Showing titles in Entertainment & Performing Arts

Stand-up fans rejoice—this cracking collection contains a whole seven series of top-drawer comedy, recorded live at London and Manchester's legendary Comedy Store and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Enjoy more than 11 hours of laughs from some of the biggest and best stand-ups on the circuit, hosted by three fantastically funny compères: Simon Bligh, Ross Noble and Adam Hills.

Ricky Gervais is uniquely placed to apply his prodigious comedic talents to the world of celebrity. In this special filmed at London's Hammersmith Apollo, Ricky delivers hilarious and insightful observations on the nature of fame, and in the process displays his talent as Britain's foremost comedian to the fullest extent yet.

Enjoy a good scare? From timeless short scary story classics that have haunted generations to the blood-curdling horror stories born in the twisted minds of the new masters of horror, every week Just Chills delivers an unrelenting dose of fear designed to send chills down your spine. So turn down the lights and let the nightmare begin. Short scary stories by masters of horror like Bram Stoker, Edgar Allan Poe, Mary Shelley, E F Benson, M R James, Charles Dickens, H.G Wells, F Marion Crawford, Edith Nesbit, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Mary Elizabeth Braddon, Fitz James O'Brien, W F Harvey, Edith ...

After first meeting over sixty years ago while filming a costume drama for the BBC, Prunella Scales and Timothy West have enjoyed a partnership like no other. In this book, Tim traces their united steps through life professionally and personally, and covers the highs and lows of caring for Pru since her dementia diagnosis, twenty years ago. As with all things in life, she and Tim have tackled it together, often with a glass of wine in hand and almost always with a smile.

Sandi Toksvig, 'probably the funniest person in the English-speaking world' (The Guardian), is our host for these 25 episodes of the perennially popular comedy news quiz, first broadcast between New Year's Eve 2010 and 4 November 2011. Joining her to poke fun at stories big and small are a panel of illustrious players including Roisin Conaty, Dominic Lawson, Richard Herring, Tom Wrigglesworth, Henning Wehn, Imran Yusuf, Julia Hartley-Brewer, Laura Solon, Sarah Millican and Paul Sinha.

With the nation gripped by Love Island fever, the show's most popular contestant ever shares his unique take on the world in an audiobook that will be hilarious, endearing, heartfelt and as lovable as its author. Chris Hughes walked away from the sizzling hot, smash hit show Love Island as its biggest star. Viewers fell in love with this cheeky, happy-go-lucky guy who surprised people by being unafraid to show his vulnerable side just as readily as having a laugh with his mates in the sun.

The official celebration of All Creatures Great & Small and its incredible setting: the Yorkshire Dales. Featuring an in-depth look at the characters and real-life inspiration for the show, this book tells the fascinating story of the program’s main character: the Yorkshire Dales.

One of the great Billy Connolly's finest performances and one very fondly remembered by thousands of fans. It was one of the tv shows that really made him into a superstar- and with good reason. From Scottish parties and folk singers to visits from the Priest to those woderful ads for the Big Slipper and do it yourself haircuts, and of course incontinence knickers!

Marcus began his comedy career at Bristol University where he performed stand up and character shows and soon won the BBC New Comedian of 1996. He has since emerged as a major comedy, writing, and acting talent, with an impressive list of TV and film credits. Devil May Care is a satirical live show with Marcus taking on the role of Lucifer, regaling us with his views on moments in history and the modern world, interacting with the audience and trying to ensure his makeup doesn’t run!

In the spring of 2020, as the world grappled with the deepening coronavirus pandemic, acclaimed British screenwriter and playwright David Hare was struck down by the virus himself. With brutal honesty, sharp humor, and his trademark insight, the renowned writer of modern classics like Skylight and Plenty brings us into his own experience battling the bizarre and terrifying symptoms of Covid-19.

At last, the definitive audiobook about perhaps the best cabin crew dramedy ever filmed: View from the Top starring Gwyneth Paltrow. In Ayoade on Top, Richard Ayoade, perhaps one of the most 'insubstantial' people of our age, takes us on a journey from Peckham to Paris by way of Nevada and other places we don't care about. It's a journey deep within, in a way that's respectful and non-invasive; a journey for which we will all pay a heavy price, even if you've waited for the smaller paperback edition. Ayoade argues for the canonisation of this brutal masterpiece.

Frankie Howerd was one of Britain’s most popular entertainers, with a career spanning over 30 years. Starting his career during WW2, he went on to widespread fame in the 1960’s, 70’s and 80’s with films and extensive TV work.

A Matter of Facts is a personal journey into the world of quizzes. At the start Shaun enters the World Quiz Grand Prix, pitching his knowledge against the nation's finest minds, including Eggheads and Chasers...he fails. Unperturbed, he sets out to improve his skills through memory training, practice and even hypnosis in an attempt to move himself up the rankings of the quizzing elite. His adventure sees him get his old quizzing 'band' back together to see if he can triumph in the leagues.

We all know what it means these days to be a "grumpy old man", because part of that role is to be outspoken. Well, we've heard just about enough out of the men, thank you very much. Grumpy Old Women gives us the other perspective, the female take, on the million irritations of today's world.

"Gangbusters" was an influential and highly popular American radio crime drama series that aired from 1936 to 1957. It was created by Phillips H. Lord, who sought to capitalize on the public's fascination with crime stories and the efforts of law enforcement to combat criminal activity. The show was known for its intense, realistic sound effects, fast-paced narratives, and a distinctive auditory style that had a significant impact on the radio and later on television crime genres.Concept and FeaturesGangbusters was unique in its format and presentation. Each episode featured a dramatization of...

Hosted once again by the incomparable Sandi Toksvig, these four series of the satirical radio panel game take us through all the big stories of 2013, the year of Obama's inaugaration, Margaret Thatcher's funeral, Prince George's birth and Andy Murray's first Wimbledon win. Series 79 features a 'Best of 2012' compilation show and 'The News Now Quiz Show', hosted by Rory Bremner, which sees Sandi and fellow News Quizzer Jeremy Hardy take on The Now Show's Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis in the ultimate topical smackdown. And the specials don't stop there: Series 81 also includes an Edinburgh edition.

In this brand-new memoir, Rylan invites us deeper into his world to reflect on all the things he's learnt from a decade in the limelight, whilst also pulling back the curtain on his personal journey. Covering everything from fame and celebrity to mental health and identity, family and relationships to his love of reality TV, he recounts his life lessons with humour, candour and a huge amount of heart. From the moments that have shaped him to the mistakes that have made him, and the unusual pastimes that have obsessed him along the way.

Though there are many factors behind such success, including luck and the contributions of his creative partner Marshall Herskovitz, he’s known to have a special talent for bringing out the best in the people he’s worked with, notably the actors. In those intense collaborations, he seeks to discover the small pieces of connective tissue, vulnerability, and fellowship that can help an actor realize their character in full.

A voice is calling across the land, "Bombardier Milligan." "Bombadier Milligan is dead," I replied in a disguised voice. The voice replied, "Then he's going to miss his breakfast." The fourth volume of Spike Milligan's legendary account of his time in the army during World War Two begins as he and his regiment land in sunny Italy in 1943 ("The ship touched the beach very gently, so gently I suspect it's not insured").

The humorous and moving tale of Miss Shepherd, an eccentric old lady who, by a bizarre series of twists and turns, lived in the author's garden for many years. Alan Bennett reads his own acclaimed work, recently adapted as a West End smash hit starring Maggie Smith as the eccentric old lady.