I queried, wishful to get him into a talkative humour. Dracula 1897-05-26T00:00:00Z

Even so we cannot hold out much longer; our humour becomes more bitter every month. All Quiet on the Western Front: A Novel 1929-01-01T00:00:00Z

“And I should be extremely miserable,” he answered, suddenly finding himself in intense good humour. The Once and Future King 1958-01-01T00:00:00Z

“Nothing like a mealy rump for drawing out the humours,” his nurse had said, and the cook had answered: “Us hadn’t seen a sweeter bit of raw since Easter, no, nor a bloother.” The Once and Future King 1958-01-01T00:00:00Z

Emma was in the humour to value simplicity and modesty to the utmost; and all that was amiable, all that ought to be attaching, seemed on Harriet’s side, not her own. Emma 1815-12-23T00:00:00Z

Eventually the exercise and the monotony restored their good humour and they began to get bored. The Once and Future King 1958-01-01T00:00:00Z

At certain times—meaning at uncertain times, for they depended on our humour—I would say to Herbert, as if it were a remarkable discovery,— Great Expectations 1861-08-01T00:00:00Z

It’s all rot that they put in the war-news about the good humour of the troops, how they are arranging dances almost before they are out of the front-line. All Quiet on the Western Front: A Novel 1929-01-01T00:00:00Z

He had a big, fleshy, coarse-featured face, with a good humoured expression. Murder on the Orient Express 1934-01-01T00:00:00Z

Emma listened, and looked, and soon perceived that Frank Churchill’s state might be best defined by the expressive phrase of being out of humour. Emma 1815-12-23T00:00:00Z

“A house of her own!—But where is the advantage of a house of her own? This is three times as large.—And you have never any odd humours, my dear.” Emma 1815-12-23T00:00:00Z

“Is this young gentleman one of the ’prentices or articled ones of your office?” asked the turnkey, with a grin at Mr. Wemmick’s humour. Great Expectations 1861-08-01T00:00:00Z

Maybe he and Percy did share something else - a stupid sense of humour. Blood of Olympus 2014-10-07T00:00:00Z

He needed speed and had to humour unwilling followers. The Two Towers 1954-11-11T00:00:00Z

‘You have a strange sense of humour, girl. What are you laughing about?’ Blood of Olympus 2014-10-07T00:00:00Z

I humoured him: the watch ticked on: he breathed fast and low: I stood silent. Jane Eyre 1847-10-16T00:00:00Z

“Come now,” he said, in high good humour, quite mad, enjoying his cat-and-mouse. The Once and Future King 1958-01-01T00:00:00Z

It does, however, have a similar slapstick sense of humour. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them 2001-01-01T00:00:00Z

She was received, however, very politely by them; and in their brother’s manners there was something better than politeness; there was good humour and kindness. Pride and Prejudice 1813-01-28T00:00:00Z

Kay had evidently been doing his dictation well and the old gentleman was in a good humour. The Once and Future King 1958-01-01T00:00:00Z

“It keeps him in good humour,” said she, “and I am more obliged to you than I can express.” Pride and Prejudice 1813-01-28T00:00:00Z

“Dating from three o’clock yesterday. My perpetual influence could not begin earlier, or you would not have been so much out of humour before.” Emma 1815-12-23T00:00:00Z

We were all three in the rather hearty, cheerful humour of people before a funeral. Rebecca 1938-08-01T00:00:00Z

For some time afterward, a melancholy humour seemed to rule us as well. The Shakespeare Stealer 1998-05-01T00:00:00Z

Nico found his sense of humour equal parts endearing and annoying. Blood of Olympus 2014-10-07T00:00:00Z

I promised to contribute a water-colour drawing: this put her at once into good humour. Jane Eyre 1847-10-16T00:00:00Z

Most of them, especially those who came to the principality as new men, when they recognized the difficulty resulting from the two opposing humours, turned to appeasing the soldiers, caring little about injuring the people. The Prince 2008-06-01T00:00:00Z

And I cried in good humour, ‘Oh God, he speaks only of his horse!’ Fahrenheit 451 1953-01-01T00:00:00Z

"Perhaps," I said, "'a's simply ruled by a melancholy humour." The Shakespeare Stealer 1998-05-01T00:00:00Z

I thought it well to humour him: so he is back in his room with the window open. Dracula 1897-05-26T00:00:00Z

He has denied to me since that it was hysterics, and insisted that it was only his sense of humour asserting itself under very terrible conditions. Dracula 1897-05-26T00:00:00Z

It was more like the sound you’d think the Devil would make if he had a good sense of humour and you’d told him a joke. Elijah of Buxton 2007-08-06T00:00:00Z

We don’t act like that because we are in a good humour: we are in a good humour because otherwise we should go to pieces. All Quiet on the Western Front: A Novel 1929-01-01T00:00:00Z

He was a lad of less than twenty summers, with a fine noble face and a sense of humour. The Once and Future King 1958-01-01T00:00:00Z

It was a strange thing that the patient had humour enough to see their distrust, for, coming close to me, he said in a whisper, all the while looking furtively at them:— Dracula 1897-05-26T00:00:00Z

“It is true,” said Archimedes reflectively, “that all the corvidae have a distorted sense of humour.” The Once and Future King 1958-01-01T00:00:00Z

They were in fact very fine ladies; not deficient in good humour when they were pleased, nor in the power of being agreeable where they chose it; but proud and conceited. Pride and Prejudice 1813-01-28T00:00:00Z

I maintain that one reaches this princedom either with the favour of the common people or with that of the nobility, since these two different humours are found in every body politic. The Prince 2008-06-01T00:00:00Z

It was, I think, someone with a sense of humour who thoughtfully placed the scarlet kimono on the top of my suitcase whilst I was interviewing people in the dining car. Murder on the Orient Express 1934-01-01T00:00:00Z

If they wanted to have a lark like this, it was only decent to humour them. The Once and Future King 1958-01-01T00:00:00Z

A kind of arch and sometimes bleak humour runs through two further projects in the show. Deutsche Börse Photography prize show: mashups and moon walkers 2013-04-17T17:23:17Z

She added: "It is important to me that the excitement, style and humour of the Spice Girls is well represented on stage." 2010-01-21T16:06:00Z

Still, the frontman has a wry sense of humour and his knowing, deadpan lyrics subtly poke fun at the genre's usual cliches. Bring Me the Horizon – review 2013-04-03T17:45:54Z

This memoir of deprivation and survival is shrewdly constructed and written with a winning dry humour. Maggie and Me by Damian Barr – review 2013-04-25T09:00:12Z

Secondly, Whedon has a sense of humour, and God knows, The Avengers is going to need that. Let Joss Whedon direct The Avengers | Ben Child 2010-04-01T14:58:00Z

There is also empowering humour on websites, fridge magnets and tea towels. What science doesn’t know about the menopause: what it’s for and how to treat it | Rose George 2015-12-15T05:00:00Z

Rose's sense of humour was at its best when the going was tough. Rosemary Gill obituary 2011-03-18T18:47:51Z

I hear strange music" backing vocals – and the humour far surpasses that of Brother: "We're playing more shows, where the songs will be different. Herman D?ne, Low and Sea Of Bees at SXSW 2011 - review 2011-03-17T18:42:01Z

Had I been able to extract more humour and meaning from this largely miserable time, I'd have written Girls. Have you been watching … Girls? 2012-11-21T12:18:58Z

He maintains a steady eye contact and has a dry sense of humour. Matt Damon: 'You're a better actor the less people know about you' 2015-09-27T04:00:00Z

But Stafford Smith turns out to be positively bouncy with good humour and silly jokes and an eye for the absurd – so much so, in fact, that at 53 he retains an almost teenage quality. Clive Stafford Smith: 'The jury system in this country is utter insanity' 2012-07-08T19:00:02Z

Indeed, one of the series’ most memorable scenes is also one of its few instances of humour. The Keepers: 'I've dealt with survivors and they're sickened by the church's response' 2017-07-15T04:00:00Z

It helps that Taylor, with her breathtaking early beauty, managed to communicate a wickedly bawdy sense of humour even, and sometimes, especially in her most camp movies like the wonderfully watchable The Sandpiper. Elizabeth Taylor, always leading lady 2011-03-24T15:29:00Z

Not since Absolutely Fabulous has a programme used clothing with such humour and precision, deploying a drop-crotch trouser or a dramatic epaulette with the meticulous timing of an exquisitely crafted punchline. TV style icons of 2020: Schitt's Creek's absolutely fabulous fashion overload 2020-11-16T05:00:00Z

A slightly thornier issue is the humour derived from this cruelty. Why Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri should win the 2018 best picture Oscar 2018-02-27T05:00:00Z

Whatever Bish Bosch is about, Hieronymus Bosch seems a suitable muse – for this is a vision of hell on Earth, with tiny pockets of hope and humour. Scott Walker: Brother beyond 2012-11-23T19:28:49Z

There's a lightness about it, a whimsical humour, and a singular relish for language. The Positively Last Performance by Geraldine McCaughrean - review 2013-02-06T07:00:06Z

Perhaps he was brandishing some of that famed Strokes sense of humour and really they're all one big happy family. New music: The Strokes ? Under Cover of Darkness 2011-02-10T12:01:00Z

Grafting her training in traditional Korean dance on to contemporary western techniques, Ahn's choreography, set and costume design deliver a revelatory, personal style that pits a physical playfulness and humour against rigorous intelligence. Eun-Me Ahn Company ? review 2011-08-21T17:39:01Z

In The World's End, before they raise their game for the finale, the gag hit-rate and the intimate observational humour are more stuttering than in the two earlier Cornetto films. The World's End is the latest standard-bearer for British bathos 2013-07-17T16:27:53Z

In Sunday's BBC interview, Johnson argued he was merely humouring an irate friend. Boris Johnson: Eddie Mair did 'a splendid job' 2013-03-25T21:12:56Z

He's undoubtedly emerged as one of this series' favourites thanks his to no-nonsense attitude and sense of humour. I'm a Celebrity: what effect will Nigel Havers' exit have on the show? 2010-11-22T13:37:00Z

But here, the game is entirely on rails and plays a little like an interactive movie, with pretty visuals, a strong story, impressive voice acting and the series' trademark British humour. Fable: the Journey 2012-10-13T23:06:14Z

Away from his work, Marks was known by friends for his great sense of humour. Louis Marks obituary 2010-10-07T17:24:00Z

At his worst, Paik did the obvious, and the humour has palled. Nam June Paik: Watch with Buddha 2010-12-19T21:30:02Z

I think the sense of humour may change slightly, although it will always be the Doctor’s sense of humour. 'A stellar choice': your thoughts on Jodie Whittaker's casting in Doctor Who 2017-07-17T04:00:00Z

And that football terrace-like sense of self-confidence and rude humour permeates the whole film. Stone Roses' film world premiere 2012-10-12T15:43:59Z

Watching Harry Enfield’s Kevin character is helpful to restore your sense of humour and confirm the lack of originality in a teenager’s bad behaviour. I dislike my lazy adolescent stepdaughter | Mariella Frostrup 2016-11-27T05:00:00Z

It is all like this, pretty much, although laced with wild humour and fantasy. Our memories of Mike Kelley's art will be shaped by the manner of his death 2012-05-16T15:49:27Z

It's hard to think of hating Brand when she talks about her early life with such humour, self-deprecation and insight. Jo Brand charms Hay festival with anecdotes of her pre-comedy life 2010-06-01T11:44:00Z

So why the link between intelligence and enjoyment of black humour? Sick jokes and intelligence: is there a link? Quiz | Ben Ambridge 2017-04-09T04:00:00Z

This book is a celebration of friendship accompanied by some gentle humour. Walter and the No-Need-to-worry Suit by Rachel Bright - review 2012-11-15T12:00:00Z

Yet, for all the humour of the treatment, this is no mere island fling but a production that gets across Shakespeare's essential points. The Tempest ? review 2011-08-15T17:30:01Z

Like the text itself, this production is a hotchpotch of silliness, crude humour and sublimity. Doctor Faustus 2010-09-18T23:09:00Z

"I'm quite an edgy comic - I like dark things so it's lovely that I've found that many people who share my sense of humour," he told the Independent in 2008. Profile: Jimmy Carr 2012-06-21T12:50:21Z

That's the main aim of the School For Gifted Children, a sporadic series of nights geared towards lightly cerebral humour. Comedy picks of the week 2010-03-27T00:36:00Z

While Victoria says she loves Bernie’s sense of humour and his zest for life, he was attracted to her compassionate nature. How we met: ‘I had no idea if this was more than friendship. So I booked two hotel rooms’ 2019-11-25T05:00:00Z

Almost every British fictional treatment of the royals sits on a spectrum between gentle humour and biting satire. Queen Olivia Colman, an epic budget and a cast of thousands: a year behind the scenes on The Crown 2019-09-07T04:00:00Z

Plebs transfers 21st-century characters and preoccupations to ancient Rome – and finds humour in that mismatch. A Roman historian's view on Plebs 2013-04-01T16:50:55Z

The humour doesn’t offer itself on a plate. Jacques Tati’s Playtime: life-affirming comedy 2014-10-24T04:00:00Z

Where Steinem and Allred meet is in their history of successfully prosecuting a feminist agenda, and their ability to retain a sense of humour about it. Gloria Steinem meets Gloria Allred: ‘Donald Trump has made us woke’ 2019-12-23T05:00:00Z

The Alan Bennett of baking, Howard combined endearingly dry humour with a highly relatable anxiety at uncooperative dough and mystery technicals. Bring back Val! In praise of Bake Off’s older bakers, this year’s missing ingredient 2019-08-20T04:00:00Z

In Britain we are taught our five times table and we learn that Germans don't have a sense of humour. Comedy without borders: Eddie Izzard and the language of standup 2013-04-24T11:00:05Z

If I answer this with humour, it won’t be funny enough. Robbie Williams: ‘My greatest fear? Obesity and the shame that comes with it’ 2017-05-27T04:00:00Z

Munch's photograph's suggested a sense of humour … Self-portrait on Beach, 1907. Best art exhibitions of 2012, No 2 – Edvard Munch at Tate Modern 2012-12-20T13:38:40Z

They are still making music about music, but fresh-sounding airy constructions from the new Words and Music by Saint Etienne album glance back at youth's mistakes and pop infatuations with sadness, affection, maturity and humour. Saint Etienne – review 2012-05-23T12:52:43Z

But in the second one, there’s moments where I take the back seat and let his humour drive the scene. Ice Cube and Kevin Hart: ‘Hollywood is realising that black people go to movies’ 2016-01-16T05:00:00Z

The contrast between what seethes inside 59-year-old father Winn and his carefully crafted carapace creates this novel's considerable tension and humour. Seating Arrangements by Maggie Shipstead – review 2013-07-21T13:00:00Z

He addresses all three with erudition, sensitivity, humour and aplomb: a remarkable achievement. Not just the faiths of Abraham 2014-12-17T05:00:00Z

That wouldn't stand Johnson in great stead on the comedy circuit, where Carry On humour isn't the height of fashion. Boris Johnson, the comedian of politics, has the last laugh 2012-07-30T12:00:01Z

"Unquestionably there's an enormous amount of humour," he replies. Helicopter opera set for take off 2012-08-17T16:48:16Z

She established my sense of humour for me – that very dry, sarcastic, non-winking kind of wit. Jason Bateman: 'I've got a great deal of dirt on Jenifer Aniston' 2011-07-15T23:09:00Z

It’s taken me three years to convince my daughter and her family to take more of an interest and, before she eventually became a full-blown enthusiast, my partner used to humour me politely. Worst case scenario: the ‘preppers’ gearing up for cataclysm | Alex Moshakis 2018-01-28T05:00:00Z

In his classic punk history England's Dreaming, Jon Savage calls punk "an international outsider aesthetic: dark, tribal, alienated, alien, full of black humour". Punk is still the sound of youth rebellion 2012-06-01T15:39:56Z

Jessica is a fiercely intelligent, witty, compassionate woman, a proud northerner with a sense of humour. Love in the age of living for ever: could your marriage last 80 years? 2016-04-23T04:00:00Z

She was a tireless worker, a prolific writer and a fiercely intelligent woman with a shrewd eye for human foibles, an acerbic sense of humour and an immense enthusiasm for life. Maeve Binchy, we'll miss you 2012-07-31T17:00:04Z

At least director JJ Abrams had a sense of humour about the hype machine when he teased a "sneak peek" of a scanty three frames of Star Trek Into Darkness on Conan O'Brien. Pacific Rim: forget the film, it's all about the trailers 2013-07-08T05:00:00Z

However, said it was "more sharply focused than the 1996 film adaptation of the novel, and does a better job of incorporating folksy humour into the disturbing and at times pedantic story". Grisham Broadway play to close early 2013-11-07T15:21:57Z

These “dumb animals” quite clearly have machiavellian needs, a dry sense of humour and evident thought processes. My life as an (almost) vegan restaurant critic 2018-04-22T04:00:00Z

It's very American-centric and a bit "college humour" in places, so proceed with caution. Internet picks of the week 2010-06-04T23:06:00Z

"Their movies will always be relevant because it is intelligent, character-driven humour," he says. Marx Brothers' enduring appeal 2015-01-12T05:00:00Z

Obama’s gift for humour has made it the highlight of the evening, even upstaging the paid talent. How Obama blurred the border between Hollywood and Washington 2015-06-02T04:00:00Z

It is unclear exactly what type of creature Gwildor is, but he is on hand to provide humour and advice despite confessing to not liking adventures. Clip joint: five of the best creatures in 80s fantasy cinema 2013-07-24T13:35:27Z

However, he feels that the humour of radical groups from that era, such as the Weathermen, is the key to finding a new radicalism today. John Waters: ‘A new kind of anarchy is going to happen next’ 2017-02-13T05:00:00Z

Finding humour in strange places is one of Ridley's strengths, something he made use of at the Newcastle leg of The X Factor auditions earlier this year. Lee Ridley: making comedy out of silence 2012-06-06T17:26:50Z

So my book is saying, a little less facetiously but hopefully with some humour, that Fitzgerald got his ideas from New York and Long Island and from what was happening around him. Sarah Churchwell on Gatsby 2012-07-02T11:00:00Z

This is also known as the "humour as survival mechanism" trope and reached its nadir with the Two Julies in Bad Girls. Women's TV prison dramas: 10 vital ingredients 2013-07-10T12:04:00Z

It’s my sense of humour, and the sense of humour I respond to in others. Tracy Letts: ‘Freedom of speech is under attack’ 2018-01-06T05:00:00Z

Its humour is crude, its message is anarchic, its bite is vicious and its jokes don’t so much stretch the boundaries of taste as tap-dance all over them in a mortuary. Drop Dead Gorgeous at 20: how dark pageant comedy works better in 2019 2019-07-23T04:00:00Z

There are great moments of humour in them, but what if they were really funny? Judd Apatow: 'There's a narcissism to my characters' 2013-02-16T06:00:00Z

But such gallows humour is perhaps unsurprising: for decades now, Tavener's radiant music has seemed to inhabit a place somewhere between this world and the next. John Tavener: 'The days of seven-hour pieces are gone' 2013-07-01T18:00:01Z

The couple share not just a sense of humour, but a relaxed frankness. Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt: Everything but the grief 2010-05-26T20:45:00Z

It somehow fits with the mood of his novels: dark human messiness leavened with humour and honesty, be it in his Earth-bound writing or his science fiction as Iain M Banks. TV highlights 18/06/2013 2013-06-18T06:00:03Z

And they're not laughing about periods or tampons, it's almost boyish humour. Anna Maxwell Martin: 'Loads of women's drama is really dumbed down' 2013-01-06T00:06:48Z

In Pension Plan, she uses humour as a means of connecting with the audience to explore life's darker moments. No joke, being a psychiatric patient has its funny side 2010-08-04T09:53:00Z

Another reason a US version of the show was considered necessary, is the difference between British and American humour. Full throttle? 2010-12-28T09:26:47Z

Although Neverbend is humourless, for the reader there is humour, and also pathos, in the clash of his high-flown rhetoric with the instinctive reactions of others, including his own family. David Lodge: rereading Anthony Trollope 2012-12-14T22:55:04Z

This book is a "question compendium", collecting together some of their favourite exchanges from the last four years, and acts as the perfect introduction to Zaltzman and Mann's offbeat but infectious sense of humour. This week's new comedy 2010-11-20T00:07:00Z

This book was a pleasant mixture of suspense, mystery and humour. When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead - review 2013-07-15T11:00:00Z

Pamela handles being swept up into a situation that combines kidnapping, romance, humour, irritation, play-acting, marriage, sexual threat, tenderness and handcuffs. My favourite Hitchcock film: The 39 Steps 2012-06-16T23:03:03Z

And so we come back to death, as it seems humour must, and which is why war is so useful in its creation. Where does all the best comedy come from? Death and war 2012-07-06T21:30:01Z

The movie is the gentlest, most wonderful true story, filled with humour and joy. M resurrected for Philomena appeal 2013-11-08T10:03:21Z

