 and musical parody (Bill Bailey). But we had to set limits somewhere, so ruled out troupes and groups (sorry, Pappy's; farewell, Flight of the Conchords). This is not a list of the funniest sitcom actors, scriptwriters or podcast hosts. Phoebe Waller-Bridge's play Fleabag was a hilarious piece of theatre, and a terrific 12 episodes of television, but it wasn't a stand-up comedy gig. We bent our own rules slightly to acknowledge recorded shows made in lockdown – that awful moment when a laptop became the closest thing to a comedy club. But otherwise, this list is based purely on shows four comedy junkies have seen (and loved) since the turn of the millennium on stages across the UK, in pubs and clubs, attics and basements, community centres and West End theatres. The UK has the world's best live comedy circuit, and we wanted to celebrate it. Some comedians appear to feel most at home on stage. So it is with Watson: in recent years his shows – shambling but joy-filled confessionals – have felt like an act of catharsis following the 43-year-old Bristolian's tussles with alcoholism and an acrimonious divorce. From hit lockdown sets to 24-hour comedy marathons, he is a performer of boundless ambition. SL 49. Shazia Mirza After Mirza made a name for herself in the wake of 9/11 (sample joke: 'My name's Shazia Mirza – at least, that's what it says on my pilot's licence'), she went on to define the era with a funny, unflinching account of her strict Islamic upbringing in Birmingham and, later, with scathing material on Islamic State and its female acolytes ('They're not religious, they're horny'). She's bright, brave and deserves more praise. DC Caustic, deadpan and un){kind=link}
On the eve of this year’s Edinburgh Fringe, our critics pick the defining stand-ups of the century so far, from Fern Brady to Billy Connolly
This list is a bit of a joke. This sort of list always is. Rank the 50 best anything – novels, crisps – and people start fuming. “Why isn’t Middlemarch #1?” “How dare you snub Wotsits?”
Comedy is, as any fule kno, subjective. Stand-up is a broad church, taking in character comedy (the Pub Landlord) and musical parody (Bill Bailey). But we had to set limits somewhere, so ruled out troupes and groups (sorry, Pappy’s; farewell, Flight of the Conchords).
This is not a list of the funniest sitcom actors, scriptwriters or podcast hosts. Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s play Fleabag was a hilarious piece of theatre, and a terrific 12 episodes of television, but it wasn’t a stand-up comedy gig.
We bent our own rules slightly to acknowledge recorded shows made in lockdown – that awful moment when a laptop became the closest thing to a comedy club. But otherwise, this list is based purely on shows four comedy junkies have seen (and loved) since the turn of the millennium on stages across the UK, in pubs and clubs, attics and basements, community centres and West End theatres. The UK has the world’s best live comedy circuit, and we wanted to celebrate it.