probably the funniest man in the world, this film commemorates legendary entertainer... Read more
Victoria Wood - Live (1997)
7.6/10
Director: Geoff Posner
Starring: Victoria Wood
Over half a million people packed into over 200 venues throughout the U.K. during 1997 to see her best ever show. This tour included an unprecedented... Read more
Victoria Wood - Live at the Albert Hall (2001)
After two decades at the top of her profession, Victoria Wood is one of a small handful of British comedians capable of filling the country's largest... Read more
Victoria Wood With All the Trimmings (2000)
7.4/10
Director: John Birkin
Starring: Victoria Wood, Alan Rickman, Julie Walters, Pete Postlethwaite, Celia Imrie, Jam...
Britain's funny woman Victoria Wood returns with this hilarious Christmas special chock-full of entertaining comedy sketches and witty musical numbers... Read more
Wake Up and Smell the Coffee (2001)
6.3/10
Director: Michael Rauch
Starring: Eric Bogosian
A screen adaptation of Eric Bogosian's one man show, 'Wake Up and Smell the Coffee.' Read more
Wanda Sykes: Sick and Tired (2006)
7.3/10
Director: Michael Drumm
Starring: Wanda Sykes
Voted one of Entertainment Weekly's 25 Funniest People in America, the sardonic wit of Wanda Sykes will be familiar to viewers of 'Curb Your Enthusias... Read more
Wil Anderson: Wilosophy (2009)
6.7/10
Starring: Wil Anderson
Wil Anderson has been making audiences cry with laughter for years, but only now has he released a DVD of his stand-up routine. Filmed during a sell-o... Read more
World's Greatest Stand Up: Volume One (2006)
Starring: Dylan Moran, Mike Wilmot, Lee Evans, David Hyde Pierce, Wanda Sykes, Omid Djalil...
Recorded live at the prestigious Montreal International Comedy Festival this compilation features a eclectic mix of comedic talent from the UK, Irelan... Read more
Zach Galifianakis: Live at the Purple Onion (2005)
7.4/10
Director: Michael Blieden
Starring: Zach Galifianakis
A master of the one-liner and non-sequiter, with an absurd rambling style that sees him as frequently roving through the audience as he is seated at h... Read more