After all, Cemetery Junction – like The Office and Extras, from the Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant stable – is full of awkward, politically incorrect humour. Cemetery Junction's gay-baiting is not funny 2010-04-21T14:49:00Z

I thought, he has a sense of humour – this might work out. End of the affairs: the dangers of internet dating 2012-02-10T22:59:54Z

But their journeys towards infinity were also undercut by the relentless comic beats of the show, and humour that was always sharp but never harsh. The Good Place: was this the most devastating TV finale ever? 2020-02-04T05:00:00Z

It's a pleasure to see him, and he is smartly used by Drew, although he does have a humour and maturity that is missing from the rest of film. Ill Manors 2012-06-07T14:30:01Z

In fact, despite crises, fatherhood and being in their late 30s, Blink's audience are still largely adolescent, in thrall to insanely catchy pop-punk anthems and juvenile toilet humour. Blink-182 – review 2012-06-17T16:49:01Z

Despite the gallows humour a harsh reality awaits the five remaining orchestra members once the final note is sounded at the end of this year. European arts cuts: no more Mozart with gravy and potatoes as Danish orchestra is silenced 2012-08-01T14:27:29Z

Chekhov, for example, suffered particularly from our humour bypass when his plays arrived in Britain. Is it OK to laugh at Ibsen? 2010-10-25T09:57:00Z

After her death in 2005, my father moved into a residential home in Birmingham and faced the inevitable irritations of old age – unaided by his beloved pipe – with gentlemanly forbearance, humour and grace. Barrie Edgar obituary 2013-01-17T15:41:47Z

When pressed, she will admit that the cocktail of ultraviolence and playground humour might not be for everyone. Deadpool: ‘I don’t think my mom is going to be able to watch it’ 2016-01-30T05:00:00Z

"Can you give the listeners a notion of that humour?" asked Melvyn. Rewind radio: Euro 2012; In Our Time 2012-06-16T23:05:48Z

She was over 6ft tall, had a tattooed tongue and a spirited sense of humour, perhaps necessary in a polygamous marriage. The 10 best portraits of queens 2012-06-02T23:06:01Z

The polarity between the moments of pantomime humour and the deep seriousness of the story of Pamina's abduction never strikes sparks. A Magic Flute ? review 2011-03-24T12:15:30Z

The wit and ironies and humour of Bloomsbury went into the English Freud to top up the Viennese master's own. Which writer taught me most about love? 2012-02-10T22:55:10Z

The "Hasid from the camera store" is subjected to some not unsympathetic humour, as, performing the impossible, he "mumbles … the nameless name of god". Poem of the week: Night Subway by Katha Pollitt 2012-07-23T11:03:39Z

Meanwhile, Time Out's Tom Huddleston writes: "There's a wealth of joyously berserk idiot humour, fusing slapstick and satire, surrealism and stream-of-consciousness improv into what could well prove the funniest movie of the year." The Other Guys: star stand-ins or subs-standard? 2010-09-20T15:01:00Z

Reiner delivered the lines with a terrific naturalism, humour and grit. Carl Reiner: farewell to a heavyweight master of American comedy 2020-06-30T04:00:00Z

Beneath the Michael Jackson jokes and quintessential New Zealand humour, Boy was a film about abuse and neglect. Taika Waititi: 'You don't want to be directing kids with a swastika on your arm' 2019-12-26T05:00:00Z

On the other hand, when she is given something with genuine warmth and humour, she will make a supporting role your favourite thing about what you are watching. Top 23 character actors in film 2013-04-12T15:00:00Z

The songs, the chants, the placards, displayed a unique artfulness, spirit and a sense of humour. Egypt has returned from the cultural backwaters 2011-02-24T16:19:39Z

You learn to live with it and you also learn to use your sense of humour and your grounding wires in life to just roll with it. 'The guy stinks and he’s a racist': Anthony Scaramucci on Donald Trump 2020-07-17T04:00:00Z

When you look at something like the films, there is such humour and simplicity. When Sam Taylor-Wood met Yoko Ono 2012-06-16T23:06:00Z

Pulp, pop and poetry: Cocker's off-the-wall words are a big hit When he was the front man of Pulp, Jarvis Cocker's songs were admired for their humour and sharp social commentary. From Pulp to Prokofiev: Jarvis Cocker narrates Peter and the Wolf 2010-12-29T17:57:43Z

He might not deliver the type of whimsical humour beloved of the comedy intelligentsia, but a lot of people are laughing, all right. Is Frankie Boyle actually funny? 2010-12-19T00:06:27Z

The humour tries desperately hard to be politically correct, but in the process somehow ends up being the opposite. Last Christmas may be the worst film of the year – so why is it box-office gold? 2019-11-21T05:00:00Z

According to TV critic Brian Lowry from Variety magazine, humour is "probably the most culturally specific genre". Full throttle? 2010-12-28T09:26:47Z

Walters plays Annie, the tough widow behind everything, her gutsy humour and fierce common sense concealing her hurt and vulnerability. Julie Walters' best film performances – ranked! 2020-06-25T04:00:00Z

To my mind he is triumphantly entitled to work this way, for the humanity, realism, and humour of the film far outweigh occasional slowness and a few tiny technical imperfections. Kes reviewed: drawing the curtains on Barnsley - archive, 20 November 1969 2019-11-20T05:00:00Z

The prose is intricate, elegant and laced with dry humour. Margaret Thatcher: The Authorised Biography, Volume One: Not for Turning by Charles Moore – review 2013-04-27T13:00:11Z

In Lear you find humour but also pathos. Two hundred years of nonsense 2012-05-22T07:39:49Z

In reality it was a return to the sort of tired frat-boy humour of Johnny Carson and Bob Hope, two heroes of MacFarlane's. What was Seth MacFarlane thinking with his Oscars boob? 2013-02-25T17:00:00Z

In front of anyone else they would surely die, but a hangar full of car oafs humour and encourage them. Top Gear; Michael Bublé's Day Off – TV review 2013-07-01T06:00:14Z

The humour of melodrama, the humour of wallowing, is definitely something that is in almost all of our songs. Six hours, one song: the National perfect the art of repetition 2013-07-11T18:03:02Z

"There's a little inside humour with he and I where I know, and wanted to know, that he would be the first person in that room to know that his film won," he said. Penn: 'No apologies' for Oscar joke 2015-03-09T04:00:00Z

Political activists use humour as terrorism to mortify your opponent. John Waters: ‘A new kind of anarchy is going to happen next’ 2017-02-13T05:00:00Z

Who knew, for example, he had a sense of humour? Stanley Kubrick's best films – ranked! 2019-04-04T04:00:00Z

The novelist Russell Banks wrote of Kingsolver's "Chekhovian tenderness towards her characters" and of her humour as "contemporary American – fast, hip and a little outrageous". A life in writing: Barbara Kingsolver 2010-06-11T23:05:00Z

Perhaps we need a dose of dark humour to process and normalise taboo, yet commonplace experiences. Mothers who have abortions: what to do with TV’s third rail? 2019-06-11T04:00:00Z

A blend of realism, sarcasm and dark humour gets me through life. Helena Christensen: ‘When I’m on trips I listen to recordings of my dog snoring’ 2018-05-19T04:00:00Z

Is it difficult to write humour when you're in this state of mind? Marian Keyes: 'I thought I'd never be able to write again' 2013-04-21T08:00:17Z

I liked his offbeat style and humour, but I never loved him. TV review: Evidently John Cooper Clarke; 24 Hours in A&E 2012-05-30T22:00:02Z

He’s also got a great sense of humour. Why Noah Centineo is the internet’s latest crush 2018-09-25T04:00:00Z

Facebook Twitter Pinterest This is strange, silly and quintessentially British humour designed for an age group brought up on Big Train and the Mighty Boosh, then left bereft of bizarre TV comedy. Bonkers, biting, brilliant: the late-night sketch show by Britain's best young standups 2016-05-11T04:00:00Z

More often than not, Russell rebuts any such accusation with a deft, whimsical gesture, a touch of paradoxically grounding pixie humour. Vampires in the Lemon Grove by Karen Russell – review 2013-03-14T08:00:01Z

Snoop is really funny, there's a lot of humour in there. John Cale: 'I don't want to end up in Pseud's Corner' 2012-09-26T08:50:35Z

“Absolutely. I didn’t create this show for white people, I didn’t create it for men; I created it, really, for my friends and family, and for their specific sense of humour,” she nods. Issa Rae: 'So much of the media presents blackness as fierce and flawless. I’m not' 2017-08-05T04:00:00Z

Here, the videos and songs, the clattering beats and rascal humour stack up to a wild hour of comedy. Rubberbandits – Edinburgh festival review 2012-08-10T11:05:59Z

VJs do more than simply describe the action – they frame the action in a context familiar to east Africans and add their own brand of humour. Tanzania's VJs bring Hollywood to Africa 2012-07-10T16:37:22Z

It's an extraordinarily modern premise, and David Eldridge's superb new version plunges headfirst into its strange Freudian depths without neglecting its sly humour. The Lady from the Sea ? review 2010-10-19T20:30:00Z

But rather than old-fashioned witless xenophobia, his material is rooted in keen observational humour, which swaps hackneyed cliche for fresh insights. This week's new live comedy 2013-04-13T05:00:16Z

In a first novel full of deceptive simplicity, lyrical language and playful Igbo mythology and humour, he uses the madman’s apocalyptic vision for the family as a way of conjuring up Nigeria’s senseless body politic. Fathers and sons 2015-03-26T04:00:00Z

It's tense and thrilling, but on two occasions near the end Shechter lightens things, once with humour, once with sentiment. Hofesh Shechter 2011-07-14T16:16:28Z

But, although the play offers a social critique and rich southern humour, it finally asks whether it is better to live by lies or truth. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof: Tennessee Williams's southern discomfort 2012-09-30T19:00:11Z

Ted: stuffed more with fluff than filthy humour Unlike many politicians, The Campaign is true to its words. What films have left you confused? 2012-08-20T10:22:30Z

Talking of humour, ha, ITV rolled out something called Off Their Rockers, in which ageing actors "spoofed" young members of the public. Rewind TV: Mad Men; Thatcher coverage; Off Their Rockers – review 2013-04-13T21:45:01Z

It's not surprising that so much of online content is comedy; the library of psychological and anthropological research describes humour as the glue that helps to define communities and keep them together. What effect has the internet had on comedy? 2011-04-02T23:07:08Z

She says this with the humour and detachment of someone whose life has been spent identifying precisely this kind of detail as a clue to what lies beneath. Dakota Fanning: ‘There was an expectation – to fail, to succeed’ 2016-10-01T04:00:00Z

Because he had a good sense of humour. One for the roadies: in praise of rock'n'roll's unsung heroes 2012-12-12T16:34:31Z

Bailey realised that was what he actually enjoyed – deconstructing humour. Bill Bailey: Bill's excellent adventure 2013-04-19T14:00:00Z

Much of Kelley's awkwardness and recalcitrance – let alone his intelligence and humour – was about resisting the packaging and easy assimilation of the market. Mike Kelley: the nonconformist's whole life is here 2012-12-18T18:00:31Z

The book bursts with humour and is full of tragedy. The Fault In Our Stars by John Green - review 2013-06-06T11:00:00Z

Smaller screens in front of the amps flash "Basic amplifiers" between songs, testimony to Gibbons's humour – both bone-dry and utterly absurdist. ZZ Top – review 2013-06-25T16:51:17Z

He had a wonderful sense of humour and intelligence which made him the brilliant comedian that he was. Fortune: Bremner and Sergeant tributes 2013-12-31T16:35:25Z

The liveliest effusions of wit and humour are simply what the reader of a novel has a right to expect. Howard Jacobson on taking comic novels seriously 2010-10-08T23:07:00Z

We share a sense of humour, talk often and holiday together. My wife and I don’t have sex, and I have secretly been buying women’s clothes 2019-03-24T04:00:00Z

It has had its fair share of detractors, accusing it of condescension, or disliking its coarse strain of Australian humour. Jane Turner: 'It's a love story ? with no kangaroos' 2010-05-02T21:00:00Z

The voice, the lanky frame on which suits and tuxes hung with casual grace, the handsome-yet-ordinary face which radiated integrity and easy good humour: it was all classic Stewart. Who is the best Oscar winning lead actor of all time? 2018-02-21T05:00:00Z

Despite the darkness, there’s a lot of humour in the book. Margaret Atwood on our real-life dystopia: “What really worries me is creeping dictatorship” 2015-10-17T04:00:00Z

There's also loads of humour, plenty of action sequences, and enough bizarre violence to keep horror fans satisfied. Railsea by China Miéville – review 2012-05-23T12:00:01Z

The old man at one point indulges “a freak of earthly humour” and starts talking sex, saying what he would do if he could bring a girl into the hut with him. Voyages: My Debt to Ireland 2012-02-10T20:35:10Z

Compliment looks, humour, career, ability to retain useless facts – “Wow, I never knew that!” – and style. Don't talk politics, sex or the ex: 10 ways to ruin a date 2016-06-04T04:00:00Z

But there are nice things going on here too – like community, family, love, and humour. People Like Us – TV review 2013-02-07T07:00:18Z

Despite these constraints, our conversations are free-flowing and punctuated with humour. America's 'detainee 001' ? the persecution of John Walker Lindh 2011-07-10T16:08:00Z

Lydia is a colourful character, full of "good humour and good spirits". Pride and Prejudice at 200: looking afresh at Austen's classic 2013-01-26T08:01:00Z

In this context, the gentle humour they display while answering fans' Twitter questions is apt. One Direction – review 2013-02-24T17:00:01Z

In fact, she carries the programme very well, with self-deprecating humour and effortless charm. Tonight's TV highlights: Caroline Quentin: A Passage Through India 2011-03-08T00:05:54Z

But if the humour lacks bite, it works as sheer fun. A Season in the Congo; Too Clever By Half – review 2013-07-20T23:05:43Z

“It’s cool content, it’s easy to produce, it’s full of humour and it helps to distract you when you look at those works,” she said. Life imitates art as Russian group attracts mock-up masterpieces 2020-05-28T04:00:00Z

If Harry denies the nostalgic association with air aces of legend, this scene echoes air war down the decades – including the sexism and black humour. Prince Harry makes war look more Top Gun than Wilfred Owen 2013-01-22T12:00:03Z

Though Brockes is appalled by the distance between the home counties mother she knew and the deprivation of Paula's childhood, the pathos of the disclosure is leavened by gallows humour. She Left Me the Gun: My Mother's Life Before Me by Emma Brockes – review 2013-03-22T09:01:01Z

Philip Pullman said of his writing: "There is nothing spiteful, nothing bitter or sarcastic in his humour". Pullman's memories of Pratchett 2015-03-12T04:00:00Z

The production often simply opts for broad humour, sexual suggestiveness and scantily clad raciness. The Butler 2010-07-15T21:00:00Z

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed writing this column and I’d like to extend my wholehearted thanks for your measured criticisms, your engaged dialogue, and your rich, dry senses of humour. All You Need is Less says goodbye: the best comments from a year of columns 2016-06-21T04:00:00Z

Despite its serious subject matter, the book is a rollicking read, full of amusing details and sarcastic humour. Mucky paps 2014-08-14T04:00:00Z

Still, he wears his success well and with humour. Massimo Bottura, the 'poet' chef with the best restaurant in the world 2016-06-17T04:00:00Z

Irreverence and self-deprecating humour seemed very attractive to outsiders looking in. Hey British moaners: Germans want to be more like us 2013-05-19T18:15:12Z

There was an obvious debt to The Office, but it's Twenty Twelve that it most resembled in tone and humour. Rewind TV: Vicious; The Job Lot; Dave Allen: God's Own Comedian; The Repo Man – review 2013-05-04T09:45:01Z

Dodd also spends a lot of time researching the history and workings of humour. Ken Dodd: Don't call me eccentric 2013-11-08T08:12:01Z

And while we wait for humour, happiness and women to return to the real world, it will be a lifeline. 30 Rock 2010-04-19T23:05:00Z

But the only drama here happened long ago, when Eddie's bullying humour drove his gay son from home. Stand Up and Be Counted ? review 2011-03-07T22:00:00Z

Her films often have an off-kilter humour, so it’s not surprising to hear that Muses is the instigator of red carpet hijinks. From suburban housewife to porn star at 52: the emancipation of Morgana 2017-07-26T04:00:00Z

Warmth, self-aware humour and artful choreography oil the engine of a well-sprung plot. All the road rage: Fast & Furious 6 taps a modern vein 2013-05-20T13:40:02Z

The point, from the outset, was to stress that this was a comedy show based on history, not a history show with a bit of humour grafted on. How Horrible Histories became a huge hit 2011-03-17T20:00:01Z

Philip Pullman said there was "nothing spiteful, nothing bitter or sarcastic in his humour". Tributes paid to author Pratchett 2015-03-13T04:00:00Z

Paul Merton is a Bafta award-winning presenter, writer, actor and comedian, known for his improvisation skills and deadpan humour. Top 10 tips for being a comedian 2014-10-24T04:00:00Z

It's why I'm dangerous; inculcating rebel ideas into the minds of innocent young people using humour. Terry Deary: The man behind the Horrible Histories 2012-07-13T23:10:02Z

The toolbox of most comedians doesn't include hate speech as humour not because it has been diluted by political correctness, but because it is abhorrent. Getting a laugh out of disability 2010-04-28T12:00:00Z

I hope to receive complaints about my cycling style with humility and good humour. Life lessons from the mosh pit 2012-08-22T00:17:09Z

He is, he says, "much less interested in the persona of Brett Anderson", and even has a sense of humour about having a parodist on Twitter, something you couldn't have imagined 15 years ago. Suede brushes up 2010-10-21T20:30:00Z

She is bright and interesting and has a wonderful sense of humour. Frears tells tragic Philomena story for humour 2013-09-08T11:09:41Z

He is a very taciturn man with an excellent sense of humour. Danny DeVito: I still miss my father 2012-06-15T23:05:18Z

This book is a combination of everything: adventure, suspense, mystery, humour, sorrow, joy and much, much more. Watership Down by Richard Adams - review 2012-08-15T08:00:00Z

Submarine was a very funny read, the humour deriving from its narrator's viewpoint on an adult world. Wild Abandon by Joe Dunthorne ? review 2011-07-29T21:58:00Z

Considine anchors the relationship with a gentleness and quiet humour that trickles on to the screen in between Tyrannosaur's more dramatic swells. Tyrannosaur: a debut with claws 2011-01-24T17:00:46Z

McKenzie’s portrayal of a particular type of socially awkward, deadpan New Zealander helped put the country’s dry humour on the map. 'It's fine not to do it their way': Bret McKenzie on home, Hollywood and the oddness of fame 2019-12-20T05:00:00Z

We hit it off immediately, as we had a similar sense of humour and a number of friends in common. Why Andrea Dworkin is the radical, visionary feminist we need in our terrible times 2019-04-16T04:00:00Z

His stories are equally well crafted and carefully tailored to suit readers of different ages in terms of the content of the stories and the humour at the heart of them. How do you pick the right books for a young but fluent reader? 2012-08-13T16:55:26Z

As in the funeral home, humour is everywhere in this novel. A Trick I Learned from Dead Men by Kitty Aldridge – review 2012-08-03T21:55:03Z

Theroux’s method evolved from “trying to extract as much humour from situations as possible” to “trying to enjoy the experience and see what it is that fascinates me about the story”. Louis Theroux: ‘For all his awfulness, I admire Trump’s shamelessness’ 2017-10-08T04:00:00Z

That a good sense of humour is key. ‘You buy a lot of flowers and tampons': things you only know when you have seven daughters 2016-01-09T05:00:00Z

Always proud of his accomplishments with Peterson, Drew felt far closer to Scott, whom he described as "a darling man", admiring his playing prowess and chiming with Scott's legendary sense of humour. Martin Drew obituary 2010-08-12T17:24:00Z

Then the humour comes back and you know you're back on the right path. 76 minutes with … John Lydon 2012-05-31T20:30:00Z

And ultimately their shared sense of humour is the key, says Kris. How we stay together: we debate absolutely everything – but we fight fair 2020-02-22T05:00:00Z

Those passages about the insufferable Dr Foster are a relief, in part because they suggest a sense of humour sparsely felt elsewhere, but also because they burst with emotion. Lionel Shriver: rereading Mr Bridge by Evan S Connell 2013-02-15T18:30:01Z

German humour's reliance on the physical is not just apparent on television, but also in the way Germans act on a day-to-day basis. What's German for funny? 2012-02-12T20:00:13Z

My grandson had even taken me to see him in a film, God help me, a comedy dominated by slapstick and the broad physical humour of what in Britain would have been music hall. Top 10 books set in Hong Kong 2012-07-04T11:00:00Z

I ended up craving some shade alongside the light, a glimpse of what Anderson is like when he stops radiating self-satisfied good humour. Wil Anderson – review 2013-05-29T16:38:13Z

Yet they both disappointed: MacFarlane infuriated everyone with crass sexist humour. Chris Rock tastes Oscars' poisoned chalice – again 2015-10-21T04:00:00Z

