Category Archives: Comedy

The 2026 Croydonites Festival, from Wed Nov 4 to Sat Nov 21

A D V E R T I S E M E N T For more info and to book tickets, visit the Croydonites website by clicking here

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The 2026 Croydonites Festival, from Wed Nov 4 to Sat Nov 21

A D V E R T I S E M E N T For more info and to book tickets, visit the Croydonites website by clicking here

Posted in Advertisement, Advertisement features, Art, Business, Comedy, Croydonites Festival, Stanley Halls, The Front Room, Theatre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The 2026 Croydonites Festival, from Wed Nov 4 to Sat Nov 21

A D V E R T I S E M E N T For more info and to book tickets, visit the Croydonites website by clicking here

Posted in Advertisement, Advertisement features, Art, Business, Comedy, Croydonites Festival, Stanley Halls, The Front Room, Theatre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The 2026 Croydonites Festival, from Wed Nov 4 to Sat Nov 21

A D V E R T I S E M E N T For more info and to book tickets, visit the Croydonites website by clicking here

Posted in Advertisement, Advertisement features, Art, Business, Comedy, Croydonites Festival, Stanley Halls, The Front Room, Theatre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Dick’s Picks to lesbian slime wrestling: Croydonites has it all

The Croydonites Festival returns next month, with theatre, cabaret and comedy, featuring some glorious hits from the world-famous Edinburgh International Festival, plus lots of homegrown talent. Hannah Maxwell opens Croydonites 2026 on November 4 in The Front Room in St … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Clocktower Cafe, Comedy, Croydonites Festival, Stanley Halls, The Front Room, Theatre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Ted Craig, director of Warehouse Theatre for 25 years, has died

Ted Craig, for more than 25 years the director of the Warehouse Theatre at East Croydon, has died after a brief illness. He was 86. Australian-born Craig arrived in Croydon with an impressive CV in cinema, television and in theatre, … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Cinema, Comedy, Fairfield Halls, Theatre, Warehouse Theatre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Hollywood superstar Chaplin takes his place on Coulsdon trail

Charlie Chaplin, one of the greatest movie stars of all time, is featured in the latest finial on the Coulsdon Art Trail. Chaplin’s association with Coulsdon is, perhaps typically of his screen persona, a poignant one: his mother, Hannah, was … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Cinema, Comedy, Community associations, Coulsdon, Coulsdon East, East Coulsdon Residents' Association, History, Transport | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Comedy Fyles are worth seeing when they get to Edinburgh

FRINGE REVIEW: As the Croydonites festival enters its final two days, KEN TOWL (Croydon’s answer to Tynan), pictured right, conducts a compare and contrast of two of the shows this week, and marks your card for tonight and tomorrow, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Comedy, Croydonites Festival, Ken Towl, Poetry, Stanley Halls, The Front Room, The Front Room, The Oval Tavern, Theatre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

From cabaret to the World Cup, from Sea Cadets to LTN refunds

PODCAST: The Croydon Insider returns with a new panel of readers to discuss the latest Croydon news, in a Croydonites Fringe special that picks some of the must-see shows at the festival from July 1 to 5. There’s even a … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Comedy, Commissioners, Croydon Council, Croydon Insider, Croydonites Festival, Elaine Jackson, Inside Croydon, Johnny Dobbyn, Music, Poetry, Sea Cadets, Stanley Halls, The Front Room, The Front Room, The Oval Tavern, Theatre, Under The Flyover | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Croydonites Fringe Festival, various venues, from July 1 to 5

A D V E R T I S E M E N T Click here for full details of the Croydonites Fringe Festival and ticket bookings

Posted in Advertisement, Advertisement features, Art, Comedy, Croydonites Festival, Dance, Music, Poetry, Stanley Halls, The Front Room, Theatre | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Croydonites Fringe Festival, various venues, from July 1 to 5

A D V E R T I S E M E N T Click here for full details of the Croydonites Fringe Festival and ticket bookings

Posted in Advertisement, Advertisement features, Art, Comedy, Croydonites Festival, Dance, Music, Poetry, Stanley Halls, The Front Room, Theatre | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Time travel by velvet and smoke back to a Paris club in 1896

STEVEN DOWNES takes a trip back in time and a sip of a once-banned liquor Everyone these days appears to be on “a journey” of some kind or another. If you were to take a half-hour journey from East Croydon, … Continue reading →

Posted in Activities, Art, Comedy, Dance, Music, Theatre | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Dance and taxes – Croydonites 2026 is open for applications

