Comedy Performance

Welcome to San Francisco Sketchfest 2018! Here's your front row seat, your backstage pass, and your all-access badge to one of the biggest comedy festivals in the country!

品川の花魁お染が心中の相手に選んだのは、貸本屋の金蔵というさえない男。惚れたお染のためにと張り切った金蔵は長屋を引き払い、親方にも暇乞いを告げてお染の元へと駆けつけるが… 昭和58年に“東京落語会”(イイノホール)で収録され、NHK「夜の指定席」で放送された音源。当時、一門の総帥として乗りに乗っていた絶好調の圓楽節が堪能できる一席。

Welcome to the reality of what it's really like to be a teacher - the pure, unvarnished truth of what it means to stand in front of a group of thirty kids and try and get them to do some work. It's not the inspirational vision you see in government ads; no, it's breaking up fights between warring East End grandmas, figuring out which student defecated in the sink, and dealing with prepubescent sociopaths intent on annihilating lessons week after week.

For anyone who loves American comedy, the long wait is over. Here are the never-before-told, behind-the-scenes anecdotes and remembrances from a master storyteller, filmmaker, and creator of all things funny. All About Me! charts Mel Brooks' meteoric rise from a Depression-era kid in Brooklyn to the recipient of the National Medal of Arts.

‘I never once attended a Sunday morning church service in Stanford. There was always the feeling that they weren’t aimed at families like ours.’ Pam Ayres was the sixth child in a hard-up family who lived in a council house, her parents’ generation were harrowed by the war. Yet they lived by the green in the village of Stanford in the Vale, where everything you needed was within walking distance and the sound of motorcars was rarely heard.

Leah Ly a driven, exceptionally talented, Chinese-American actress, working her way through Hollywood’s system, determined to make it on her own, involved with an equally driven Jewish man, discovers she has a Chinese fiancé, arranged at her birth when the Hong Kong businessman comes to LA to meet her. Life collides with life and Leah finds herself unhappy, torn, and conflicted between the love of two men she loves dearly and her heart's greatest desire, as she learns that in all things, she's the key to her happiness or unhappiness.

The queen of British comedy brings her fantastically funny mix of observations on life, jokes, and songs to audio, taken from the award-winning Victoria Wood - as Seen on TV.

2012 was full of historic milestones - London hosted the Olympics, the Queen celebrated her Diamond Jubilee, and The News Quiz marked its 35th anniversary. Sandi Toksvig is in the chair for these three series, as the team debate these and other top stories of the year.

Penguin presents the unabridged, downloadable audiobook edition of Where Have All the Bullets Gone?, written and read by Spike Milligan. Back to those haunting days in Italy in 1944, at the foot of Mount Vesuvius, with lava running in great red rivulets down the slope towards us, and Jock taking a drag on his cigarette and saying, "I think we've got grounds for a rent rebate."

Die besten Kolumnen von Hape Kerkeling! Ob Prinz Philip, Lady Gaga, die Kanzlerin oder Til Schweiger - in Hape Kerkelings wöchentlicher Gala-Kolumne "Frisch hapeziert" ist jeder Promi mal Thema. Er schildert Backstage-Erlebnisse beim Comedy-Preis, macht sich seine Gedanken über VIPs im Weltraum, Royals in Trekking-Boots und den "Twittler" Donald Trump. Auch sich selbst nimmt der beliebte Entertainer nicht aus und plaudert aus dem Nähkästchen.

Penguin presents the unabridged, downloadable audiobook edition of Monty: His Part in My Victory, written and read by Spike Milligan. 'It's all over. Von Arnheim has surrendered, and he's very angry.' 'This could mean war....' The third volume of Spike Milligan's laugh-a-line account of life as a gunner in World War Two resumes on the eve of victory in North Africa.

In 1975, a gangly black 16-year-old from Dudley, decked out in floppy bow tie and Frank Spencer beret, appeared on our TV screens for the first time. So began the transformation from apprentice factory worker to future national treasure of Sir Lenny Henry. In his long-awaited autobiography, Lenny tells the extraordinary story of his early years and sudden rise to fame.

After the success of her debut Woke: A Guide to Social Justice, radical slam poet and intersectional feminist Titania McGrath has turned her talents to the realm of children's non-fiction. Aimed at activists from the age of six months to six years, Titania's book will help cultivate a new progressive generation. In a series of groundbreaking and poignant chapters, she will take you on a journey with some of the most inspiring individuals in history, such as Emmeline Pankhurst, Meghan Markle, Nelson Mandela, Hillary Clinton and Joseph Stalin.

In Twerkin’ and the City, Ayana “YaYa” Ellis shares her unadulterated, no-nonsense wisdom about how sharing your heart, your head, and your bed with the wrong person can take you down the road too often traveled by women who truly deserve better. With the voice of a woman experienced, Ellis teaches the best relationship lessons with humor, candor, and compassion.

It’s been nearly twenty years since Ron Burgundy burst into movie fans’ lives, reminding San Diego to “stay classy” while lampooning a time gone by—although maybe not as far gone as we might think? In Kind of a Big Deal, comedy historian Saul Austerlitz tells the history of how Anchorman was developed, written, and cast, and how it launched the careers of future superstars like Will Ferrell, Steve Carell, and Paul Rudd, also setting the stage for a whole decade of comedy to come and influencing films like The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Talladega Nights, Knocked Up, Superbad, and so many more.

In his first novel, Look Who It Is!, Alan told his story ('oh and what a life') with his unique twist of natural, observational and tongue-in-cheek humour that made him famous. Alan Carr described his life story in his own words, from growing up in a football-mad family in Northampton to his rise as one of Britain's best-loved comedians. And now he is ready to divulge the next chapter in bursts of hilarious Technicolor.

"How to Be a Hermit" is a humorous guide for those looking to embrace the solitary life. This book takes listeners on a journey through the essentials of hermit living, from setting up the perfect hideaway to mastering the art of talking to oneself. It covers everything from hermit fashion to avoiding unwanted visitors (strategically placed "Do Not Disturb" signs).

Want to come in a good mood instantly? Need some funny and uplifting quotes with many of the truisms from our everyday lives? Looking for a gift that everyone likes? Then, Laughter Is the Best Medicine is your perfect choice! Funny quotes are great; they allow us to take a quick break, relax, and take life a bit easier. And who doesn’t need those in today’s hectic life?

Stagehands argue about their relationship between acts, a mountain climber struggles to rise above the summit of public opinion, the man once sent to kill a princess finds her working at a diner, retired superheroes lament their new life, and a villain threatens to blow up the world if he can get the Henchman Union to end contract negotiations. These are some of the situations found in this second collection of ten-minute plays. Each one is designed to be produced with just a few actors, few props, and within a single setting. They are easy to perform or fun to just read.

Emily Keane has her life all planned out. She's played by the rules and never stepped outside her box, and now she will finally be rewarded with everything she always dreamed of: a job promotion, a fiancé, and a future she can count on. But when her perfectly planned world falls apart, Emily is plunged into the wildest year of her life. From the beaches of California to Jamaica, New York, and Europe, Emily finds herself on a madcap race against time, running from an unscrupulous organ broker who wants her dead, all the while checking items off her unusual bucket list.