Life got much easier once I realised it was part of my role as a father to allow my sense of humour to fail me on these occasions. Tim Dowling: ‘One masters the art of raising teenagers…’ 2016-12-10T05:00:00Z

Dembina's love for Jewish humanism and humour, and his sadness as that tradition is bulldozed by Zionism, are more sonorous than any division bell. Ivor Dembina | Comedy review 2010-03-25T22:30:00Z

The novel finds humour in the helicopter melodramatics of overprotective parents. Has the satire and humour of Big Little Lies been lost in translation? 2017-03-22T04:00:00Z

It's still wonderful, an extraordinary cornucopia of joy and wizardry and humour. Heston's Feasts 2010-04-06T23:05:00Z

Its surface is that of a plain tale told with frequent humour. Kes reviewed: drawing the curtains on Barnsley - archive, 20 November 1969 2019-11-20T05:00:00Z

The defence is an incredibly effective silencer, branding anybody who dares to complain as uptight or lacking a sense of humour. 10 things female students shouldn’t have to go through at university 2014-10-10T04:00:00Z

He managed to achieve design work of the highest international level while emanating a modest but honest sense of his own worth, combined with a totally disarming humour. David Myerscough-Jones obituary 2010-05-04T18:01:00Z

His humour was dry and he’d made hilarious summaries to do with aspects of his life. He’s got a potato face but could be the one for me 2015-07-25T04:00:00Z

It is a film noir in which humour turns poisonous, and Myra is going to end badly. David Thomson on Annette Bening 2010-10-27T22:40:00Z

"I made a joke because I have a terrible sense of humour," she explains. Marina: 'Co-writing is killing pop' 2015-03-11T04:00:00Z

I'm not sure the humour travels well over the intervening centuries, though. The indefinable charm of satirical dictionaries 2011-03-01T12:07:50Z

Add to this good plots and wry humour, and all the books in the series are delightful reads. Michael Stanley's top 10 African crime novels 2010-06-30T14:27:00Z

More profound connections between them might include a shared relish for subverting formulae, eclectic knowledge, eccentric humour and key roles in the cutting-edge groups of their time. Take Five: John Fordham's month in jazz – April 2013-04-19T09:33:10Z

Lohan responded with a mix of humour, seriousness and – eventually – a few tears. Lindsay Lohan's tears mark the start of another bid to clean up and come back 2013-04-13T13:36:17Z

In fact, it is poetic, funny and somehow – beneath all the humour – profound. How Yinka Shonibare's sculpture park exhibition shoots to thrill 2013-03-03T21:59:01Z

One of the most interesting parts of the series so far is the cultural differences presented and the genuine humour. Serial recap – season two, episode two: The Golden Chicken 2015-12-17T05:00:00Z

The fact that my nan lived to 91, retaining her marbles and wicked sense of humour, meant that we formed a bond that transcended the normal grandma-grandchild relationship. Why I’m tempted to contact my late nan on Facebook 2016-12-31T05:00:00Z

While the roles she has played most recently are entertaining – and show off her sense of humour – they do not showcase the full range of her talent. ‘I’d ask my mum: why do you drink?’ Andie MacDowell on childhood and Hollywood 2019-09-16T04:00:00Z

Such reflections are leavened with wry humour, such as when Cave narrates: "I can control the weather with my moods. I just can't control my moods." Monster or god? Nick Cave explores rock performance in new film 2014-02-11T17:11:21Z

Suri writes with a cinematic bravado and humour that is very appealing. The City of Devi by Manil Suri – review 2013-03-21T09:00:01Z

We have a similar sense of humour and yet we’re very different which is apparently what people have enjoyed about our working together. Nathan Lane: ‘I have played a lot of morally questionable people 2017-03-11T05:00:00Z

He wrote with deep sympathy and expansive humour about outcasts in our society. What drives writers to drink? 2013-07-27T23:05:00Z

Thompson – who said she had “just kissed him goodbye” – wrote: What I remember most in this moment of painful leave-taking is his humour, intelligence, wisdom and kindness. Alan Rickman, giant of British screen and stage, dies at 69 2016-01-14T05:00:00Z

When, in the American version of The Office, a member of staff is inadvertently outed, the target of the humour is his straight colleagues' ignorance about what being gay actually means. Cemetery Junction's gay-baiting is not funny 2010-04-21T14:49:00Z

She was older, with two small children, a great sense of humour and endless kindness. Even old age can’t dent my mum’s sexual appetite 2017-09-23T04:00:00Z

Less cruel humour also thrived under his guidance. John Howard Davies obituary 2011-08-24T17:45:22Z

Amongst the darkness, the unpretentious existentialist angst and the gritty urban detail, there is humour and pathos. Not the Booker prize 2011: the shortlist 2011-08-18T09:45:51Z

But it takes a good ear and a sense of humour – more Disraeli or Churchill than Gladstone, Salisbury or Margaret Thatcher. When politicians go pop – the perils of trying to appear 'in touch' 2012-12-18T14:30:01Z

She is gorgeous as she always has been, with her almond face and bright flame of hair, but with a sense of humour that speaks to years of being thwarted by the Man. Rewatching the X-Files: my 50-episode binge 2016-01-21T05:00:00Z

In other hands, this might come across as just a front for unsavoury humour. Louis CK – review 2013-03-21T13:39:14Z

As well as giving me a love of music, this experience taught me how useful and important humour can be. Family life 2011-07-22T23:06:01Z

Speaking of perspective, I ask whether motherhood has diluted Davis's sick sense of humour and she scoffs. Dark star: Julia Davis 2010-04-10T23:10:00Z

The approach Approach people with confidence and humour; people will often respond more positively. Top tips: workplace photography 2010-10-01T14:06:00Z

Mark "E" Everett has spent 17 years releasing music that combines melody, misery and the blackest of humour under the name Eels. Music Weekly podcast: Mark "E" Everett of Eels, the down-low on Kelly Rowland. Plus Bytches With Problems 2013-01-24T16:08:38Z

The humour and affection in such lines belie the ambivalence of Crabbe's attitude to Aldeburgh, a place where he was "very miserable and miserably treated". George Crabbe: The man behind Benjamin Britten 2013-06-14T17:00:01Z

One of the traits of British humour is that we're self-effacing with a touch of melancholy and you can see that in all our post-war sitcoms from Rising Damp to The Office. Trafalgar Square's fourth plinth faces huge cock up 2010-08-19T14:10:00Z

What it does share with her mature work is dry humour and a vivid sense of place. My streaming gem: why you should watch River of Grass 2020-06-29T04:00:00Z

Apart from anything else, this misery has no humour in it. Edvard Munch: a head for horror 2012-06-25T17:30:01Z

Garson agrees: “As negotiators, we know that patience, flexibility and humour are what we really need.” 'Allocate a chill-out zone': how to keep the family peace at Christmas 2019-11-29T05:00:00Z

It’s bracing stuff, but in true Meadows fashion there’s humour interspersed with the grit. Partridge, politics and period pomp: the must-see TV shows of 2019 2019-01-02T05:00:00Z

Just as punk had rejected the large-scale, smooth, hairy music of the 70s, we were supposed to scorn the Americans for their slick, wise-cracking humour, and get on with being plain old British stupid. Robin Williams appreciation by Nigel Planer: 'He wouldn't be happy until the furniture was laughing' 2014-08-17T04:00:00Z

Cox said the TV transfer would capture the series' "unique east coast humour". TV show for Bob Servant character 2012-02-17T10:52:33Z

He was a reclusive, complex, sometimes vulnerable man, often a very tedious drunk but with a wired sense of humour and wit. Partners in crime fiction 2011-07-22T08:00:02Z

But what sets the film apart for me is the flicker of wry humour which illuminates even the darkest moments. From Memento to Interstellar: our writers pick their favourite Christopher Nolan films 2020-08-27T04:00:00Z

It's full of adventure and mystery and still manages to find space for humour, including a chattering parrot who speaks in Spanish! Lilliput by Sam Gayton - review 2013-04-21T11:00:00Z

Composed as respite from the Ninth Symphony, these little works juxtapose the luminous textures of the last sonatas with the back-slapping humour of his early work. Thomas Ad?s 2010-04-29T20:45:00Z

She’s also adept in finding the wry humour that lurks within darker moments with plenty of bittersweet laughs along the way. My streaming gem: why you should watch Private Life 2020-06-12T04:00:00Z

But while it was innovative and cute to undercut a portentous franchise with wry humour 12 years ago, now these projects have become prolific enough to take on a perceptibly mercenary edge. Bricking it: why the Lego movie franchise is on shaky foundations 2017-10-03T04:00:00Z

If you have a big marketing budget and think you'd like to sponsor a comedian, you'll need a thick skin and a robust sense of humour. Edinburgh festival comedy endorsements are no laughing matter 2010-08-25T12:41:00Z

Go with an open mind and a sense of humour. 10 life-changing retreats worldwide: readers’ travel tips 2019-01-10T05:00:00Z

But of all the deeply controversial gangsta rappers, he is also probably the most charming and has the best sense of humour. Glastonbury 2010: I love Snoop Dogg the artist ? but despise him as a man 2010-06-27T18:59:00Z

Then along came another young American writer-director steeped in the lore of American film noir, with a similar flair for spicing it up with quotable dialogue, black humour and flashes of horror, Quentin Tarantino. My inspiration for The Liability: Cohen and Tate and its brilliant screenwriter 2013-05-14T10:23:00Z

That was the best stuff from the best year of probably the best humour magazine ever, and that was the first thing I saw. National Lampoon: the magazine that became a comedy empire 2015-10-08T04:00:00Z

Simon: There was a real crossover in humour. Inbetweeners end their journey Down Under 2014-08-06T04:00:00Z

She approaches the cuisine of the past with the humour and sharpness of a journalist. Bee Wilson: rereading Food in England by Dorothy Hartley 2012-12-14T22:55:05Z

The humour that accompanies it, along with several tender passages, makes this more serious business palatable, and more affecting. Mrs Bridge by Evan S Connell – rereading 2012-06-08T21:55:17Z

This is very funny, but its humour is at times disquietingly harsh. Falstaff – review 2012-07-23T16:35:38Z

Yes there's a humour that pervades the whole text. Reading group: Is it OK to find The Bell Jar funny? 2013-01-31T11:37:44Z

Where awards ceremonies struggle with humour, the half-time show struggles with the typical rock’n’roll tropes of sex and rebellion. Worst job in showbiz: why will no one touch the world's glitziest gigs? 2019-01-22T05:00:00Z

Sexual energy pulses through his work, along with scatological Catalan humour and earthiness, a love of nature, and nostalgia for the rural life. Joan Mir?: A fine line 2011-04-11T20:30:01Z

Other programmes, meanwhile, are incorporating this decidedly random strain of humour, unfettered by traditional joke logic, into their longer-form setups. 'Horrifyingly absurd': how did millennial comedy get so surreal? 2019-08-13T04:00:00Z

The humour is as dry as a bone. Film review: Skeletons 2010-07-01T22:20:00Z

Her playful sense of humour dances round the darkness of her themes. Critical eye 2010-08-20T23:06:00Z

It isn't swearwords that make Skinner's humour graphic. Comedy gold: Frank Skinner – Stand-Up 2013-01-03T13:29:44Z

There are also – as per the previous show – lushly shot film sequences that deal less in humour than plangent oddity. Tim Key ? review 2011-08-14T17:30:02Z

And thus the sheer terror of unaccountable power is defanged by the instrumentality of humour and the carnivalesque. The N-Word: a volcano kept active by the flickering embers of racism 2021-05-22T04:00:00Z

People, he says, miss the humour in his work, and the delight in mischief-making. Doom: 'It's all new, all fun' 2012-08-16T13:35:39Z

He could count on one hand the times he'd heard her complain about her parents, and when she did, the criticisms were mostly affectionate, tinged with a generous kind of humour. Fancy dress by Kate Horsley 2010-12-26T00:05:12Z

He retains his sense of humour in Nigeria, a place where many have been known to lose theirs. The Masque of Africa: Glimpses of African Belief by VS Naipaul 2010-08-28T23:06:00Z

One of the things that I think people sometimes miss about Gatsby is its sense of humour. Sarah Churchwell on Gatsby 2012-07-02T11:00:00Z

Above all, she is a storyteller, with a sense of pace and timing, relish for a good scene and a wry sense of humour. Woman of substance 2015-10-29T04:00:00Z

Izzard then takes what he refers to as his "universal humour" to the stage. Comedy without borders: Eddie Izzard and the language of standup 2013-04-24T11:00:05Z

So don't pooh-pooh the humble comic book, I still believe that the absorption of such things at a tender age furnished me with an appreciation of good stories, lively dialogue and humour. Penelope Bush's top 10 teen twin books 2013-03-28T16:29:47Z

I think being in a band is an inherently absurd way to live and I wanted to include the humour of this situation, particularly via Nicky Wire. 'If I had known Richey Edwards there's no way I could have written it' 2010-09-20T14:01:00Z

The author's bone-dry humour is evident throughout the memoir. Not Me: A German Childhood by Joachim Fest – review 2012-08-10T21:55:03Z

Even as Seinfeld, “a show about nothing”, innovated the sitcom form, the assumption lingered that British humour was somehow more sophisticated. Once upon a time from America: how US television took over our screens 2020-04-28T04:00:00Z

She had a cute sense of humour and a love of history – just a very, very cute person.” Patrick Dempsey and Neil Patrick Harris pay tribute to Amanda Peterson 2015-07-09T04:00:00Z

Another veteran of fertility testing, a TV producer who wishes to remain anonymous, found that the only way he could deal with the “grimness” of the procedures and the mournful waiting rooms was through humour. The male infertility crisis: ‘My failure at fatherhood ate away at my very being’ 2018-08-12T04:00:00Z

It was hard to get the emotional content because the film jumps between humour and drama. Mia Wasikowska: ‘After a while acting leaves you feeling hollow' 2019-11-16T05:00:00Z

Was this an example of American humour that British viewers just didn't get? Rory Bremner sees the funny side of Scottish independence 2013-04-03T14:16:43Z

She's comfortable in the territory Lucrece covers – vulnerable enough to get into dark corners, strong enough to come out the other side with grace and humour. Camille O'Sullivan: From cabaret to chaos 2012-08-13T17:44:54Z

The subject matter is deftly handled, striking just the right balance between heartbreak and humour. Tired of rewatching Fleabag? Here are 30 TV hidden gems to stream 2020-03-28T04:00:00Z

With the same world-weary humour he showed in Edinburgh fringe hit My Romantic History, Jackson fashions a funny festive comedy that remains feelgood despite its adolescent bolshieness. The Chooky Brae 2010-09-19T21:45:00Z

For a singer – and, again, especially a female singer – to introduce these kind of references into a performance, in such a matter-of-fact way, with no wink or humour, was genuinely astounding. Feminist icon? 2010-09-17T07:00:00Z

And with humour darker than soil, my mum raised her eyebrows saying: “We know what photos are for.” How do I explain death of our cat to my two-year-old? | Eva Wiseman 2017-02-19T05:00:00Z

Thankfully, there's also black humour among the heartache. Hidden treasures: Soso – That Time I Dug So Deep I Ended Up in China 2013-02-21T17:43:54Z

The film is beautifully done – poignant and sad, but with lightness and humour. TV review: Toast and Christmas Shooting Stars 2010-12-31T08:00:05Z

I am more of a fan of finding humour in the cancer experience itself. Who's afraid of the big C? 2010-09-18T23:06:00Z

I just trusted he could do the humour side of things. How we made The Full Monty 2019-03-26T04:00:00Z

Like the other two Alans – Bennett and Bleasdale – his name guaranteed a quality of humour, heart and humanity, usually matched by high standards of acting and production values. Alan Plater obituary 2010-06-25T13:29:00Z

The Times's Benedict Nightingale, while praising the play's liveliness and humour, called it "a paranoid throwback to the era of class warfare". Laura Wade: return of the thugs 2012-05-16T17:30:01Z

It was a joke, of course, but, like most jokes, there’s something true and alarming beneath the humour. The problem with being 'badass' 2015-12-07T05:00:00Z

But amid the bleakness, there is also humour, and it's no surprise that there are so many comedians among Beckett's fans. Nick Clegg: My hero Samuel Beckett 2010-04-30T21:00:00Z

Perhaps, in the end, artists are too reasonable, happy, and good humoured to be genuine revolutionaries smashing the status quo. Whitechapel Gallery's Spirit of Utopia offers only broken dreams 2013-07-03T15:18:21Z

“He was a remarkable man, whose wonderful frenetic humour brought a special kind of laughter into people’s lives.” Robin Williams was found dead at home by personal assistant, officials say 2014-08-12T04:00:00Z

MTV said the star "provided exactly what the panel lacked in the past - a strong, confident voice of reason with the right combination of humour and useful advice". 2010-02-10T10:24:00Z

Because there's not a lot of science in humour, and there's a good deal of  subjectivity, it's hard to devise a test to measure how funny a TV programme is. Would I Lie to You? 2010-07-30T21:31:00Z

Jenny says she loves Arend’s sense of humour and his kindness towards people and animals. How we met: 'He's so brave. I once saw him climb into a tree to save a black mamba' 2020-05-25T04:00:00Z

One of the film's producers, Michael De Luca, praised her "flawless structural technique and passionate commitment to emotion, humour and depth of character". Terra Nova writer pens Grey film 2012-10-09T09:20:56Z

The humour is brittle, British and throwaway, but with a tang of real poison. Mother's Milk – review 2012-11-08T22:20:01Z

James, of course, is all about words, his self-confessed aim in his TV shows has been to get across the joy of the English language, as well as the humour of the human race. Rewind radio: Shelagh Fogarty; World at One; Scott Mills; Whytemead Weekly – review 2012-06-23T23:05:43Z

There's no need: there's abundant black humour in the state of our Tory nation. Josie Long ? review 2011-08-09T17:45:01Z

But in every other respect her memoirs bear a strong resemblance to her paso doble: no rhythm, no beauty, no humour and, above all, no feeling. Strictly Ann: The Autobiography by Ann Widdecombe – review 2013-06-10T07:00:58Z

It was classic Loach territory: exploitation, the indignity of unemployment, the resilience and humour of working-class people. Ken Loach: ‘If you’re not angry, what kind of person are you?’ 2016-10-15T04:00:00Z

It's tough to mix humour and violence but McDonagh really knows his way around a bleak joke, and he's more than comfortable with gallows humour. This week's new DVD & Blu-ray 2013-04-13T04:59:02Z

I loved that kind of surrealist, anarchic humour. Richard Herring: 'The Simpsons should stop now' 2020-08-18T04:00:00Z

Indeed," Mitchell laughs, "but there is much humour in cultural and linguistic misinterpretation. The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell 2010-05-10T23:05:00Z

Miguel himself is a riveting performer, all finger-popping swagger and feline grace, yet undercutting his star power with playful good humour. Miguel – review 2013-01-14T13:01:01Z

But could they not find – among all those letters and diaries etc – some glimmer of hope, or love, or humour? The Mill; When Björk Met Attenborough – TV review 2013-07-29T06:00:10Z

The Jeeves and Wooster author himself "would have enjoyed" McEwan's novel, said Florence – both authors revel in "the sheer playfulness of language", and Wodehouse, too, makes his political points with ridicule and humour, he said. Ian McEwan brings home bacon with comic novel gong for Solar 2010-05-25T09:58:00Z

Goodwin attracted headlines this year when she complained about the misery and despair and lack of humour in so many of the novels written by women being published. Kingsolver wins Orange prize 2010-06-09T19:37:00Z

When the show aired, its meta humour, and jokes that were both silly and utterly brilliant, made cult stars of all the show’s major players, including its then-unknown director, Edgar Wright. The stars of Spaced reunited: ‘Our show doesn’t feel dated like Friends’ 2020-01-11T05:00:00Z

“Yes, we have a harsh sense of humour, and Lisa really does go there. People are mental in Derry: they will just tell you exactly what they think.” Derry Girl Saoirse-Monica Jackson: ‘Yes, we have a harsh sense of humour’ 2019-03-17T04:00:00Z

If I was to get the full 700-page treatment, I’d want it to be written by someone with the qualities of any good biographer: stamina, patience, empathy, humour, detachment and an ear for language. Richard Lloyd Parry: By the Book 2017-12-07T05:00:00Z

You’re the sarcastic joker in your friendship group and people are drawn to your dry humour. 'Don’t pretend to be something you’re not': a letter to my teenage self 2019-06-01T04:00:00Z

Or Connect, by Samuel Abrahams, a bittersweet, elongated moment of romance on a bus, interspersed with a deliciously dark sense of humour. Witty or gritty? What ingredients make the best short films? 2011-01-14T16:29:46Z

Critically it’s been a dud, with reviewers baffled by the absence of humour. Bricking it: why the Lego movie franchise is on shaky foundations 2017-10-03T04:00:00Z

“Oh, it goes places, and it keeps going places,” Paquin says with a smile, admitting that it speaks to her sense of humour. Anna Paquin: ‘I’ve had some horrific experiences’ 2019-02-11T05:00:00Z

The Haydn, perfectly played, was immaculate in its charm, elegance and humour. OAE/Norrington/Antonacci – review 2012-10-03T16:34:10Z

But their music also played with double meanings and humour. Why Kraftwerk are still the world's most influential band 2013-01-27T09:00:03Z

A salutation to resourcefulness and good humour, Welcome to India has uncovered the unlikely opportunities individuals have spotted amid the apparent chaos of their surroundings. TV listings and previews: plan your week's viewing - 15-19 October 2012-10-15T07:00:00Z

His fantastical, whimsical stories, blending horror, humour and sentiment – instantly recognisable in style – appealed to editors and readers across the board. Ray Bradbury obituary 2012-06-06T17:29:58Z

Although preference for black humour did not vary by age or gender, they did find the above differences. Sick jokes and intelligence: is there a link? Quiz | Ben Ambridge 2017-04-09T04:00:00Z

Photograph: courtesy of the the artist The Welsh artist Bedwyr Williams is a natural comedian, a one-off in a solemn art world that is too busy for humour. Bedwyr Williams: My Bad ? review 2012-05-19T23:05:32Z

We managed to find dark humour in the situation. Pushed to the limit: six birth stories from around the world 2019-11-24T05:00:00Z

Today, I have an almost complete collection of the William books; their crackpot humour never dates and is as good as the Goons. The great books giveaway 2011-03-04T11:19:03Z

Mizener also has a sense of humour and, as I say, I think humour is very important in understanding Fitzgerald. Sarah Churchwell on Gatsby 2012-07-02T11:00:00Z

And if the experience has done one thing so far, it is to reinforce his belief that there is no such thing as a national sense of humour. Comedy without borders: Eddie Izzard and the language of standup 2013-04-24T11:00:05Z

Lucas, too, transforms the body, but in ways that always point back, with harsh humour, towards the unvarnished facts of life. Sarah Lucas is far better than Moore and Hepworth 2013-07-01T14:54:36Z

But, on the whole, humour and intelligence prevail. The Prince and the Pauper – review 2013-01-11T13:10:30Z

But the obverse of that is that the play displays a refreshing humour. Holding the Man 2010-05-05T20:30:00Z

The language is vital, inventive, and this vitality and inventiveness is itself a source of humour. Then and now: Granta's best young British novelists 2013-04-06T07:00:20Z

For Mason, humour is at the heart of not just his writing but also, whether intentional or not, many unlikely life situations. Simon Mason: Seriously funny 2011-07-29T14:30:42Z

These are films that play to all the heartwarming stereotypes: hearts of gold, rough diamonds, strong communities and loyalty are mixed with a large measure of ribald humour. Social deprivation in Britain: how a writer's life turned to tragedy 2010-10-17T15:00:00Z

Silent humour was a field Sykes was driven to explore because he spent his life struggling with a hearing impairment. Eric Sykes 2012-07-04T11:46:45Z

Hanks gives every impression of being sincere, but I get the feeling he is also rather wily about his famous good humour. Tom Hanks: ‘I’ve made a lot of movies that didn’t make sense – or money’ 2017-10-14T04:00:00Z

The interplay of tensions between those trying to help and those trying not to be a burden is exquisitely and tenderly done, with a fine, subtle humour. Love is Strange: John Lithgow delivers a subtle tour de force – first look review 2014-08-21T04:00:00Z

It’s this illogical, inexplicable humour that makes much of this new wave of TV comedy feel novel and slightly subversive. 'Horrifyingly absurd': how did millennial comedy get so surreal? 2019-08-13T04:00:00Z

For the sprogs and their parents it's a time of transition, which they discuss with humour and honesty, so we get candid tales of financial worries and bullying. TV highlights 27/02/2013 2013-02-27T07:00:10Z

Ivor Cutler's off-the-wall humour, surreal songs and poems inspired everyone from Billy Connolly to the Beatles. The Beautiful Cosmos of Ivor Cutler 2014-03-31T23:04:52Z

Bedsit Disco Queen is that most satisfying thing – a book that pulls back the veil for fans with candour and humour, while charting a social history of UK pop with Zelig-like perspective. Bedsit Disco Queen by Tracey Thorn – review 2013-02-10T08:00:01Z

Their Scottish accents add a richness to any humour you may think you find in this. Cocteau Twins: 'It's music to bonk to' – a classic interview from the vaults 2012-07-31T17:01:42Z

What makes it all hang together is a delightfully mischievous sense of humour, allied to a burning passion to inform and entertain. This week's new live comedy 2013-04-13T05:00:16Z

It delivers all the charm and humour the series is known for, while lovingly parodying the whole crime drama genre. Lego City Undercover – review 2013-03-31T00:05:49Z

It's marvellous: seemingly solemn, but the black humour in this procession of gore is signalled by the title. Josh Ritter: So Runs the World Away 2010-04-29T22:30:00Z

Featuring wry humour and the world's most ingenious puzzles. 2011 games preview 2011-01-01T00:05:42Z

There's a certain humility and humour about Swindon, which may come out of being kicked quite a lot. Take your seats for Swindon: the Opera 2012-07-06T18:17:28Z

Great things happen in games when systems collide with humour. RedShirt – or what happens when Facebook meets Star Trek 2013-05-01T10:01:14Z

Pope is still Lost's Sawyer-lite but he's also the only character who seems to be having a good time, and who has a sense of humour, something absent from everyone else. Falling Skies: episode seven 2011-08-16T21:01:01Z

But his production releases something peculiarly English about the play: its humour. Sarah Kane's debut play Blasted returns 2010-10-24T20:31:00Z

There are laughs to be had in Kidding, but those expecting classic Carrey japery will have the grins wiped from their faces, as it deals in the bleakest humour. The true man show? Why Jim Carrey’s new show Kidding is too close to the bone 2018-11-24T05:00:00Z

"He was a great character, a good story teller, very charming and full of humour, and was well loved and respected in the film industry," said his family. Top UK stunt man Terry Richards dies 2014-06-24T04:00:00Z

We broke some records and it was nice to see a film that was sophisticated and had elegance and humour be so popular. Anjelica Huston: how we made The Addams Family 2018-11-06T05:00:00Z

But what you get is – despite some humour – an affectionate take on western types: lawman, gunslinger, preacher, doctor, Native Americans, outlaws who band together in the face of the alien threat. Cowboys v bankers 2011-08-26T19:59:00Z

Scrutinising these pieces for their individual colour, delicacy and humour, Royal and Padmore wrought magic with them, ably seconded by Vignoles, who was scrupulous in allowing the voices through the intricate pianistic textures. Royal/Padmore/Vignoles 2010-05-09T21:00:00Z

It's all very good humoured really – more of a gentle braising than a full roasting. TV review ? Barbara Windsor: A Comedy Roast and Louie Spence's Showbusiness 2011-01-06T08:00:02Z

Nonetheless, the play's farcical humour, its in-jokes and its pleasure in the exaggerated bohemianism of Cameron's world reveal an unexpectedly silly side to these most serious of artists. Virginia Woolf's play exposes the silly side of the Bloomsbury group 2012-05-23T16:01:15Z

I am too serious about humour to allow that to happen to my work. The chick-lit debate: who in Playboy Mansion Hell calls women chicks? 2010-08-04T09:15:00Z

From the cover Anatomies looks as if it should be filed under "humour", with its cartoon diagrams and its fig-leafed Michelangelo. Anatomies: The Human Body, Its Parts and the Stories They Tell by Hugh Aldersey-Williams – review 2013-02-28T08:00:01Z

The disease and the attention it is receiving are “good for business”, one psychiatrist told me with gallows humour. The hellish side of handwashing: how coronavirus is affecting people with OCD 2020-03-13T04:00:00Z

It's a succession of skilfully observed scenes, simultaneously funny and embarrassing, that illustrate her offhand humour, her self-deception and the web of little white lies that sustain her. Frances Ha – review 2013-07-27T23:07:03Z

Legion is buoyed by flashes of humour, and Stevens’ soulful performance. Legion: the most bracing, beautiful superhero TV show yet 2017-02-08T05:00:00Z

To meet someone with a good sense of humour. Blind date: ‘it didn’t feel like we’d just met’ 2016-12-10T05:00:00Z

Wein knows just when to add humour and her use of language is really effective in portraying a whole range of emotions. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein - review 2012-08-14T08:00:00Z

The press have been very unfair to Gordon over MPs' expenses, but Gordon just shrugs it off with his usual good humour. Digested read: Behind the Black Door by Sarah Brown 2011-03-14T21:00:01Z

She was an Arkansas hick, but her ambition, sharp humour, and manifest love for Mailer and his children made her life as the partner, and then wife, of the Pulitzer prize-winning celebrity author a success. Norris Church Mailer obituary 2010-12-07T18:30:00Z

How has his fish breath become a topic of humour when friends call round for dinner? Who’s a good boy? The unbreakable bond between humans and dogs 2021-01-24T05:00:00Z

Semprún writes with bitter humour about the discomfort and suffering the prisoners endure; he also writes with compassion and fondness for several of his co-voyagers, especially the "gars de Semur" who is his closest companion. World literature tour: France 2011-03-28T11:30:33Z

Oltermann mulls over a number of often quite obvious Anglo-German subjects – differences in humour, factory skills, philosophy – and threads through them his own experiences growing up here. Keeping Up with the Germans by Philip Oltermann ? review 2012-02-09T09:00:01Z

The play's nonsense humour, which had delighted audiences at the Royal Court, failed to engage film audiences increasingly used to a diet of realist drama. Peter Yates obituary 2011-01-10T18:39:17Z

“The first thing I liked about David was his sense of humour and his kind eyes,” says Maddie. How we met: ‘He said he loved me. Then we did a couple of tequila shots’ 2019-04-02T04:00:00Z

Forty-five years after his death Guthrie's voice remains clear and sure, not least because his strong moral values were infused by a wry sense of humour. Woody Guthrie: a century of protest 2012-07-13T21:54:03Z

In Missouri Mr Hodgman is a misfit, but writes with humour and self-mockery that bring levity to the painful, central subject of “Bettyville”: caring for a parent on the threshold of death. How to remember 2015-04-09T04:00:00Z

It's somewhat stiffly acted by non-professionals, and its earnestness might leave you with a hankering for the sly humour of mumblecores. Slackistan ? review 2010-12-02T23:16:00Z

A booker with a sense of humour must have scheduled Jamiroquai – the poor man's Stevie Wonder – just before the real one. Hard Rock Calling 2010-06-27T20:31:00Z

There was laughter, humour and generosity in the way he spoke about his compositional and existential struggles, and even his religious feelings. Composer Arvo P?rt: Behind the beard 2011-01-06T11:53:42Z

But what experience: songs about death, misanthropy and lust with the wisdom and humour that comes from 77 extraordinary years on this planet. The best albums of 2012 (so far) 2012-06-14T19:00:06Z

Recent artistic images of Stonehenge have shared this less than reverent humour. Jeremy Deller's bouncy castle softens the image of Stonehenge 2012-08-02T16:15:23Z

The humour couldn’t distract from the novelty of Homer Simpson actually talking to real people during an episode of the show. The Simpsons – live! A remarkable stunt that proves Homer will outlive us all 2016-05-16T04:00:00Z

The first thing that drew me to him was his sense of humour: he had the most dirty laugh! Alexander McQueen remembered 2015-03-09T04:00:00Z

He had a Goonish sense of humour and was a celebrated eccentric. Bernie Andrews obituary 2010-07-20T17:08:00Z

“People think he was a stern person, but he had a tremendous sense of humour and was very funny.” Arun Gandhi: ‘My grandfather saw my anger as fuel for change’ 2017-09-30T04:00:00Z

If you don't live this life with a sense of humour, it could soon get you down. Roof climbing with Paul McCartney – a classic interview from the archives 2012-06-18T15:33:47Z

Carry On humour: just what the doctor ordered for the BBC Trust? BBC Trust takes its comedy with a dash of sauce 2013-02-27T10:32:58Z

What sets her apart from her male counterparts is her sense of humour. New band of the day: Lady Lykez )No 1,509) 2013-05-09T15:02:23Z

If that sounds pretty heavy for a one-man 90-minute show, there is humour and music too. Colman Domingo brings Soul to UK 2013-09-09T01:05:52Z

He explains how Jewish humour was developed as a form of self-protection and suggests that it was the Jews who invented the idea of the joke. Podcast: Howard Jacobson meets the Guardian book club 2010-09-29T08:57:00Z

For Hawkwind may sound apocalyptic, but they are also funny, and humour is a rare commodity in rock'n'roll. Hawkwind plus Easter equals ... Hawkeaster! 2013-04-02T15:20:32Z

Speaking ahead of the funeral, Ms Gerrard said: "I was terrifically impressed by her. She was both full of grief and full of dark humour and laughter about it." Author Sue Townsend's funeral held 2014-05-02T16:49:28Z

And I think people find her funny because humour needs to cling to something. What's on Stephenie Meyer's ideal bookshelf? The works that made the artists 2012-11-25T00:05:41Z

On the humour shelves, I will never know why or how, was Gertrude Stein, presumably because she wrote what looked like nonsense … I used to help out at the library. We must protect and reinvent our local libraries 2012-11-23T08:28:01Z

Bigger and just as bold, Sinclair and Blichfeld have succeeded in retaining the poignancy and gentleness that counters the sharp observational humour throughout. High Maintenance: a cult favorite makes it to the mainstream 2016-09-16T04:00:00Z

The world will miss his music, his humour, his genius. Tributes paid to Marvin Hamlisch 2012-08-08T09:57:34Z

A few impractical aesthetes objected and were humoured with minor concessions, but nothing could stop the grid – it marched over mountains and across valleys. Getting On and The Secret Life of the National Grid 2010-10-27T07:00:00Z

But I'd be lying if I said I didn't laugh at its puerile humour, sometimes out loud. TV review: Trollied; Rick Stein's Spain 2011-08-04T21:00:11Z

Ali Catterall Trojan Donkey's first episode perfects the hidden-camera formula with overdone accents, toilet humour, and even a rugby lad forced to recite a Rudyard Kipling poem in ridiculous surroundings. TV highlights 21/06/2013 2013-06-21T06:00:01Z

Everything is ugly, everyone is nasty and the humour is pitch black. Reading group: strange bodies in Flannery O'Connor's Wise Blood 2012-12-19T11:36:00Z

There’s a focus on character and controlled suspense, plus shades of Get Out’s ironic and humour. Making a killing: what's behind Halloween's box-office success? 2018-10-25T04:00:00Z

It's a movie I didn't like much on first release, but every time I see it on television, its energy and knockabout humour keeps me watching. Angelina Jolie: Hollywood won't be the same without her 2014-06-02T04:00:00Z

Iannucci has called it “a film about compassion, humour, generosity and friendship”. Oscar season heats up as J-Lo, Hanks and an imaginary Hitler head to Toronto 2019-09-04T04:00:00Z

The brainchild of two anonymous screenwriters, the site's concocted stories have rained mockery on an industry famous for self-regard and pushed boundaries of humour and taste. Site's satirical take on Hollywood pushes boundaries – and earns raves 2012-10-02T12:19:43Z

Anyway, I went back on Wednesday to see how it was getting on, and found Scott Pack in characteristic good humour. Why book lovers love Book Swap 2011-03-21T16:42:07Z

Fontaine could play a saucer-eyed naivety and clumsy vulnerability, which is often how Hitchcock would cast her, but she also had humour and wit. Who is the best Oscar-winning lead actress of all time? 2018-02-14T05:00:00Z

So any comic-crime novel he picks up is likely to have an American sense of humour, rather than that oh-so-beloved English one he craves. Let's start a comedy crime wave 2010-08-03T10:36:00Z

We lose the wry humour and the fun of seeing what Mattie is unable to see. Reading group: Truest grit 2012-12-06T11:09:52Z

Crouch's version of Twelfth Night's pompous steward brings out the Bard's darker humour and more disturbing moments. Edinburgh festival 2011: Soak it up! 2011-07-17T20:29:01Z

Because we’ve got the same sense of humour, values, goals … His face fell – it just went white. How we met: ‘He said he loved me. Then we did a couple of tequila shots’ 2019-04-02T04:00:00Z

Her positivity and good humour in the face of such circumstances served as an inspiration to thousands of readers. Eleanor Jeffery obituary 2012-06-28T11:20:03Z

Everyone knows feminists don’t have a sense of humour. Broomsticks, T-shirts and coffee: what every feminist wants for Christmas 2016-12-07T05:00:00Z

This was, in the main, a programme about doctors and parents finding reserves of patience, strength, hope and humour in terrible situations. TV review: One Born Every Minute; Brain Doctors 2013-02-14T07:00:13Z

There's a charm to the performances and more humour than you would expect. Timbuktu film praised at Cannes 2014-05-20T04:00:00Z

A gripping series that weaves brutal crimes and dirty politics with good humour. The 50 best podcasts of 2016 2016-12-21T05:00:00Z

Perhaps these are two different ways of channelling the same dark, human urges: either they curdle into something deviant and unsettling, or they get processed into humour. Hounds of Love: why do comedians make such chilling villains? 2017-07-24T04:00:00Z

"He's always had a cracking sense of humour – he's quite sarcastic and dry when he wants to be." Tony Nicklinson: 'I have a fear of living like this when I am old and frail' 2012-06-23T21:04:49Z

What we said: The humour still comes fast and furious and Kimmy is as wonderfully misinformed as ever. The best TV of 2016 so far 2016-06-15T04:00:00Z

You can't exactly accuse the man of underambition, though there are the odd flashes of humour: "the clamour for the lion's reintroduction to Britain has, so far, been muted". The Sea Inside by Philip Hoare; Feral by George Monbiot – review 2013-06-03T07:00:04Z

This novel is a dark beast of desolate nostalgia but imbued with Heller's trademark sardonic humour and a gnawing and worrying truth. The Great American Novelist tournament 2013-01-22T12:51:05Z

Comedy, a story of persecution, explores the dark humour that can co-exist with the most harrowing fear. German resistance centenarian Hans Keilson wins UK deal for war novel 2010-10-17T21:50:00Z

This kind of humour isn’t edgy, but it is funny. Crush of the week: Andy Samberg 2015-09-26T04:00:00Z

She became co-leader of the National Youth Orchestra and quickly became well known around campus for her fearless and bubbly personality and wicked sense of humour. Frances Andrade: 'a force of creativity' 2013-02-08T16:21:53Z

And where there is embarrassment, humour is seldom far behind. Viagra: the little blue pill that revolutionised our sex lives | Observer profile 2017-12-02T05:00:00Z

Now Lloyd is calling for a return to robust political humour on television, but fears that commissioning editors are suffering from a collective failure of nerve as polling day approaches. Political satire 2010-04-17T23:08:00Z

An interesting question does remain for me, however, and that's the following: is it possible to actually define offensive humour? Can you define offensive comedy? 2010-04-09T11:59:00Z

Dogged determination, some gallows humour and a genuine sense of duty both to each other and the base kept us going. Experience: I survived a power cut in Antarctica 2016-12-30T05:00:00Z

He describes it as “cynical, very Oscar Wildean in its humour and slightly inaccessible”. Whit Stillman: ‘I find it remarkable that people hate my work’ 2014-09-15T04:00:00Z

Serge fitted in.My brother was crazy about Serge, they had the same sense of humour. Jane Birkin: My family values 2013-01-18T17:45:01Z

Boxing was very much part of Jewish life in New York then – and Dad’s humour was like a verbal fight to be the funniest guy in the room. Taking photographs of Holocaust survivors helped me find my own identity 2017-03-18T04:00:00Z

Then there's a relaxed horror story, The Gift, and the black humour of Do They Dream of Hell in Heaven. Terry Allen: Bottom of the World – review 2013-03-28T23:30:01Z

He was thoughtful and warm and had an irrepressible sense of humour. Tony Scott private memorial to take place this weekend 2012-08-23T10:11:05Z

I realise some areas of my humour have offended some people but sorry, that's part of who I am! Jello Biafra: 'Obama owes Occupy big time' 2013-04-25T15:54:10Z

There's a lot of humanness, some humour even. TV review: True Stories: War Child 2011-02-16T08:00:04Z

Watching Chinese Zodiac it is noticeable how inoffensive the humour and the villains are. Jackie Chan: ‘I hate violence’ 2014-08-16T04:00:00Z

“I describe the humour in this show and in life as an uninvited guest at a party,” she says. Michaela Coel: 'Like Arabella, I realised my life was about to change for ever' 2020-07-10T04:00:00Z

The only problem was – as I wrote again and again in my novel notes – I couldn't see the humour in him. Jonathan Franzen: the path to Freedom 2012-05-25T21:55:12Z

Why are we still taken aback by Williams's humour? Tennessee Williams at 100: funnier than ever 2011-03-28T14:22:40Z

His comic vision of the world helped to guide British humour in a markedly zanier direction and his influence is certain to endure. Obituary: Eric Sykes 2012-07-04T11:18:49Z

I would thoroughly recommend these books for readers who like mystery and dry humour'. Reader reviews roundup 2013-07-19T09:06:14Z

Surely humour would detract from the essential credibility of an SF story? Dan Abnett's top 10 fantasy mash-ups 2013-01-31T12:03:42Z

A decade on, its mark remains in sitcoms that major on the humour of awkwardness. The Office ? still doing the business 2011-07-08T10:12:30Z

"Paring away plot, character, humour, lyricism, humanity is more often boring than it is bold," he said. Guardian first book award longlist ranges around the world 2010-08-27T14:32:00Z

Marvel humour is at its most studenty and self-aware in this movie about the mutant mercenary assassin who first emerged on screen as a cameo in X-Men Origins: Wolverine in 2009. The 20 best Marvel films – ranked! 2018-11-15T05:00:00Z

Novel humour … Sylvia Plath blended bleakness with comedy in The Bell Jar. Reading group: Is it OK to find The Bell Jar funny? 2013-01-31T11:37:44Z

But our hero, Raiden, wants to understand what motivates the henchmen he slices up; it's introspection laced with knowing humour, but let down by a dodgy script and wooden acting. Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance - review 2013-02-23T06:00:09Z

The dialogue is vivid, inclusive, full of energy and ribald humour. Noble Conflict by Malorie Blackman – review 2013-06-05T12:54:39Z

My parents were kind and funny and taught me that kindness and a sense of humour are invaluable. Gloria Steinem: ‘Go too far, or you’re not going far enough’ 2020-07-04T04:00:00Z

Finally, if your target is a person with a more modern sense of humour, unticklable by gentle Betjemanisms, a positive response might be elicited by a modern humorous book. Christmas gifts 2012: the best stocking-filler books 2012-11-28T13:00:03Z

He was a man of great character, humour, charisma and energy. Amir Abbas Haidari obituary 2013-07-28T12:34:14Z

He might occasionally dismiss a dim-witted contestant on "Carpark Catchphrase" with an acidic put-down, but the thread of his ad-libbed humour is constant and wears its intelligence lightly. Rewind radio: The Chris Moyles Show; The Archers; The Late Show 2010-08-28T23:06:00Z

Mistry bends his ear to the city's slang and salty Parsi humour to capture the lives of people encircled by a corrupting political darkness. India must move beyond book-burning 2010-10-21T14:10:00Z

As with all of Maddin's work, there's a dreamlike quality that bleeds into an investigation of memory, but the dark humour of his finest films remains as evasive as the storyline itself. Mark Kermode's DVD round-up 2013-02-03T00:05:13Z

And it had a quality like – a darkness, and a humour. Interview: Martin Scorsese 2010-11-21T00:06:00Z

She recently won strong reviews for her turn in comedian Jordan Peele’s critically acclaimed debut, Get Out, which merges horror and humour to make some astute, acerbic points about race in America. Nuns and Patti Smith: what Lena Dunham and the Girls will do next 2017-04-18T04:00:00Z

The paper produced in the trenches included much gallows humour, with lampoons, in-jokes and cartoons, mostly with invented bylines. Watch out for The Wipers Times (aka Private Eye in the Ypres trenches) 2013-07-03T11:40:34Z

But Bond’s humour is self-serving and self-satisfied, the kind beloved by people who belong to private members’ clubs. I've never seen … any James Bond film | Hadley Freeman 2020-04-02T04:00:00Z

The opposite of a damsel in distress is not a damsel with a plan, it’s a damsel with a sense of humour. Beauty and the Beast: feminist or fraud? 2017-03-19T04:00:00Z

As the tension builds to its climax, the film manifests what the critic Arthur Vesselo called Hitchcock's mastery of contrast, "balancing the normal against the abnormal, slowness against speed, sound against silence, humour against terror". Alfred Hitchcock: from silent film director to inventor of modern horror 2012-06-15T21:55:07Z

He has always had a way of inserting humour into otherwise grim situations, and his comedy has never been without purpose. Taika Waititi: 'You don't want to be directing kids with a swastika on your arm' 2019-12-26T05:00:00Z

But his gentle humour also caught the ear of people far younger than the core Radio 2 audience so TYGs or Terry's Young Geezers or Gals were born. Obituary: Sir Terry Wogan 2016-01-31T05:00:00Z

Her vivaciousness and humour brought light and colour to a sometimes drab or harsh world. Frances Andrade: 'a force of creativity' 2013-02-08T16:21:53Z

“I remember watching that with you,” says Felipe, “and you kind of lost your sense of humour a bit.” On your way, Pinochet! The factory workers who fought fascism from Glasgow 2018-11-01T04:00:00Z

In fact, her sense of humour has limits. Taraji P Henson: 'Hollywood didn't grasp my talent' 2019-03-08T05:00:00Z

Photograph: Johan Persson The humour and charm of this works only if carried on a wave of buoyancy – if it's quick and full of vim and affection. Fences; Trelawny of the Wells; Richard III – review 2013-03-03T00:05:30Z

Yet there's something about the mordant humour that underlies all those classic British dramas that helps makes them hugely enjoyable on repeated viewings. The debate: Can British TV produce drama as good as Mad Men? 2010-07-24T23:06:00Z

Any family-based comedy runs the risk of sacrificing humour for sentimentality, yet Burrell insists the show manages to avoid any major misstep in tone. Modern Family man 2012-02-24T08:12:14Z

This book is propelled by warm-hearted humour rather than the pathos of Hans Christian Andersen's more familiar Ugly Duckling. Guji-Guji, by Chih-Yuan Chen ? review 2011-03-26T00:05:31Z

Graeme was one of the few characters to inject a bit of humour, but even his character became an irritant with the ridiculous Xin plot. Why are Coronation Street viewers turning off? 2011-07-11T12:41:18Z

The thing about a sense of humour is that it's not bestowed on the good. 'Bin Laden doesn't do jokes' 2010-04-30T23:10:00Z

Even more closely related to the author is the show's style of humour. Arrested Development: meet the people who brought the Bluths back to life 2013-05-25T05:00:00Z

Even without Tabori's final touches, I Confess is Hitchcock's most European film: continental arthouse with a dash of British humour, barely touching the American gothic that became Hitch's trademark. My Favourite Hitchcock: I Confess 2012-08-08T10:38:03Z

"I hope these images give some insight into the unique people this area produces, and that their impossible-to-suppress, self-deprecating humour shines out of the photographs." Liverpool's new museum opens with McCartney show 2011-07-17T19:30:00Z

There's also a good streak of sly humour – the kind you laugh about half a page after you've read it. Guardian book club: Brooklyn by Colm T?ib?n 2010-09-07T09:32:00Z

The personality trait that most reliably predicts relationship satisfaction is not a wicked sense of humour or a fondness for grand romantic gestures, but conscientiousness. Find out how good you are at being in a relationship 2016-06-12T04:00:00Z

It was a sort of superstition, so I humoured him. Ennio Morricone: ‘I don’t know the names of any pop musicians’ 2016-05-14T04:00:00Z

But this Spanish company manipulate our emotions rather less successfully in a comic-horror show that is like looking at a Spanish arthouse silent movie with added toilet humour. Teatro Corsario: La Maldici?n de Poe ? review 2011-01-16T22:32:01Z

His father, a journalist on various national newspapers, had a daily humour column in the London evening paper the Star, the main character being an inventor called Mister Tulip. Clive Allison obituary 2011-08-03T18:57:01Z

Richardson was, by all accounts, quiet and kind, and recorded interviews reveal her to have had a cheeky sense of humour and a warm and ready laugh. Hadley Freeman's 10 awesome women: from Katharine Hepburn to Miss Piggy 2013-04-22T15:38:00Z

According to the notion of the "humours", melancholy was caused by an excess of black bile – hence the darkened face and the appropriate black ink. D?rer's Melencolia I ? a masterpiece, and a diagnosis 2011-03-18T10:52:50Z

So thank heaven for Streep, with her flying shoe and mislaid specs; her off-piste outbursts and scatty good humour. Meryl Streep went one step beyond at the Baftas 2012-02-13T14:09:28Z

But Jewish humour, please God, isn't just a defence mechanism. Howard Jacobson: 'I've been discovered' 2010-10-13T17:14:00Z

Loads of slapstick humour to enjoy in the pictures, as well as easy-to-read speech bubbles that support the longer storyline. The best children's books: 5-7 year-olds 2010-05-12T07:00:00Z

"So it's a thing she has to plan as part of her day - taking off her hat. I'm glad it comes across with a bit of humour." Downton Abbey: The secrets of series five 2014-09-10T04:00:00Z

And there are several clever, bordering on clever-clever, gags from a comic who's never afraid to look cocksure in the name of humour. Tom Rosenthal ? review 2011-08-17T17:44:23Z

"She's got a good sense of humour, my son is more supportive but he's seven." Manics to tour The Holy Bible 2014-09-23T04:00:00Z

As children who were beaten and abused by a violent father and neglected by an alcoholic mother, who when drunk encouraged his rages and when sober ignored them, humour helped us. The twist in the tale of my parents’ malicious will 2018-06-02T04:00:00Z

Reviewing it in the Observer, Elizabeth Day praised the way Frayn "evokes emotion without ever lapsing into bathos, threading sentences through with a gentle, touching humour". Michael Frayn's memoir of his father wins autobiography prize 2011-07-22T09:30:52Z

Polanski says nothing of especial interest, but his good humour, especially at the end, as an Estonian girls' choir belts out something folksy beneath his massive face, is impressive indeed. The 10 best film award acceptance speeches ? video 2011-01-16T00:05:28Z

At this point a major dramatic and thematic device appears to link the action, the humour and the ironic morality, and it's whisky. The Angels' Share – review 2012-06-02T23:05:32Z

Though he was a strict teacher, his pedagogy was always leavened by his innate sense of humour. Hugues Cu?nod obituary 2010-12-08T19:10:00Z

Brand's humour is warm and affectionate towards her former patients. Jo Brand charms Hay festival with anecdotes of her pre-comedy life 2010-06-01T11:44:00Z

Morrison is famously curmudgeonly, and there's more black humour in the sublime Goin' Down to Monte Carlo. Van Morrison: Born to Sing: No Plan B – review 2012-09-27T21:18:01Z

The Money Man, a topical story set in a stock exchange, is witty and well crafted, Cresswell's delicate orchestration subtly underscoring the humour of Butlin's text. Five:15 2010-05-16T21:35:00Z

I respect the British people's sense of humour. Chickens in 2010-08-06T16:02:00Z

What it is to be young and self-conscious, yet inwardly irrepressible; old and irritable and yet intellectually resurgent: the discrepancies are a potent source of tragedy or humour. Alice Neel: Painted Truths 2010-07-10T23:05:00Z

No politician would ever comment on a cartoon unless it was to show what a great sense of humour they have, that they can laugh at themselves. Nick Clegg as a cartoon figure - it's fun but does it really hurt? 2010-07-17T23:05:00Z

The scripted episodes are tightly written and well-researched, with occasional doses of dry humour and unflagging enthusiasm for the subject. Revolutions, self-help and the election – podcasts of the week 2017-05-26T04:00:00Z

His humour is a mix of irony, satire and farce: sometimes it's hard to tell which is which. Edinburgh international book festival: writers' picks 2011-08-12T21:55:15Z

Evidence of Barney's eclectic and inventive mind and his playful sense of humour is everywhere apparent, particularly in his press ads for the new wave-era indie labels Stiff, F.Beat and Radar. This week's new exhibitions 2010-09-24T23:06:00Z

Such slender premises are, however, enlivened by streaks of the comic's humour, cliche-free and often wildly funny. Lucky Louie: box set review 2013-07-04T14:00:01Z

After all, though she provided fodder for the gossip columns and the morally outraged, Winehouse also brought something remarkable to the music world, a tarry, beetle-black voice and lyrical humour. Amy Winehouse: only now can we glimpse her legacy 2012-07-19T19:30:02Z

“And people say biology doesn’t have a sense of humour,” I thought as the drugs hit. Women aren't meant to talk about miscarriage. But I've never been able to keep a secret 2017-05-13T04:00:00Z

Silent comedy marks the start of modern humour. Comics stand up to save a festival celebrating the stars of silent movies 2012-06-16T23:06:35Z

What I love is the nakedness of the polemic and the irresistible good humour. Tony Kushner: 'At first I was horrified' 2011-08-15T20:31:01Z

I wonder why the link between lack of empathy and lack of humour has not been further explored. Rewind TV: Mad Men; Thatcher coverage; Off Their Rockers – review 2013-04-13T21:45:01Z

Luckily there won't be nightmares after reading these books, the murders are framed with a dark humour that had me giggling at the discovery of every new corpse. Kate Pankhurst's top 10 books starring young detectives 2013-05-09T17:10:47Z

As GK Chesterton noted, there’s an atmosphere of comfort and humour and gusto in all of it; in his view, Scrooge’s tight-fistedness is as festive, certainly as funny, as his ascent into mirth. Bah, humbug! The many faces of Scrooge 2015-12-19T05:00:00Z

Jordison believes the enthusiasm that drives people to chronicle the myriad horrors and failings of their surroundings is fuelled by a combination of humour, love and resentment. Crap Towns returns to rain more scorn on worst parts of Britain 2012-06-15T14:45:39Z

He had a dark sense of humour, he was witty, and he laid all his baggage out there on the line right away. 'This is small talk purgatory': what Tinder taught me about love 2019-12-07T05:00:00Z

Grosz avoids almost all psychoanalytic jargon and, even when he uses a concept such as "splitting", he has the humour to suggest that ordinary expressions may be more effective. The Examined Life by Stephen Grosz – review 2013-01-27T07:01:24Z

Each are classic Seinfeld episodes which find humour in exploring the thoughtless prejudices of white males. Seinfeld and Simpsons – why your favourite TV show is problematic 2017-08-03T04:00:00Z

Delicacy and sweet humour … Death, Duck and the Tulip. In translation: nine authors pick their favourite children's fiction 2013-06-28T17:29:01Z

It’s a small book full of humour, warmth and wisdom that culminates in a glorious glimmer of hope – all things I wish for you in your current situation. Mum has died, dad is weak… our family is falling apart 2016-10-02T04:00:00Z

I'd last seen this almost a decade ago, and its rancid humour had hung around in my head ever since. Mike Kelley: the nonconformist's whole life is here 2012-12-18T18:00:31Z

After all ‘a problem shared is a problem halved’ and what we never managed to give Brussels was our British sense of humour.” Remain in love … a new dating app for the 48 percenters 2016-06-28T04:00:00Z

Theron’s pollsters tell her she is perceived as lacking of a sense of humour, so in steps Rogen to change that, pepping up her speeches with pop-culture references and introducing her to MDMA. Wrongcom: why is Hollywood smitten with the Woody Allen Type? 2019-04-29T04:00:00Z

This podcast makes for astonishing listening, not just because of Wittels’ brutal honesty, but because he never loses his sense of humour, even as he describes his attempts to buy heroin from homeless people. ‘Harris Wittels was the funniest person I ever met’ – Amy Poehler, Sarah Silverman and Aziz Ansari on a lost comic genius 2017-04-17T04:00:00Z

Since Amis's trademark drawl never betrays his humour, Wilson has to tell us that he's smiling while listening to a clip of his father, Kingsley. Next week's radio: from Meeting Myself Coming Back to Paul Jones 2013-07-20T05:00:00Z

Pierre-Laurent Aimard, artistic director of the festival, said they would remember "his smile, his joie de vivre and his sense of humour". US composer Elliott Carter dies 2012-11-06T16:36:10Z

"We're in a dark age, and humour and entertainment are the problem," he says. Bedwyr Williams: why I'm taking a space observatory to Venice 2013-04-14T17:00:01Z

Red Dwarf married space exploration with toilet humour, and while, yes, I was an adolescent boy at its peak, its reach has proven to be wider. Red Dwarf X: have they still got the smegging goods? 2012-10-04T11:42:13Z

But his success obviously depends greatly on his humour crossing borders. Comedy without borders: Eddie Izzard and the language of standup 2013-04-24T11:00:05Z

The film’s sense of humour is distinctly, drily British, too. My streaming gem: why you should watch Locke 2020-03-30T04:00:00Z

Known for her boozy and flirty persona, Handler rose to fame both as an author of several humour books including Are You There Vodka? Netflix signs Chelsea Handler to talk show deal 2014-06-19T04:00:00Z

He's got a great sense of humour – he's fun. Ridley Scott: Creator of worlds 2010-05-10T20:30:00Z

It should be said that Mendelsohn is a man of little humour himself. Waiting for the Barbarians by Daniel Mendelsohn – review 2013-01-06T00:08:39Z

TV comedy is beginning to tread a similar line – mixing disruption with mindless humour to cathartic effect. 'Horrifyingly absurd': how did millennial comedy get so surreal? 2019-08-13T04:00:00Z

Now he's taking the show on a sizable tour, in a possibly doomed attempt to convert audiences to his singular humour. This week's new comedy 2011-02-19T00:06:04Z

Expecting to be sacked, Collier was instead encouraged to keep his colleagues in good humour during the long, hard and often chilly job. Norman Collier obituary 2013-03-19T12:33:06Z

Philpotts asked you to look at what emotions surface when your husband does the “recycled humour” as opposed to the “more spontaneous humour”. I’m beginning to find my husband’s humour a turnoff 2019-08-02T04:00:00Z

However naive the dramaturgy or child-like the humour, Vick respects it and never tries to impose an extra veneer of sophistication. Mittwoch aus Licht 2012-08-23T00:44:22Z

Could almost be "Carry on Caveman" such is the nature of the humour, but fun enough. Dinosaurs on film – fun, fiction and failures 2013-05-16T16:12:00Z

I'm all for the NHS calling its new anal hygiene initiative "Total Wipeout" if it'll get the job done in better humour. Is a catchy title really the best means of safeguarding nuclear security? 2010-12-19T00:06:14Z

It doesn't sound too promising but there are plenty of riches in this open–hearted drama: the performances, the tension–breaking humour and the refreshing frankness about all things physical. This week's new films 2013-01-19T06:00:09Z

It aims to inject some much needed vitality, passion and humour into the world of music journalism. Six Songs of Me: Hannah Jones of Titchlikes 2012-08-21T08:21:00Z

In general, I loved reading this book, and I think it is great for anyone, since it comprises of humour, romance, action and adventure. The Song of Achilles by Madeleine Miller - review 2012-07-29T14:00:00Z

But the humour and the hospitality of himself and his wife, Marlene, as well as the intellect, political incisiveness and breadth of vision, remain wonderfully undimmed. From Marx to the Milibands 2011-01-16T00:04:08Z

Gentle humour accompanies Mr Pinker’s good sense throughout the book, an antidote to bestselling, operatically irate usage guides that disparage those who disagree as idiots or barbarians. Talking sense 2014-09-04T04:00:00Z

But if the British are good at anything it's getting through it with humour. Political theatre lacks the Commons touch 2010-10-19T11:04:00Z

Bloggers also found some dark humour in last week's events. Noises off: How should theatre respond to the UK riots? 2011-08-17T16:03:06Z

Better Things is about finding the humour and the heart in divorce, death, bad decisions, in not having enough time for your kids or your work, in having to grind to get by. Pamela Adlon: ‘Better Things is about hope and love amid the darkness’ 2019-07-14T04:00:00Z

By making everything so grimy and unpleasant, it made the humour funnier. How we made Monty Python’s Life of Brian 2019-04-16T04:00:00Z

"I'm very keen on keeping the humour, slapstick and surrealism of the originals, whilst at the same time bringing Morph slightly more in line with the modern world." 'Bring back Morph' campaign launched 2013-10-30T17:22:44Z

If, when you consider our national heritage, you think of murder, guilt, sex and cheeky humour – well, somebody out there agrees with you. Five more British silent films Unesco should register 2013-07-12T12:36:01Z

One of Green's greatest attributes is that he gets the balance of humour and integrity just right. How Professor Green gatecrashed the charts 2010-04-20T16:24:00Z

The heavily caricatured humour, expressed in exaggerated walks and histrionic exclamations, seems strained at times. Dubliners – review 2012-10-01T17:14:54Z

"He's offering an explicit call to action that's unique," says Dannagal Young, who teaches satire and the psychology of political humour at Delaware University. How John Oliver started a revolution in US TV's political satire 2014-06-14T04:00:00Z

He uses humour in an intriguing way, and it's great to observe how the art world reacted to that. Hauschka's cultural highlights 2013-03-17T00:05:24Z

You don't find quite the same humour in any other part of Scotland – or anywhere else, for that matter. Another view on Smalltown 2011-03-06T22:29:00Z

The same is true for the sound effects – they generated most of them with their own voices which make the animations come alive and added to the humour. Are video game soundtracks the new concept albums? 2012-05-28T13:56:00Z

"It deals with an area which is rarely covered and that is the importance of humour in war," he says of The Wipers Times. Michael Palin: 'I will die, but not retire' 2013-07-04T17:30:52Z

