Theatre reviews

Review: Jerry Sadowitz at the Queen Elizabeth Hall

Jerry Sadowitz

Where: Queen Elizabeth Hall, London
When: 7.30pm. Sunday December 14th 2008
How long: Two hours
How much: £20/£25

Jerry Sadowitz (aka Jerry Sadowicz) is a paradox. His name’s easy to forget, yet once you’ve seen him perform, you never forget it. He’s a gifted comedian you almost never seen on TV. He’s also a talented close-up magician, yet is best known for his talent for offensive jokes.

Doing barely one or two gigs a year, Sadowitz isn’t famous. He’s had a few TV shows, including The Pall Bearer’s Revue, which got him the most number of complaints in television history at the time. But if you know him, you want to see him.

Provided you’re over 18, don’t have a sensitive disposition and don’t mind just the odd word swearword or two.

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February at the BFI

Time for our regular round-up of tele events at the BFI. February has a big TV season as well as a Q&A, so get your desk planner out now:

  • 5th: Law & Order: UK preview + Q&A with Chris Chibnall, Ben Daniels and Freema Agyeman
  • 23rd: Is Art Necessary? + Five Revolutionary Painters: Goya: Part of the Celebration of Kenneth Clark season
  • 26th: Picasso at the Tate + An Edwardian Childhood: Part of the Celebration of Kenneth Clark season

The season, TX in Ten: An Examination of Live TV Drama, is pretty long so I’m sticking it in its own section:

  • 2nd: Timeshift: Live on the Night + Monitor: Making The Bedmakers: Two documentaries about live television. Includes a Q&A with Timeshift director Bob Bayly following the screening
  • 2nd: It Is Midnight, Dr Schweitzer: The oldest surviving single TV drama. Stars Andre Morell and directed by Rudolph Cartier
  • 6th: Dixon of Dock Green: Roaring Boy + Z Cars: A Man Like Yourself
  • 6th: The Bill + debate: The live 20th anniversary episode of The Bill. The debate, chaired by Kwame Kwei Armah, will include Brian Blessed, Lisa Maxwell, David Rose and Sue Mather
  • 10th: The Quatermass Experiment (1953) + Timeshift: The Nigel Kneale Interviews: The two surviving episodes of the original version of The Quatermass Experiment, and a documentary about Quatermass writer Nigel Kneale. Followed by…
  • 10th: The Quatermass Experiment (2005) + Q&A: The BBC4 remake featuring Mark Gatiss and David Tennant. Followed by a Q&A with director Sam Miller
  • 12th: Live from Pebble Mill: The Battle of Waterloo and Redundant! Or the Wife’s Revenge: The second play, by Fay Weldon, sees the lights fail during the performance, yet the actors carry on anyway.
  • 12th: Armchair Theatre: A Night Out: Stars Tom Bell. Followed by a panel discussion including Susannah York and Billie Whitelaw
  • 16th: Armchair Theatre: Lena, O My Lena + Live from Pebble Mill: Cargo Kings
  • 16th: Armchair Theatre: The Emperor Jones + A Liverpool Nativity
  • 18th: Television Playhouse: Promenade + Live from Pebble Mill: Night Kids
  • 24th: Two episodes of Coronation Street, including the live 40th anniversary special. Also includes a clip from the only surviving episode of The Grove Family
  • 25th: Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps + panel discussion: The live episode of the show followed by a discussion including Will Mellor, Graham Duff and Stephen McCrum (exec producer, BBC Comedy)

Members’ priority postal booking opens 2 January
Members’ online and phone booking opens 8 January
Public booking opens 12 January

As always, visit the BFI web site for more details

Tuesday’s end of year news

The Daily News will return on Monday 5th January 2009. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

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Theatre reviews

Review: Rob Brydon on tour

Rob Brydon

Where: Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff
When: 7.30pm. Monday December 8th 2008
How long: Two hours with a 20-minute interval following the warm-up
How much: £20 I think

Well, the public have demanded it and only two weeks after the run finished, I’m reviewing Rob Brydon’s stand-up act at the Wales Millennium Centre – Jerry Sadowicz tomorrow for those who voted for that review.

I’m a responsive blogger, me.

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