Archives: Comedians
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Trevor Noah
Trevor Noah: From apartheid South Africa to a global comedy conversation Black Comedy News | Definitive Profiles — Volume 7 The art of explaining a divided world Trevor Noah’s comedy often begins with a misunderstanding. Someone hears an accent incorrectly, assumes a stranger belongs to a particular group, or discovers that a rule considered natural…
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Nabil Abdulrashid
Nabil Abdulrashid: The satirist who made a national audience confront difficult questions Black Comedy News | Definitive Profiles — Volume 7 A comedian who would not soften the question Nabil Abdulrashid’s comedy is built around a risky proposition: audiences can laugh while being asked to examine beliefs they might prefer to leave untouched. His material…
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Kojo Anim
Kojo Anim: The club comic whose breakthrough reached millions Black Comedy News | Definitive Profiles — Volume 7 The moment the room changed In April 2019, Kojo Anim walked onto the Britain’s Got Talent stage carrying years of experience that most viewers could not see. A television audition can make a career appear to begin…
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Dane Baptiste
Dane Baptiste: A sharp comic voice confronting the contradictions of modern Britain Black Comedy News | Definitive Profiles — Volume 6 Introduction Dane Baptiste emerged as a stand-up comedian with an unusually explicit interest in the arguments beneath everyday life. Where some performers build a set around personal mishaps, Baptiste often begins with a question…
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Babatunde Aléshé
Babatunde Aléshé: The storyteller who turned family life into a national stage Black Comedy News | Definitive Profiles — Volume 6 Introduction Babatunde Aléshé has an instinct for turning an ordinary exchange into a miniature drama. A disagreement at home, a moment of parental uncertainty, or a familiar cultural misunderstanding can become a scene with…
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Judi Love
Judi Love: The comic who made everyday life feel like a national conversation Black Comedy News | Definitive Profiles — Volume 6 Introduction Judi Love’s comedy begins with recognition: the expression on a parent’s face, the awkwardness of a family gathering, or the moment an ordinary conversation becomes a public performance. She has built a…
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Michaela Coel
Michaela Coel: The writer-performer who turned comic honesty into artistic power Black Comedy News | Definitive Profiles — Volume 5 Michaela Coel has made some of the most distinctive British television of her generation by refusing to separate humour from discomfort. Her characters can be foolish, impulsive, tender, selfish and startlingly perceptive within the same…
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Mo Gilligan
Mo Gilligan: The online comic who made a new British variety tradition Black Comedy News | Definitive Profiles — Volume 5 Mo Gilligan became a major British entertainment figure by understanding something that conventional television was slow to recognize: a short, sharply observed sketch made for a phone screen could carry the same comic intelligence…
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Lenny Henry
Lenny Henry: Comedy, Community, and the Fight to Be Seen Black Comedy News | Definitive Profiles — Volume 2 A familiar face who challenged the familiar For decades, Sir Lenny Henry has occupied a distinctive place in British popular culture: a comedian recognized by generations of television viewers, an actor who moved from impressions to…
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Mo’Nique
Mo’Nique: Comedy, Conviction, and the Power to Refuse a Smaller Role Black Comedy News | Definitive Profiles — Volume 4 A voice that would not ask permission Mo’Nique built her reputation by speaking with a confidence that seemed to arrive before she reached the microphone. Her comedy often addressed subjects that entertainment culture treated as…