Perhaps this is the difference between British humour and American humour. RuPaul's Drag Race recap: season 12, episode eight – is this just Jan-tasy? 2020-04-19T04:00:00Z

Kenneth had a tremendous sense of humour; he was very quiet but loads of fun. Stage set for Las Hermanas' Covent Garden debut 2012-11-16T12:40:05Z

We have a similar sense of humour and laugh all the time. Love across the divide: couples on Brexit, politics and religion 2019-03-24T04:00:00Z

He spoke to the BBC about his latest film, offending people and how the American press is losing its sense of humour. Seth MacFarlane: From Family Guy to leading man 2014-05-30T04:00:00Z

Blending super-sharp humour with emotional sincerity, Awkward certainly does seem to take its lead from those seminal teen romcoms of the 1980s. Awkward – box set review 2013-04-04T14:00:02Z

It is installationy without being irritating and provides much by way of the requisite Great British lavatory humour. In bed with Charles II and George III 2013-03-29T07:00:11Z

But at least it's now back in a fine-tuned production by Bijan Sheibani which, even though a little short on humour, shows desperate people yearning to make contact across the chasms that divide them. Review 2011-04-12T23:37:43Z

Yes, he was often very funny, but his humour came from comments about individual acts and performers: what might also be described as laughing at foreigners. Eurovision: it's time to stop laughing at foreigners 2013-05-17T11:47:54Z

Because part of what Hawkes brings to the role of Mark O'Brien is a gentle, intelligent humour and there it is… a joke! John Hawkes: 'To be a good actor, I need to be invisible' 2013-01-13T00:05:09Z

His conviviality, his sense of humour and his down-to-earth response to the world masked a depth of human feeling. Anthony Caro on John Hoyland: 'He was every inch a painter' 2011-08-02T11:08:24Z

The first person to discover exactly where and how this draining – of talent, humour and all points in between – occurs will be able to name their price at any channel they want. The Angelos Epithemiou Show – review 2012-07-14T06:00:26Z

I think its outstanding quality was that it always seemed to be in good humour. Elliott Carter remembered: 'Music seemed to erupt from his very being' 2012-11-06T18:41:42Z

He has a gloriously irreverent sense of humour, too, does this clean-cut chap who looks like he should be captain of the First XV rather than a rock'n'roll guitar player. XTC: 'Is there a place in rock'n'roll for a Princess Anne lookalike?' – a classic feature from the vaults 2013-01-23T13:09:00Z

It’s got murder, mystery and a lot of humour while also being very grounded in reality. 'My favourite forgotten film' – you recommend your best streaming gems 2020-05-06T04:00:00Z

The raucous good humour and the humble scenario place this adorable play right in there at the nativity of the great tradition of English stage comedy. Season's readings: Secunda Pastorum by Alfred W Pollard 2010-12-20T10:43:33Z

All confirmed what one already suspected, that the four players shared a ready sense of humour, a vital ingredient in the hothouse life of a quartet. David Soyer obituary 2010-05-11T18:05:00Z

He's married it with his brilliant sense of humour and somehow created a thrilling piece of British drama. My TV hero: Alexander Armstrong on Mark Gatiss 2011-07-25T19:00:06Z

In film, Marvel's franchises rely as much on their humour and badinage as they do their action. Down with dark: why screen drama needs to lighten up 2014-05-17T04:00:00Z

Sometimes the contrasts have been visible, as in his new production of Hamlet, which transforms the play into a crisp, chilling study of realpolitik but also illuminates its flecks of humour. A life in theatre: Nicholas Hytner 2010-10-18T07:00:00Z

Many real life rock musicians reportedly failed to see the humour in the film as fictional scenes, which include the band getting lost on the way to the stage, so closely matched their own antics. Spinal Tap-style comedy for BBC 2012-08-17T08:58:32Z

The R&B singer responded with good humour, announcing a faux-fundraiser for "bail money". Erykah Badu charged over nude music video shoot 2010-04-06T09:06:00Z

The novel is assured, deft in its rendering of teen relationships and, perhaps more remarkably, funny without resorting to the kind of gross-out humour common in this sort of setting. Elliot Allagash by Simon Rich ? review 2011-07-08T21:55:14Z

I can't believe he's gone because George was so alive, bubbling with energy, drive, commitment, an open heart and a brilliant sense of humour. George Hickenlooper died from accidental painkiller overdose 2010-11-23T09:47:00Z

It is an accomplished debut with pace, verve and black humour. Readers recommend their favourite books of 2010 2011-01-01T00:05:32Z

Still, it shouldn't lose its sense of humour – that's to say, a sense of proportion. Strange Interlude; A Midsummer Night's Dream; Trash Cuisine – review 2013-06-08T23:05:35Z

His pupils held him in the highest regard despite his demands of them, mainly due to his warm-heartedness and humour. Steve Martland obituary 2013-05-08T15:54:48Z

I try to vein my work with humour, but what Victoria Wood does is brilliant. My TV hero: Abi Morgan on Victoria Wood 2011-07-18T19:00:02Z

People enjoyed his company, his bubbling sense of humour. Anthony Caro on John Hoyland: 'He was every inch a painter' 2011-08-02T11:08:24Z

It's a distinctive, stylised piece, with blunt violence, scant dialogue, gallows humour and lashings of ironic Russian folk-rock. The Great Gatsby, Beware Of Mr Baker, Fast And Furious 6: this week's new films 2013-05-18T05:00:09Z

And she definitely wasn't answerable to Summit's concerns about, of all things, her sense of humour. Bloggers must be free to call a buzzwordgasm a buzzwordgasm 2011-03-17T12:00:00Z

I love the way he writes – infused with such warmth, common sense and a delightful sense of humour. The best cookbooks of all time, as chosen by the experts 2015-08-26T04:00:00Z

He also belongs to a wildly popular generation of comedians who, far from tiptoeing around 's fraught racial politics, dive in headfirst to defuse the hatred with humour. New Africa: the doctor who became a standup comedian 2012-08-23T23:05:01Z

Under the name Doc Brown, Smith had already gained some measure of recognition on the British hip-hop scene, but now he's using rap as a ruthlessly efficient vehicle for humour. This week's new comedy 2010-06-18T23:06:00Z

How much is lost when you quite so resolutely eliminate bathos, chaos, humour and the rough edge? Richard Alston Dance Company – review 2012-10-06T23:05:55Z

I write about life, and in life I see much humour and much tragedy, and that is what I write about. David Nobbs 2010-09-18T23:04:00Z

In spite of my mixed relationship with the Blairs over the years, I prefer to think the best of them: their combined warmth, his humour, energy, determination, her formidable intelligence and feistiness. Fiona Millar: 'His perceptions about people and acute eye for the comic make it a good read' 2010-09-04T23:06:00Z

Even as he wrestled with drugs and depression, Smith wrote beautiful, melancholy and understated songs, laced with wry humour. Elliott Smith reissue upsets fans 2010-03-24T10:36:00Z

Florence said Solar provided many moments of "laugh-out-loud" humour, thanks to McEwan's "beautiful phrasing" and "descriptions of infidelity and intimate personal details". Ian McEwan brings home bacon with comic novel gong for Solar 2010-05-25T09:58:00Z

When tragedy came in Keepers it was handled gently, the actors even finding moments of pantomime humour in death. Edinburgh fringe theatre 2010-08-21T23:06:00Z

Here is one of the outrageous Tucci comedy extravaganzas, one of the few films that really taps into his gift for broad humour, his physicality, and indeed makes a comic point about his legendary baldness. Beyond the negroni: Stanley Tucci's 20 best films – ranked! 2020-04-30T04:00:00Z

I want to say thanks and let him know how much I love him and his sense of humour. Family life 2011-07-22T23:06:01Z

"She was a lady of class and quality, with the greatest sense of humour conceivable," Sherman said. Kiss Me Kate actress Grayson dies 2010-02-19T10:25:00Z

"It promises to be a wonderful show full of colour, humour and emotion." Pullman novel to become opera 2012-12-11T16:42:42Z

"Though rich in detail, it's a sparely written story, with the narrator's odd small cruelties, laconic humour and surprising tendernesses emerging through a steady, well-paced, unaffected style," said the judges. Dutch gardener reaps Impac prize 2010-06-17T18:30:00Z

“Sex is such a tense subject so I think that humour and parody and satire and being able to make fun of yourself are really disarming when opening up that conversation.” Karley Sciortino: the sex blogger and Slutever presenter redefining sexuality 2018-04-29T04:00:00Z

He seemed an interesting model for Richard, in that he was a very intelligent man and a witty man, and he had some of Richard's black humour. Richard III: Shakespearean actors rake over the remains 2013-02-04T19:00:02Z

The old bananas-on-the-table schtick may not have been the most subtle comedy, but it was evidence of a keen sense of humour. Alfred Deller: a voice from the past 2012-05-31T09:52:25Z

Curator Jiang Jiehong, professor of Chinese art at Birmingham City University, explains how the country's new generation of artists are dealing with politics with a sense of humour. Britain's largest Chinese art exhibition 2014-09-26T04:00:00Z

"All I can say is they showed they had a sense of humour." Star Wars dub sends jobbing ad man into orbit 2010-10-14T16:09:00Z

None more noir but containing flashes of unexpected humour, this was one of the more impressive of the bleak dramas that flooded out of Scandinavia. The 100 best TV shows of the 21st century 2019-09-16T04:00:00Z

He continues, moreover, to walk a fine line between deflecting the internet’s bewilderment and humouring it. Feline confident? Cats' last-minute dash to the cinema 2019-12-18T05:00:00Z

Which he does with a lovely understated dry humour and an audible raised eyebrow. TV review: The Borgias; World's Most Dangerous Roads; Girl Power: Going For Gold 2012-07-23T00:30:01Z

“I guess if people take it too seriously, or think it takes itself too seriously. Or when people say ‘I want to do something like that, but with a sense of humour.’ Charlie Brooker: 'Happy? I have my moments' 2019-06-01T04:00:00Z

There was so much humour in the man and his work – and Max was able to draw on this when he performed Krapp's Last Tape and scenes from Waiting for Godot for our cameras. Letters: Happy days 2012-11-08T21:00:04Z

Her voice is not always steady as she recalls: “We had a shorthand for how we talked, the same dark humour. He was sexual and handsome and unique – so ahead of his time.” Instagram's Aids memorial: ‘History does not record itself’ 2018-11-04T04:00:00Z

The result is Single in the City, about moving to London to build a new life amid a population that doesn't always see the humour in foreigners' cultural blunders. The chick-lit debate: light doesn't have to mean stupid 2010-08-05T08:39:00Z

There is humour in everything in life, however dire. Ivor Dembina gives parliament its first standup gig 2010-03-16T21:30:00Z

When my father was dying of cancer, we briefly touched on the idea that, despite sharing the same silly sense of humour, taste in music and political interests, our DNA was probably different. ‘My mum always told me I was white, like her. Now I know the truth’ 2017-03-18T04:00:00Z

Because it shows I have a sense of humour, because it shows I’m not just a victim. 'I feel I might die any waking moment': can I escape the grip of PTSD? 2018-10-20T04:00:00Z

Dark humour has also been manifest on many of the placards carried by protesters in Washington and other cities. ‘Vanguard of opposition’: SNL adds Spicer to satire’s resurgence under Trump 2017-02-11T05:00:00Z

Director Bong Joon-ho took a premise with Gallic existentialist precision – a 1,001-car train organised hierarchically from poor to rich that endlessly circumnavigates a frozen Earth – and amped it up with South Korean humour. Sacré bleu! Why Franco-Belgian comic-book movies are more fun than Marvel and DC 2017-08-02T04:00:00Z

To describe such reviewers as suffering from a sense of humour failure is almost as much of an understatement as the following delightful assessment I came across on Wikipedia: "Bateman's mental state appears increasingly questionable." Guardian book club: Bret Easton Ellis's American Psycho 2010-07-14T09:13:00Z

But Adam and Paul caught on: the reviews were glowing, the Withnail and I comparisons richly deserved, the humour scabrous and poignant. Lenny Abrahamson: 'Good guys can be complex too' 2013-01-03T17:00:01Z

There is grim humour, though, in the formal, buttoned-up way he addresses his children the night before he makes history: “We have every confidence in this mission.” Ryan Gosling movies – ranked! 2018-10-11T04:00:00Z

When the project was first announced in December, the Hollywood Reporter described it as "a western with contemporary humour, with one undercurrent being just how dangerous and painful life really was in the late 1800s". Charlize Theron to saddle up for new Seth MacFarlane western 2013-01-31T12:02:29Z

It means the injection of a certain humour in the dialogue … and a brisk clarity in the narrative. Critical eye: book review roundup 2012-10-12T21:55:12Z

Men's Hour is a seven-part series which will mix "the emotional candour and humour of Curb Your Enthusiasm and The Sopranos with the intelligence of Woman's Hour," according to the presenter, television regular Tim Samuels. BBC brings Men's Hour to Radio 5 Live 2010-07-01T21:03:00Z

Does that shared sense of humour mean you’d dare be honest with her about your experimenting? My wife and I don’t have sex, and I have secretly been buying women’s clothes 2019-03-24T04:00:00Z

I don't think it's a particularly northern quality – I don't see any humour in Oasis's lyrics. Happy hour again: Paul Heaton tours UK pubs on his bike 2012-06-06T17:30:11Z

If you can't understand sardonic humour then maybe don't go and see one of the most sardonic acts in the US? Stephen Merchant flies solo and Simon Pegg crash lands into 'sexism' row 2012-07-24T15:24:39Z

It's rich territory, enlivened by Neilson's surreal humour, but after nearly two hours this stream of open-ended shorts becomes monotonous. Narrative – review 2013-04-11T13:10:00Z

The main course arrives and restores his humour. Ducking and weaving 2010-07-30T23:09:00Z

He possessed grandeur of soul and was a stranger to humour. My hero: Dag Hammarskjöld by Timothy Mo 2012-05-25T21:55:11Z

Some critics have dismissed the band as post-punk copyists, as solely of interest to musos with furrowed brows and no sense of humour. Savages: 'It's about trying not to treat the audience like idiots' 2013-05-03T06:00:00Z

Ellie's charm and mischievous sense of humour endeared her to everyone who knew her. Eleanor Jeffery obituary 2012-06-28T11:20:03Z

Khorsandi talks quite casually of picking up the phone at home as a child to hear the caller threatening to kill her father; he treated it all with "gallows humour". Shappi Khorsandi: the last laugh 2011-08-10T20:30:02Z

There was a time there a few years back where I was writing humour, and screenplays, and travel journalism so on – just trying to keep the juices flowing and kick open some new doors. George Saunders: My desktop 2013-04-22T11:56:00Z

He set an example that others subsequently followed, causing an escalation in the composer's reputation worldwide.While both conductor and composer were both deeply serious about their work, they shared a huge sense of humour. Sir Colin Davis remembered: 'He worked little miracles' 2013-04-15T18:13:39Z

The opera's charm and gentle humour nowadays feel low key, but Cornelius's admirers have always argued that the score – a through-composed series of scherzos with orientalist flourishes – is decades ahead of its time. The Barber of Baghdad 2010-07-09T21:01:00Z

With rough humour and touching observations, he guides us; not as an expert, but as we ourselves might look. Herzog's Cave of Forgotten Dreams: the real art underground 2011-03-17T23:00:01Z

Amid the humour – and simmering anger – a definable English eccentricity still seems to be the order of the day. Simon Roberts puts political England in the frame 2010-04-12T15:49:00Z

He had hair sprouting out of pretty much everywhere but he had the most brilliant sense of humour and of adventure.  Penelope Harper's top 10 great grandpa books 2012-06-19T10:41:26Z

Glasgow's dynamic 20-strong company incorporates music, comedy and dance in an exploration of adult relationships and their mysteries, with plenty of humour. Edinburgh festival: 10 of the best shows and events for kids and families 2011-08-05T09:55:01Z

They use humour to depict loss and joy and a pervading sense of anxiety. Grayson Perry's tapestries: weaving class and taste 2013-06-08T08:00:41Z

The meme is therefore rooted in black American internet culture, says Attiah – an attempt to find humour in real-world racism and oppression. What does it mean to be a ‘Karen’? Karens explain 2020-05-13T04:00:00Z

At its best, awkward humour is more than entertainment – it is a lesson in solidarity. The bond of the awkward 2010-12-31T17:30:00Z

But the biggest sign that they might be the perfect match for Preacher is the twisted sense of humour that runs through all their films – it’s often near-the-knuckle, but never mean-spirited. Preacher: is Seth Rogen's new show the best comic book adaptation ever? 2016-05-24T04:00:00Z

This musical entry – made long before musical episodes were a thing – seemed to crunch down every facet of the show into its purest essence, from its humour and its playfulness to its increasingly tortured sensibilities. Demons, death and dynamite dialogue: the 20 best episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer 2020-06-01T04:00:00Z

Each band played three varied sets replete with good musicianship, energy and humour. Bellowhead/Baghdaddies ? review 2011-01-04T23:00:01Z

The plays are based on familiar Bible stories but have a strong dash of earthy humour, and a cast of locals will act and stage-manage under professional direction. The Ashes, Tyne, The Moment Of Truth: what to see at the theatre this week 2013-06-22T05:00:20Z

But this is a column about children's humour, not Frankie Boyle's. The innocence of childish humour 2013-03-16T07:45:01Z

I have a sense of humour, my life is filled with irony. Nile Rodgers: my greatest mistake 2012-05-18T22:00:51Z

I normally regard the presenters' brand of irreverence as a part of the rough and tumble that goes with having a sense of humour. I'm a huge fan of Top Gear. But this time I've had enough 2011-02-05T21:30:00Z

Some even had a sense of humour about the difference between aspiration and reality. What a strange lot 2015-10-15T04:00:00Z

This combination of happy hedonism, Glaswegian humour and boundless enthusiasm for new dance music is threatening to destabilise London's gravitational pull and establish Glasgow as the country's pre-eminent raving city. By weight of Numbers 2010-04-08T21:10:00Z

Throughout Death Certificate, Ice Cube is not merely outspoken, but outrageous, and is often the butt of his own deeply unsettling humour. What is the most offensive album of all time? 2010-10-21T22:00:00Z

"When we were putting the exhibition together we were struck by the amount of material that uses humour," said co-curator Dr Matthew Shaw. WW1 show explores role of humour 2014-06-18T04:00:00Z

Of course there's plentiful humour at his expense, but there's also a limit to how many times we can find a dullard's dullness amusing. The Whispering Muse by Sjón – review 2012-06-22T21:55:06Z

Their collective humour, though, can’t mask the intensity of feeling of the time, and the fraught, divergent reactions it prompted. Giant condoms and buckets of fake blood: the true story of Aids activists Act Up 2018-04-06T04:00:00Z

And to think David Cameron said lefties have no sense of humour ... Where are all the right-wing comedians when you need them? 2013-03-12T15:03:25Z

One show, several tones: a blend of humour and fact-finding, anecdote and investigation. The Ira Glass / This American Life way of reporting the news 2013-06-23T18:30:03Z

She retained her sense of humour, and so did Tory, who emerges as one of Fleet Street's gentlemen. Tabloid revives memories of the 'Manacled Mormon' 2010-10-12T07:50:00Z

"He was articulate beyond belief, fertile, with a mercurial, wicked sense of humour and limitless imagination," Vick says. Helicopter opera set for take off 2012-08-17T16:48:16Z

She's smart as a whip, bright as a button, with a sense of humour that seems to bubble up through the gaps of her conversation. Lauren Laverne: 'Let's face it, TV's not brain surgery' 2010-07-01T19:30:00Z

Public and private friends warmed to his down-to-earth, no-nonsense personality and his ready sense of humour. Charles Mackerras 1925-2010 2010-07-15T10:55:00Z

At the same time, American audiences were turning to our cinema for its vigour, its extremity, its willingness to find black humour in crime, atrocity and moral transgression. The troubled heart of Ealing and British postwar cinema 2011-07-21T21:00:04Z

Tennant has a wonderful way of demystifying Shakespearean verse without patronising it, mining every word for maximum humour or pathos. David Tennant: 'My bedpost really has very few notches' ? interview 2011-08-19T21:58:02Z

The breakthrough came when he realised that Freud was witty, self-deprecating and had a sense of humour. Which writer taught me most about love? 2012-02-10T22:55:10Z

With his gentle humour, Heaney might have found that event slightly pretentious. A display of digging 2016-09-29T04:00:00Z

Or a good sense of humour, though so far Zachary's prevailing mood was melancholia bordering on despair. Wilderness by Sarah Hall 2013-03-18T13:22:56Z

It did keep you on your toes, as did the pacy, heightened language rendered in youth argot or, in the case of the mother, sinuous Caribbean dialect charged with abrasive humour and abrasive sadness. Rewind TV: The Man Who Crossed Hitler; Hans Litten vs Adolf Hitler: To Stop a Tyrant; Random; American: The Bill Hicks Story; The Hour ? review 2011-08-27T23:05:58Z