Are you a theatre maker or performer with an idea that you’ve been itching to present? Now is your chance. The Croydonites Fringe is returning from July 1 to 5 in venues across Croydon and South Norwood, and they are … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Comedy, Croydonites Festival, Dance, Poetry, Stanley Halls, The Front Room, Theatre, Turf Projects | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Dara Ó Briain is a BIG act. Fairfield Halls needs more like him

It was a big night at the Fairfield Halls on Saturday, with Dara Ó Briain, one of the biggest stand-up acts around, performing in front of a full house. KEN TOWL fills in the venue’s audience feedback form The minute … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, BH Live, Comedy, Fairfield Halls, Ken Towl, London Mozart Players, Music | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

Eagles glory, Mozart magic and Ó Briain’s gags at Fairfield Halls

Fairfield Halls, south London’s sleeping giant of the arts, is waking up to the first half of 2026 with “a vibrant programme” of music, theatre, comedy and culture. Highlights include The Real Thing’s 50th anniversary tour, stand-up from Dara Ó … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, BH Live, Comedy, Fairfield Halls, London Mozart Players, Music | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

PANTO WARS! Which shows are worth seeing this Christmas

OUTSIDE CROYDON: Ken Towl has reviewed the pantomimes being performed in Croydon and Bromley this festive season. But there’s lots more family shows available across London. Here’s DAVID MORGAN’s suggestions

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PANTO WARS! Which is the Beauty? And which is the Beast?

Christmas 2025 has Beauty and the Beast as the seasonal pantomime at the Fairfield Halls. And Beauty and the Beast is also on at the Churchill Theatre, just a short bus ride away in Bromley. Oh yes it is! KEN … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Ashcroft Theatre, Bromley Council, Churchill Theatre, Comedy, Fairfield Halls, Ken Towl, Music, Theatre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

By George! She’s Got it! My Fair Lady’s a triumph for Scorziello

FIRST NIGHT REVIEW: The classic Lerner and Loewe musical can be a challenge to stage even for the biggest theatre companies on the West End or Broadway. In Coulsdon this week, the local community centre is staging ‘a lavish, fast-paced show… … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Comedy, Coulsdon, Dance, Music, Theatre, Theatre Workshop Coulsdon | 1 Comment

TfL offers discounted theatre tickets in 25th birthday giveaway

As the 25th anniversary year of Transport for London approaches an end, the capital’s transport authority has teamed up with Official London Theatre to offer exclusive savings on Theatre Tokens that can make the perfect Christmas gift for an array … Continue reading →

Posted in Activities, Comedy, Music, TfL, Theatre, Transport | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Oh yes she is! Victorian dancer who became a pantomime star

CROYDON CHRONICLES: One of the great British traditions of this time of year is the family visit to the theatre, or to a church hall for the local am-dram performance, during pantomime season. DAVID MORGAN traces the career of Caroline … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Comedy, Dance, David Morgan, Fairfield Halls, History, Music, Stanley Halls, Theatre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

It’s the final countdown as Rowland reflects on our mortality

KEN TOWL considers Plato, kingfishers and Ian McKellen’s balls in an hour-long Croydonites Festival performance which could never over-run James Rowland is dead. Well, sort of. The end was inevitable. The digital clock at the back of the stage counted … Continue reading →

Posted in Activities, Comedy, Croydonites Festival, Ken Towl, The Front Room, Theatre | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

READER OFFER: Half-price tickets for Croydonites comedy

The Croydonites Festival is offering Inside Croydon readers half-price tickets – while seats are available – for one of its headline acts: James Rowland Dies at the End of the Show. With a cheeky poster that almost got Inside Croydon … Continue reading →

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Croydonites provides a front-row seat for hard-hitting comedy

The 2025 Croydonites Festival is well underway, and KEN TOWL could not resist the chance to go along to see the sold-old Dick’s Picks (geddit?!) Dick Denham had been tasked with curating a range of comedians for a night of … Continue reading →

Posted in Activities, Art, Comedy, Croydonites Festival, Ken Towl, Theatre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Now wouldn’t that be loverly?! My Fair Lady comes to Coulsdon

Some of the best-known and most-loved show tunes ever written are about to be dusted off and performed with suitable gusto, as My Fair Lady is brought to the stage of the Coulsdon Community Centre this December. Possibly one of … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Comedy, Coulsdon, Dance, Music, Theatre, Theatre Workshop Coulsdon | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Trustees bring down final curtain on the Crystal Palace Festival

After almost 20 years, the Crystal Palace Festival is no more. The largely volunteer-led summer festival of music, comedy and arts, was first staged in 2006, by traders in the Upper Norwood Triangle. At its peak, thousands would attend various … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Comedy, Community associations, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Crystal Palace Park, Dance, Music, Theatre | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment