Review: Stand-Up and Deliver 2021 Making an audience laugh is by no means an easy task as five celebrities found out in last night’s Stand-Up and Deliver special in aid of Stand-up to Cancer. The celebs are mentored over a two week period by professional stand-up comedians with the results always in doubt.
David Baddiel does his best to convince the Rev Richard Coles to go slightly beyond the boundaries of which his Bishop might approve. Richard holds fast but delivers a surprise in the second part. Judy Love helps reality pretty boy, Curtis Pritchard to control his ego. Jason Manford shows the patience of Job as he somehow manages to harness the effervescent Happy Mondays’ Shaun Ryder. Former Corrie actress Katie McGlynnis is he most nervous of the the group but mentor Zoe Lyons keeps her calm and focussed, Baroness Syeeda Warsi, the Conservative peer is under the tutelage of Nick Helm whose politics are diametrically opposite but he warms to her after she talks about her humble beginnings and responds to his fierce mentoring.
They all meet, socially distanced, in the Battersea Arts Centre where the wannabees have to do two minutes improv so that the mentors can get a feel for their talents or as it turns out their non-talent for improvised comedy. They later meet up in their respective couplings to dig out stories about their life experiences that could be the basis of the 5 minute routines that the celebs will ultimately perform to both a live and a zoom audience.
No spoilers but the results range from out-there stories of Shaun Ryder, who suffers with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, to the initial blandness of Curtis Pritchard.
There’s also an excellent appeal cameo by Stephen Merchant.
The two part series, the second airs on March 4th, is good fun and well worth watching but if you can’t wait a week you can stream the conclusion on All4.
You can support the effort that all put into the show by donating to Stand-Up to Cancer.