Tatum carries the movie confidently enough, though with less of the humour and charm he had in 21 Jump Street, and Pettyfer has really raised his game as an actor. Magic Mike – review 2012-07-12T14:29:01Z

We want people to see another Syria and Lebanon, brimming with creativity, humour and beauty - the human side of these countries, that those who are fortunate enough to travel there all experience. Scottish films to be shown in Middle East 2011-04-17T12:14:36Z

He was "captivated by youth and beauty, and that appearance of good humour which youth and beauty generally give". Pride and Prejudice at 200: looking afresh at Austen's classic 2013-01-26T08:01:00Z

It is a totally false dichotomy to pit anger against humour. Feminists can't be funny and angry? Are you having a laugh? 2013-02-28T14:50:01Z

Like Nancy, she would seamlessly meld capsule accounts of programmes with opinion, and spice it with wit and humour - you felt you were getting your money's worth. Young Arts Critics 2010: critical conditions 2010-05-24T20:30:00Z

I know this has been said before by many others, but it's been done so gracelessly and with so little humour. The Serpent's Promise by Steve Jones – digested read 2013-05-05T17:29:01Z

A very seditious book indeed, all the more dangerous for the author's cunning skill in masking his intentions with humour and an incredible cast of wild and wonderful characters. Saci Lloyd's top 10 political books 2013-03-15T16:24:50Z

Rich Hall knows the region pretty well, but has lived outside it long enough to be an ideal host of this tour of the south's heritage, history and humour. The Silence 2010-07-12T05:45:00Z

Beautifully lit, with a sense of humour and a great song as well. Adam Buxton: how I got the music video BUG 2010-07-15T15:24:00Z

A modest and charming man with a delightful sense of humour and ineffable courtesy, Harryhausen was always good company. Ray Harryhausen dies aged 92: master of stop-motion animation 2013-05-07T19:06:34Z

Ms McDermid told BBC Breakfast that his work challenged the old rules of fantasy writing through his use of humour and depiction of female characters. McDermid: 'Nothing was sacred to him' 2015-03-13T04:00:00Z

The unintentional humour of family life was also at the core of Mason's earlier children's books. Simon Mason: Seriously funny 2011-07-29T14:30:42Z

Brooker is a scurrilously witty man, but his humour, like David Mitchell's, lies in his anger. Rewind radio: Stand Up for Comic Relief; So Wrong It's Right; It is Rocket Science ? review 2011-03-13T00:05:41Z

The Lynchian subjugation of our humanity; warmth and humour, usurped by a sterile, pastel-coloured steel blade benignly thrust again and again into a grey brain. Russell Brand: what I made of Morning Joe and Question Time 2013-06-28T19:06:09Z

My films are about humanity and there’s always love and warmth and humour and things that are sad and depressing as well. 'Silly question!' Mike Leigh interviewed by our readers and famous fans 2018-10-21T04:00:00Z

Annabel Pitcher's handling of the subject is beautifully wrought and peppered with humour, layering the everyday teen experience with the extraordinary and traumatic. Ketchup Clouds by Annabel Pitcher wins Waterstones children's prize 2013-03-21T20:00:28Z

Perhaps it was all a bit po-faced – Cage's sense of humour and playfulness never came through – and perhaps it was too long. Prom 47: Cage Night – review 2012-08-19T12:56:17Z

What Man of Steel displays in highly visual and dramatic set pieces, it lacks in humour. Man of Steel: a new era for Superman? 2013-06-15T02:58:02Z

I think the English have a great sense of humour. Katharina Fritsch on her Fourth Plinth cockerel sculpture: 'I didn't want to make fun – but I was invited' 2013-07-24T18:29:00Z

I like the humour in the book, and the roominess. Paul Theroux on travelling 2012-06-25T11:00:00Z

She seizes on the humour and makes it dance. Old Times – review 2013-02-03T00:07:05Z

The result is a reminder of Carter's fierce humour, as she mocks Thatcher, Charles and Diana, and mid-heeled court shoes. Christmas gifts 2012: the best biographies 2012-11-30T22:55:07Z

Then it explodes in gruesome violence and bravura set pieces, served up with the bombast and humour you just don't get from a Wire grumblethon. Breaking Bad: Aaron Paul plays a drug-dealing killer and viewers can't get enough of him 2012-10-12T23:01:00Z

She was a fighter to the end, and her talent, humour and amazing friendship will be sorely missed. Comic Yvette Wilson dies aged 48 2012-06-17T12:54:50Z

It's not even very original as a source of humour. PhoneShop; Dara O Briain's Science Club - TV review 2013-07-25T21:30:01Z

There's humour and humanity here, but also a serious attempt to answer the question, "How should a person live?" Consolations of the Forest by Sylvain Tesson – review 2013-06-01T13:30:01Z

Yannis has a habit of making grand statements that sound vaguely preposterous in print, yet are delivered in person with earnest enthusiasm and more than a glint of knowing humour. Foals on Holy Fire: 'We were inspired by voodoo' 2013-04-25T17:11:02Z

One of the annoying, not-true things that people say about Americans and their sense of humour is that they don't find losers funny. This week's new live comedy 2013-05-04T05:00:18Z

There’s a bit of Adam Curtis’s Bitter Lake here or, to a lesser extent, the sinister undertones and gallows humour of Errol Morris’s Standard Operating Procedure. Serial recap – season two, episode two: The Golden Chicken 2015-12-17T05:00:00Z

But, although there is a vein of malevolent irony in the play, I was puzzled by Best's evident hunger for humour. Macbeth – review 2013-07-04T22:00:00Z

And perhaps, when the waters seem less choppy, we'll see it all in light and shade, discerning a bit more of the humanity and humour created by the migrant journey. Bloody Foreigners by Robert Winder, updated for our turbulent times 2013-06-10T07:01:11Z

Skinner's lyrics are equally inconsistent: there are smart ideas and judicious phrases alongside lazy lines dressed up as humour. The Streets: Computers and Blues - review 2011-02-03T23:20:00Z

Appearing in adverts is one way, but many comics find selling stuff on TV to be inconsistent with either their morals or their sense of humour. TV review: Saving Face: True Stories; Funny Business 2013-01-16T23:10:01Z

Elsewhere, Rock, a smart and gifted social commentator finds the humour in the hurt: "What's more pain, a chemical burn or childbirth?" he asks a roomful of women getting their hair permed. Yeah, he said it 2010-05-28T23:04:00Z

The following season was awash in dark humour, severed limbs and a parade of increasingly grotesque miscreants. Justified: Timothy Olyphant on Elmore Leonard and the golden age of TV 2013-04-27T05:00:00Z

There are moments of genuine chills, fearsomely speedy page-turning and real humour: "Are your murder investigations always this Shakespearian, Sheriff?" The Devil and the River by RJ Ellory – review 2013-06-02T08:00:02Z

She also has a very understated but very wry sense of humour; watch out for it. Step-by-step guide to dance: Trisha Brown 2010-10-13T13:07:00Z

She is, when she wants to be, a clever and powerful writer; her humour is like being rubbed raw with sandpaper. Girl Least Likely To: 30 Years of Fashion, Fasting and Fleet Street by Liz Jones – review 2013-07-10T14:00:01Z

Aside from the humour, what other insights struck you while reading the book? Sarah Churchwell on Gatsby 2012-07-02T11:00:00Z

We learned long ago not to question Weezer's sense of humour, and their gigs remain top-notch. Weezer's Hurley album named after clothing brand ? not Lost character 2010-08-25T12:22:00Z

It's outlined in general and unemotional terms in the climactic sixth and seventh stanzas, with a faint touch of extra-dry humour in the litotes of "pointed questions", "whoever they had come to see", etc. Poem of the week: The Overcoat by Peter McDonald 2013-04-15T09:51:10Z

Inside the Beatles are playing their allotted role – good uncomplicated lads, "bubbling with fun" – as they pose for the press with a certain amount of patience and good humour. Pop at the pictures: Beatlemania begins 2012-11-28T15:29:00Z

Maybe it's because his love not just of puns but all kinds of ludicrously contrived wordplay means that he fits neatly with a tradition of humour that's always been popular over here. If you enjoyed those Peter Kay one-liners, they were probably written by Emo Philips 2010-07-09T23:14:00Z

There is nothing cynical or spiteful about the show's humour. Mackenzie Crook unearths metal detector sitcom 2014-08-11T04:00:00Z

A flick through its exhibition booklet shows dramatic changes throughout the decades – in the 1920s, embossed edges were still popular, while the 30s made way for cartoon humour. Enduring love: how gen Z saved the greetings card 2020-02-13T05:00:00Z

“There aren’t many people in the world bright enough to bring some humour to the topic of genetics and the Human Genome Project,” said Bamigboye’s source. Phoebe Waller-Bridge: new Bond film must 'treat women properly' – even if he doesn't 2019-05-31T04:00:00Z

Despite the failures, these moments offered blurred remembrances of our bright, hopeful, and unfailingly kind brother with a crude sense of humour that we all missed so much. My brother, the alcoholic, who lived and died in hope 2017-08-26T04:00:00Z

Earlier, she had gone through the ritual of the photoshoot with quiet good humour. Portishead 2011-07-16T23:04:05Z

It was tough and the final ending was terrible, but we cared about each other and didn’t lose our humour or compassion. ‘I've gained a best friend’: readers on getting on with ex-partners after divorce 2020-01-30T05:00:00Z

Hhe's well known for his controversial humour and the programme carried appropriate warnings as to the nature of the material. Katie Price threatens C4 over Frankie Boyle joke 2010-12-10T10:21:00Z

“We always try and use humour where possible as it helps tone down the level of conflict.” Lego 'arms race': study says company making more violent toys 2016-05-23T04:00:00Z

"It needed images to match the power of the humour of each line, but also the sadness," she says. Ode to happiness 2011-06-22T02:42:32Z

A child's harrowing tale is set on edge by the most wonderfully filmed display of slapstick humour. Clip joint: trees 2010-04-28T15:28:00Z

Johnny Cash's 20 Minutes To Go adds a touch of humour that we need at this stage. Readers recommend: songs about capital punishment – results 2013-07-11T13:00:00Z

The IT Crowd is also just an old-fashioned sitcom, the humour based on misunderstandings and falling into traps. Casting a critical eye over the TV critics 2011-07-20T13:55:00Z

More bits sag and wobble than anyone could want to touch, but I am desperate for a touch, especially now that hugs from the children are more to humour me than anything else. My life in sex: ‘I am a female incel. I am desperate for a touch’ 2019-03-22T04:00:00Z

This might sound very intellectual, but Ligeti is like a child at play, with humour, cheekiness and temper tantrums. The Rest is Noise festival: what's your favourite piece of 20th-century music? 2012-11-29T20:00:02Z

I'm a bit more chilled, a bit more relaxed now, and I can bring a sense of humour into play. Fans of The Archers should prepare for a shock, says Vanessa Whitburn 2010-12-13T07:03:00Z

It is the sophistication of his humour that most impresses and is so little understood. The Wit and Wisdom of Boris Johnson, edited by Harry Mount – review 2013-06-02T17:00:01Z

Luke Jennings may have written the novel on which Killing Eve is based, but it was Waller-Bridge who laced the hit show with her trademark dark humour and female fearlessness. Screen queens: the funny, fearless women who revolutionised TV 2019-03-03T05:00:00Z

He could have gone along way because he had the capability, a keen sense of humour and an ability to get on with people. Smiley Culture remembered by Dennis Bovell and David Rodigan 2011-03-16T14:14:12Z

A post-Tarantino rush of dysfunctional Americana, full of lurid violence and dubious humour, it stands awkward comparison with some of Schrader’s more memorable films. Paul Schrader: ‘I’ve made some important films. Dog Eat Dog is not one of them’ 2016-11-13T05:00:00Z

Woe betide the pompous, who found themselves skewered with barbs of humour, and the boring, who found themselves banished. Heidi Holland 2012-08-22T11:56:32Z

This kind of simplistic "humour" that uses women and their bodies would be unacceptable on, say, the BBC, so why is it now being embraced by the theatre? Porn on stage ? take a position 2010-04-16T14:19:00Z

Spare, laced with flashes of dark humour, and a page-turner, a quality that could easily have disqualified it from the shortlist. The Lost Man Booker prize 2010-04-01T07:00:00Z

Do you think your loudmouth, sarky reputation means people don't always get your sense of humour? Ian McCulloch: 'Car parks are a bigger threat than war' 2013-04-11T16:23:18Z

Centipede's humour, it seems, rules it out of contention. Is The Human Centipede the most horrific film ever? 2010-08-23T10:38:00Z

"I think most people have a good sense of humour." Site's satirical take on Hollywood pushes boundaries – and earns raves 2012-10-02T12:19:43Z

But there is here real humour in life with a disability. Getting a laugh out of disability 2010-04-28T12:00:00Z

So begins Treslove's project to prove himself more Jewish than the Jews – an enterprise which takes him into various cultural truisms, from humour to food to circumcision. Howard Jacobson's Booker prize win is long overdue 2010-10-12T21:38:00Z

So far, so animated: Acaster handles the unforeseen with humour and good grace. James Acaster ? review 2011-08-19T17:36:41Z

But it is not laugh-out-loud funny on a page-by-page basis, because much of the humour derives from the deadpan reaction of the narrator, Lemuel Gulliver, to the astonishing things he experiences. Why Gulliver's jokes just don't travel 2011-01-06T22:30:01Z

Some of the humour may be rather dark in places. The old magic 2012-09-27T22:37:10Z

Commenting on Hornby's hiring, Witherspoon said: "Nick's innate blend of humanity and humour are a perfect match for Cheryl's raw emotional memoir." Nick Hornby to go Wild for new Reese Witherspoon film 2012-11-30T13:36:52Z

Her humour tends to skew towards the personal - one sketch on her TV show finds her praying to God that she doesn't have herpes. Who will replace Jon Stewart? 2015-02-11T05:00:00Z

The hilarious and trailblazing Joan Rivers: 'As most female comedians will tell you, humour is not necessarily a way to get people to like you, especially men.' Feminists can't be funny and angry? Are you having a laugh? 2013-02-28T14:50:01Z

If never exactly clubbable, Dutilleux was one of the gentlest and most charming of men, with a delightful sense of humour. Henri Dutilleux obituary 2013-05-22T17:43:25Z

But they share an absurdist sense of humour, and a penchant for communicating with each other in growls. 'I wish I had her cheeks': Julia Roberts and Lucas Hedges on their family affair 2019-03-15T04:00:00Z

What makes Payne’s own movies so distinctive is that they’ve generally managed to be both thoughtful and highly entertaining, hitting a fine balance between acerbic humour and a melancholic regard for human fallibility. Alexander Payne on Downsizing: ‘The film isn’t a major statement – it’s a metaphor’ 2018-01-07T05:00:00Z

Indeed, if The Way Things Go could be considered a compendium of comic techniques – anticipation, timing, slapstick, punchline – then it is of a particularly dark humour. Fischli and Weiss: the art of humour 2012-06-05T12:03:00Z

Other art movements and themes to be explored in the series include the history of the nude, humour in art, Surrealism and Pop art. Tate uses stars to 'unlock' art 2013-10-15T11:19:01Z

Tuttle said all the winners grapple with “big issues” by using humour and humanity. Another Round wins top award at London film festival 2020-10-18T04:00:00Z

He told Sweet how he likes to visit libraries while on tour, borrowing books on "humour, comedy, laughter". A week in radio: Ken Dodd and Italo Calvino on Radio 3 2012-06-07T20:30:04Z

His daughter inherited his imperious inability to keep his opinions to himself, but in her case it was softened by her feminine humour. Googie Withers obituary 2011-07-16T09:19:52Z

“His cheesy jokes and self-deprecating sense of humour made him relatable to audiences in a way that few others could be,” Bandini writes. Peyton Manning is no hero: Would his troubling past be ignored if he weren’t white? 2016-03-08T05:00:00Z

Hailing from the Banaadir region, his distinctive accent was itself a source of humour across the country. Somali comic received death threats before murder 2012-08-02T16:24:40Z

Since our session with Reynolds, touch is laced with humour, rather than a sense of heaviness. Tears, honesty and flirty games: how we escaped our married sex rut 2019-05-19T04:00:00Z

He played for three US presidents as well as the Queen Vocalist Michael Feinstein, who worked with Shearing in 2005, paid tribute to his "delicious sense of humour" and "endless curiosity". Jazz pianist Shearing dies at 91 2011-02-15T10:45:32Z

Baroque imagery, bizarre humour and labyrinthine plots made his elusive and allusive oeuvre unlike anything else in contemporary cinema. Ra?l Ruiz obituary 2011-08-19T14:53:12Z

That particular relationship was really based on humour. Nicolas Cage: 'People think I'm not in on the joke' 2013-07-20T08:00:00Z

And Pitch Perfect, for all its physical humour and solid one-liners by Elizabeth Banks, is a guidebook for banding together in the name of friendship and success. Pitch Perfect 2 and the welcome death of cool 2015-05-12T04:00:00Z

La Belle Verte’s farcical humour eases into a strong message about a self-sufficient community with no leaders, where the days consist of strengthening acrobatic play and exercises in telepathy. Brave new worlds: what can we learn from film's utopian visions? 2020-07-31T04:00:00Z

"The Marx Brothers' personalities and pure talent, with their amazing sense of humour, will live forever. They will make people laugh for many more centuries." Marx Brothers' enduring appeal 2015-01-12T05:00:00Z

Good Omens has a unique sense of humour and looks set to benefit from Gaiman’s close involvement and some top-notch casting including David Tennant and Martin Sheen, which could prove an inspired pairing. What's the next Game of Thrones? All the contenders for fantasy TV's crown 2019-04-01T04:00:00Z

Reading this material in the months after, I found an astonishingly full novel, created with the superabundant originality and humour that were uniquely David's. In search of David Foster Wallace's Pale King 2011-04-08T09:17:13Z

The scene is also played for comic effect, but in a diametrically opposite way, since the intended humour derives from how prolonged and over the top the brutality is. Tarantino's gruesome revenge fantasies are growing more puerile and misogynistic | Caspar Salmon 2019-08-23T04:00:00Z

Veteran Dredd artist Cam Kennedy reckons Scottish humour has crept into the stories. Comic lawman Dredd's Scots roots 2012-08-14T05:37:40Z

The tension between them is heightened by the impossibility of the situation, and nicely counterpointed by self-aware humour. Hostage Three by Nick Lake – review 2013-02-07T13:08:08Z

This is what Sylvia Plath was getting at, too, more concisely and with less ironic humour, when she wrote: "The blood jet is poetry." EM Forster's work tailed off once he finally had sex. Better that than a life of despair 2010-06-13T21:30:00Z

In the first place, humour is a means of connecting. No joke, being a psychiatric patient has its funny side 2010-08-04T09:53:00Z

My confidence, my self-esteem, my humour, the wherewithal to find a really great partner in my husband. Melissa McCarthy: ‘Something extinct I’d like to bring back to life? Democracy’ 2019-01-26T05:00:00Z

It’s a really warm comedy, without being soppy or cheesy – it’s wry and witty, with lots of surprising humour. Alice Lowe: ‘I was terrified that Bill Nighy was going to hate me’ 2019-06-08T04:00:00Z

She approached everything she did with a fierce commitment and great humour, always speaking her mind, unafraid to upset while befriending people from across the globe. Jan Fairley obituary 2012-06-14T12:56:13Z

"The combination of action and adventure, strong male and female lead characters and Eoin's brilliant humour make them perfect for a wide range of readers, and the feedback has always been fantastic." Eoin Colfer to bid farewell to Artemis Fowl 2010-07-26T12:55:00Z

There is plenty of humour in Handler’s show, even when she’s dealing with sensitive topics such as race and drugs. Chelsea Handler is judge, jury, and executioner in new Chelsea Does 2016-01-24T05:00:00Z

And most of the humour is based around misunderstandings and surprises. TV review: Me and Mrs Jones 2012-10-13T07:00:02Z

Unlike Grant, he is permitted, in this, no discernible sense of humour, and only surface, mannequin glamour. My favourite Hitchcock: Strangers on a Train 2012-08-02T16:55:00Z

The family dysfunction and refusal to face the truths of the past are mixed with flashes of humour. Home Fires by Elizabeth Day – review 2013-03-14T17:00:01Z

This time, though, their story is neatly interwoven with that of Bonnie, another outsider with a bone-dry sense of humour, who – in a trademark curveball – is the subject of the entire first episode. The End of the F***ing World’s Alex Lawther: ‘He’s not a psychopath, he’s just very sad’ 2019-11-09T05:00:00Z

Louis has a knack for finding humour in the most painful parts of life. From Game of Thrones to Revolution: the best and worst of US TV in 2012 2012-12-31T16:19:34Z

Once again, the film relies on the shock value of crude and politically incorrect humour. One night in Bangkok 2011-05-26T09:14:49Z

The staff members, in their hardened, morbid humour, also make them shockingly funny. Addicts' hostel inspires debut play 2013-09-19T11:33:10Z

I'm probably not very original, but I really admire Banksy for his sharpness, sense of humour and his totally British attitude. Katarzyna Klimkiewicz: 'In Poland, everybody is an expert on everything' 2011-04-05T13:58:55Z

Nicky was “a bright, handsome boy with a lovely sense of humour”. After 40 years I finally tracked down my dead brother 2017-04-08T04:00:00Z

I always thought Margot Leadbetter would be a difficult role to follow, but I loved playing someone with such a strong sense of humour. How we made: Penelope Keith and Peter Bowles on To the Manor Born 2013-04-15T16:30:09Z

Except for a misunderstanding between Robin and Marion over "a good knight" and "a good night" it's short on humour, if wisely lacking in thigh-slapping laughter. Robin Hood 2010-05-15T23:09:00Z

It helps that in addition to being unflinching and well-researched, The Deuce also has a dark and bawdy sense of humour. 'It's never sexy': why the women behind porn drama The Deuce refused to titillate 2017-09-13T04:00:00Z

Hence the reliance of most successful online humour on current events and what can appear to outsiders as a series of in-jokes. What effect has the internet had on comedy? 2011-04-02T23:07:08Z

Grant is selling out major venues because his rage, humour and insight apply to anyone who has ever been dumped by anyone cute and emotionally unavailable. John Grant – review 2013-05-18T15:00:03Z

With its video game imagery, slacker geek protagonist and sardonic 20-something humour, it is not the type of fare which generally tends to capture the imagination of Hollywood awards body members. Take that! Twice. Scott Pilgrim Vs the World wins two Satellite awards 2010-12-20T11:29:02Z

We’ve got the same sense of humour and we bounce off each other, but she also taught me a lot about confidence. ‘Anyone else would have kicked him out’: celebrity flatmates reveal all 2019-03-30T04:00:00Z

I knew what a lovely person she is – she has charm, a sense of humour and is easy to talk to. Tracy Letts: ‘Freedom of speech is under attack’ 2018-01-06T05:00:00Z

In the UK, people find it tricky to deal with his humour and joyous attitude, which is very un-British. John Cage: musicians and artists on a legend 2012-08-15T17:51:03Z

“This is a good time for honest humour,” he says. 'We're not Game of Thrones' – Curb Your Enthusiasm's stars on their unsexy TV sensation 2017-10-01T04:00:00Z

He was one of those soldiers, moreover, who with grim humour called themselves “claykickers”, whose job it was to dig tunnels deep into the mud and plant bombs under enemy lines. Cillian Murphy: ‘Is this it, for the rest of my days?’ 2016-04-23T04:00:00Z

What I love about A Life in Letters is that it conveys more clearly his sense of humour. Sarah Churchwell on Gatsby 2012-07-02T11:00:00Z

He had humour too – bone dry, hard as nails, and usually delivered in a sneer or a shout. The Sweeney: box set review 2013-02-14T16:00:01Z

Bob says he loves DeeDee’s sense of humour and caring nature. How we met: ‘When my wife was dying, she told me to look up my old friend DeeDee’ 2020-01-20T05:00:00Z

This first novel is packed with riveting characters, incisive humour and relentless energy. Manil Suri's top 10 books about Mumbai 2013-03-13T13:28:19Z

I think she liked me, we vibed all night, had good discussions and she got my sense of humour… I think! Blind date: 'We realised we have matching tattoos' 2020-11-14T05:00:00Z

Their schtick has the lineaments of humour – timing, punchlines, observations – but it doesn't actually make you laugh. Where does all the best comedy come from? Death and war 2012-07-06T21:30:01Z

I loved the humour and action and characters, the world and the Greek mythology. My top 5 movie adaptations of 2013 2013-04-01T08:00:00Z

It is sweet, funny and truly heartbreaking in places, and Carrey finds exactly the balance between humour and pathos. Jim Carrey's 20 best film performances – ranked! 2020-07-23T04:00:00Z

Manzoni beats a supercilious plumber to within an inch of his life, and his wife, played by Michelle Pfeiffer, burns down the local supermarket after becoming the target of local anti-American humour. De Niro plays mobster for laughs 2013-11-22T07:35:46Z

We will particularly miss his lively, inquiring mind and his wonderful sense of humour. David Buxton obituary 2011-08-22T15:48:58Z

He’s got that same smart, offbeat sense of humour. Deadpool: ‘I don’t think my mom is going to be able to watch it’ 2016-01-30T05:00:00Z

Often the most unfairly maligned form of humour, it takes a very special kind of performer to wow audiences with comedy songs. This week's new comedy 2010-12-11T00:07:00Z

I enjoyed the subtle humour and vividly bleak scenes it painted for me. Tips, links and suggestions: Our review list and the books you are reading 2012-08-02T08:58:37Z

My dad's very clever and I got my caustic sense of humour from him. Nick Moran 2013-02-08T13:30:01Z

To Palmieri, the English language is uniquely suitable for verbal humour. Funny foreigners: how overseas comics are storming Edinburgh 2010-08-17T20:31:00Z

He had a twinkle in his eye, a wonderful sense of humour, he was marvellously foppish in a theatrical way. 2010-02-06T14:24:00Z

Female performers aren't creating something called "women's humour", even at its most personal, but smart, confident comedy, with well-crafted jokes that appeal to men and women. Edinburgh 2010 is best year ever for female comics 2010-08-12T16:27:00Z

Davies's non-confrontational QI style is similar to his humour onstage, where he often portrays himself as the victim. Alan Davies interview: 'I'm like a fine wine. I'm maturing' 2013-01-20T18:57:01Z

But he's not all fiery zeal: between songs, he displays laidback humour and banters amiably with fans, which is almost as hard to process as the Jamaican accent he often adopts while singing. Matisyahu 2010-06-06T20:45:00Z

One piece is about seeing the funny side, and using humour as a kind of survival mechanism that Bobby Baker excels in even in the bleakest of moments. Jocelyn Pook: inspired by mental illness 2012-11-23T22:55:11Z

"Simon was an outstanding commentator and writer with extraordinary wit, humour and insight. My deepest condolences and sympathy to all his family." Guardian journalist Hoggart dies 2014-01-06T17:42:10Z

I distrust any biographer who doesn’t show much evidence of humour when writing about him. Sarah Churchwell on Gatsby 2012-07-02T11:00:00Z

As a conceit, it’s brilliant; but Linklater’s humour and humanity turn it into one of the great movies of the 21st century. Richard Linklater: ‘someone’s living back there, and he’s murdered somebody’ 2016-04-30T04:00:00Z

He had a delightful, sometimes devastating, black sense of humour. William Walton obituary 2010-03-24T18:21:00Z

Bates finds this “very clearly being done to mock, to create humour by mocking” trans people. Health warning: why the sexy nurse stereotype is no laughing matter 2017-08-23T04:00:00Z

And actually it's very funny if you like your humour in the gallows. First sight: Hailee Steinfeld 2010-12-16T22:22:00Z

Vivid characters people this bold, visionary novel as dark humour mixes with vengeance and violence and the “smoke-thickened” decades slide by. Axemen 2016-06-16T04:00:00Z

Tony was cross with me because he had been handling the conversation with good humour and said he had realised it was a hoax from the first. 'Tony Blair called back to see if I had blown myself up' 2010-10-09T23:06:00Z

This is seductive abstraction that conjures very special atmospheres, moods and humours. Exhibitions picks of the week 2010-04-16T23:09:00Z

"Transplanting the Pirates Of The Caribbean aesthetic to the Wild Wild West proves disastrous in The Lone Ranger, an indigestible swill of forced humour and oversized, overbearing action sequences," he writes. Lone Ranger shot down in early reviews 2013-07-01T11:20:58Z

There was some humour in McCarthy’s stiff Rudd attempting to court female voters with lines like “I love abortions, just love ‘em” and Bishop’s uncanny nasally whine and stilted Gillard walk. Wednesday Night Fever gets off to a lukewarm start – TV review 2013-07-03T23:14:01Z

He conversed with insight and rough humour about famous writers, the Brooklyn Dodgers, actors, prize-fighters, Hollywood phonies, fish, politicians, everything but the Future of Literature. The day I went fishing and drinking with Hemingway in Havana 2015-10-25T04:00:00Z

Over the years he has established a formidable reputation for concise, astute commentary which he invariably combines with acerbic humour. Readers recommend their favourite books of 2010 2011-01-01T00:05:32Z

It is a rare art that can marry the melancholy of this to compassion, and resilience and humour. The Boulting brothers: holy fools 2013-07-26T13:00:19Z

Its confidence, intelligence and good humour look forward to Chadha's feature debut, Bhaji on the Beach, followed by Bend it Like Beckham and her Bollywood take on Jane Austen, Bride and Prejudice. Britain's best film directors show some early promise 2010-09-25T23:06:00Z

Against all the optical pleasures of his art runs a tide of darkness and pain; and within that a strain of sardonic humour. Gauguin: Maker of Myth 2010-10-02T23:06:00Z

But what do you think of as American humour now? John Waters: 'I wanted to be the filthiest person alive' 2013-11-06T01:34:07Z

Tipped together one night by drunken fortune, their wheeling relationship was tested by misunderstandings, misfiring humour, meddlesome friends, and too many nights on the town gone wrong. Edinburgh fringe theatre roundup 2012-08-11T23:05:48Z

The script is packed with intelligent, topical humour and there are some finely drawn characters. Beached - review 2013-07-25T02:04:15Z

“Viewers said they loved the repartee, the humour. It reminded them of spending time with their funniest friends.” The age of banter 2017-06-30T04:00:00Z

He has done this with intelligence, humour and generosity. Poet Agard picked for Queen's medal 2012-12-20T14:06:44Z

But while the era it's set in might be unfamiliar to most, the kind-hearted humour covers familiar workplace territory and definitely de-de-de-de-deserves a mention in our list. Six to watch: workplace comedies 2011-08-04T14:08:03Z

Within the hour it’s clear that, while he’s a perfectly nice guy, there’s very little common ground and we don’t share the same sense of humour. 'Anything that doesn't involve late nights and alcohol is good' – how to get better at dating 2019-01-02T05:00:00Z

It is an unexpected, seaside humour, of the kind you might expect at the base of Blackpool Tower . The Shard opens up to share its high, wide and handsome view 2013-01-11T08:03:00Z

Adding a mixture of slapstick and humour, she manages to remove some of the acidic sting from her classic "bad" mothers. Clip joint: Mothers 2012-06-06T16:00:00Z

"The excitement is not just to survive," she once said, "but to thrive, and to thrive with some passion, some compassion, some humour and some style." Obituary: Maya Angelou 2014-05-28T04:00:00Z

Pub humour and movie references whizz past as the Nazis invade Britain, and McGregor's farmhand mounts the resistance, with a little help from some all-star allies. This week's new films 2010-10-08T23:06:00Z

"There are very few moments when the drama is driven by the music," Clements complains, "when the cartoon-like scenes, with cliche texts and schoolboy humour, are given shape and purpose by Turnage's contribution." What to say about ... the Royal Opera's Anna Nicole 2011-02-21T14:11:26Z

The comedian's suburban adventures and gentle off-beat humour first went out on television in 1960 and delighted audiences of up to 20 million. Obituary: Eric Sykes 2012-07-04T11:18:49Z

Hot in Here, demanding that clothes be removed, is infused with the same humour employed by Don Van Vliet, and is no less rhythmic. Readers recommend: songs about heat – results 2013-04-11T14:07:21Z

She has a snort-out-loud sense of humour, with a confidence she attributes to a childhood raised by “creative hippies”. 'The people’s yogi': how Adriene Mishler became a YouTube phenomenon 2018-09-25T04:00:00Z

The original post included more explicit language typical of Silverman's humour. Sarah Silverman's sister among 10 detained in Jerusalem 2013-02-11T19:41:47Z

His characters in Uncommon Type are families disintegrating or coming together, mismatched couples, immigrants looking for a first foothold in New York, people at the point of crisis who tack more towards humour than gloom. Tom Hanks: ‘I’ve made a lot of movies that didn’t make sense – or money’ 2017-10-14T04:00:00Z

It is protected by a self-deprecating humour and a rhetorical elegance – not to mention a superb production by Mark Thomson – but it is essentially raw and exposed. Every One | Theatre review 2010-03-23T22:00:00Z

Craven called it “Mansonite” and in a spirit of dark humour he applied the adjective as much to the film’s creator as the thing itself. Tobe Hooper: the director who took a chainsaw to wholesome family life 2017-08-27T04:00:00Z

Much of the humour and affection lies in Hank's emotional repression. Your next box set: King of the Hill 2010-08-20T05:45:00Z

David depicts Tyler and the revelations that slowly, painfully emerge throughout both books with extraordinary shades-of-grey subtlety – and a wry humour to leaven the depressing subject matter. YA fiction's knife crime lessons 2011-02-11T11:33:45Z

This book has everything - a rhythmical, memorable text, dramatic tension, scary bits, humour - and Helen Oxenbury's amazing illustrations, so full of life and movement. Lucy Coats's top 10 bear picture books 2013-03-21T12:47:16Z

Always a bold writer, she observes the world with a refreshingly skewed intelligence, and her well-known darkness, sometimes verging on morbidity, is always leavened with wit and humour. The Blue Book by AL Kennedy ? review 2011-08-12T21:55:06Z

My family retains a sense of humour and even in the most awful times, we have hope. Getting a laugh out of disability 2010-04-28T12:00:00Z

Facebook Twitter Pinterest One of the few safe places to talk about menopausal women is in humour, and not always of the gentle type. What science doesn’t know about the menopause: what it’s for and how to treat it | Rose George 2015-12-15T05:00:00Z

The telling gets right to the dark heart of the story, but does so with the lightest of touches and a sprinkling of live music and humour. Hansel and Gretel – review 2013-01-07T18:33:23Z

And these stories were all very humorous, I wanted to draw on the whole rich tapestry of rather earthy humour that Afrikaners have. A life in writing: Andr? Brink 2010-06-04T23:06:00Z

His attempt to foster some Clarkson-like maverick status with his "edgy" humour is truly tragic. I'm a huge fan of Top Gear. But this time I've had enough 2011-02-05T21:30:00Z

There is something very infantile about a lot of his humour. The Beautiful Cosmos of Ivor Cutler 2014-03-31T23:04:52Z

As well as learning to laugh at myself, it taught me to use humour as a deflective device when challenged, and this made growing up a whole lot easier. Family life 2011-07-22T23:06:01Z

He was a very positive character, he had a weird and wonderful sense of humour. Tribute to 'brilliant' Reg Presley 2013-02-06T13:57:12Z

It is black humour at its most comically caustic. Artist of the week special: Tjorg Douglas Beer, Annette Kelm, Jonathan Meese 2011-03-16T18:25:57Z

The texture of True Grit is softened by the humour that occasionally emerges from under Bridges's 10-gallon hat, and also the relationship between Cogburn and his teenage companion. Cowboy revival 2011-02-11T13:33:13Z

He was a self-created superstar, with a weirdly modern awareness of all that entailed: manipulation of image, distancing humour and irony, persona as artistic statement. Dorian Gray's true picture of Oscar Wilde 2010-04-29T09:01:00Z

But the best combination of music, humour and real-life drama I heard last week was on Radio 4. Rewind radio: Bowie and Beyond: A Music Fan's Guide to Berlin; Adam Buxton on David Bowie; Mark Thomas: Bravo Figaro; Making News; Messy, Isn't It? The Life and Works of Richard Brautigan – review 2013-04-06T21:50:01Z

By performing Faulkner’s dialogue verbatim, the company not only honours the novel, but also highlights some of its unexpected humour. Signifying something 2015-05-21T04:00:00Z

She was great to talk to, with a good sense of humour. Blind date: ‘He kept looking at the waiter’ 2015-12-19T05:00:00Z

His humour and his independence – he’s a single person, and I liked that about him. Ralph Fiennes: Loosey Goosey? ‘I like that!’ 2015-10-26T04:00:00Z

When asked about his health, Hitchens replied with a grace and humour which seems to evade his unwanted supporters: "Well, I'm dying, since you asked, but so are you," he said. Spare Christopher Hitchens from prayers 2010-09-20T11:57:00Z

Someone asked me then if my humour had changed since I'd become a mother and I said no. Dark star: Julia Davis 2010-04-10T23:10:00Z

In Germany people still talk with awe about the atmosphere at that opening ceremony – the nice mixture of grand spectacle and humour. Hey British moaners: Germans want to be more like us 2013-05-19T18:15:12Z

The mix of deadpan humour and flowery voiceovers doesn't always work, but there are sympathetic performances from the two leads. Soul of Flies – review 2012-07-12T21:10:03Z

In the individual poems list there is both grim subject matter and humour, often coexisting. Judging the Forward prizes for poetry: my verdict 2013-07-08T13:00:01Z

His humour too, mischievous and sarcastic, is evident in a hilarious interview with Russell Harty. David Bowie - Five Years; Clare Balding's Secrets of a Suffragette – TV review 2013-05-27T06:00:13Z

In the UK there's a tradition of realism and humour and domestic storylines, Mike Leigh-style. Absolute beginners 2011-07-15T23:03:00Z

Underlying the film's humour is a poignant and truthful analysis of the difficulties inherent in sustaining a long-term marriage. Leslie Mann: 'If I don't have a creative outlet, I implode' – interview 2013-02-16T22:00:02Z

The banter and good humour lasted all day. Can Middle East tourism ever recover? 2015-11-24T05:00:00Z

He has a wry sense of humour and loves the movies. Why I'd like to be … Jason Miller in The Exorcist 2014-08-06T04:00:00Z

For someone who used to call himself Faris Rotter in the early days of the Horrors, Badwan is a quiet, thoughtful character with a wry sense of humour. When Cat's Eyes met Ron Arad 2011-08-16T20:31:00Z

I watched one of them sweetly humour a pair of teenage girls, opting for the classic point-over-the-shoulder-plus-open-mouthed-"check it out!"-face pose in front of the big screen. Tony awards in Times Square make for perfect street theatre 2012-06-11T13:16:53Z

“We bicker, but it’s from a place of humour and we have the same sensibilities at our core.” How we met: ‘I rang her doorbell at 2am, but she didn’t wake up because she was drunk’ 2019-06-24T04:00:00Z

When the station's resident clown, called Chuckles, is crushed to death by an elephant while dressed as a peanut, the newsroom finds solace in humour. The Mary Tyler Moore Show: box set review 2013-07-18T14:00:01Z

For a happily married man, with a one-year-old daughter and a sense of humour, Berninger's lyrics are melancholy, to say the least. The National: gloomy ? with a hint of sunshine 2010-04-22T20:30:00Z

And Joel would say, “Just humour me, will you?” How we made Blood Simple 2017-11-06T05:00:00Z

He is the poet as everyman, using his eyes, his humour and his common sense; a natural lyricist with a direct line to the rhythmic vitality of our dear unfashionable old friend, the Common Muse. Poem of the week: School's Out by WH Davies 2010-03-29T10:09:00Z

There is an urgency to the stories, a conviction in the telling, yet the humour never gets lost. Cosmo Jarvis: 'My generation is the worst' 2011-08-11T21:30:01Z

With wry, sad humour, the speaker reminds us how we break our pact with the dead "almost the next day". Poem of the week: Departed by Grahame Davies 2012-07-09T13:24:37Z

At the end he went out the hall and said 'I don't think the kids are going to really enjoy this type of humour'. Pooh returns 2011-04-18T07:22:39Z

Despite Ephron having written the screenplay of the film, it lacked the caustic humour and subtle asides of the book, becoming too sour. Nora Ephron 2012-06-27T17:17:21Z

The only difference is that the humour in New Tricks is nearly always deliberate. Last night's TV 2011-07-04T20:59:01Z

Everything felt so right: from his Irish accent to his looks and dorky sense of humour. Love in the time of corona: 'This wasn't how I planned it, but she said yes' 2020-04-12T04:00:00Z

Much of the political message was lost on us as children, but the music and humour was something we enjoyed. Family life 2012-07-13T23:09:32Z

It would have been easy to humour him. From dominatrix to professor: ‘I didn’t want my students to imagine me tying men up’ 2017-05-06T04:00:00Z

He has a sense of humour even in the worst of times. Peter Dinklage: ‘Tyrion has a sense of humour'’ 2015-08-09T04:00:00Z

This was a feeble attempt at humour right? The Sun Never Set on the British Empire, or Its Food 2017-11-29T05:00:00Z

But the world of Source Code seems to me more interesting, and more able to incubate real drama, real suspense and even some real humour. Source Code ? review 2011-03-31T14:00:01Z

Fluxus was full of humour, asides, wild performances and genuine experiment. Lost in the Yoko Ono labyrinth 2012-06-18T18:03:42Z

His Grace Jones-influenced camp cabaret is shot through with wit, humour and an ill-defined but seductive air of menace. Zebra Katz – review 2013-06-09T15:06:55Z

She has a great sense of humour, and an entertaining habit of using long words in inappropriate contexts. Family life 2013-01-12T08:15:01Z

There is more humour and warmth and love and talent and fun in the "hood" than you would believe from watching the film. iLL Manors – reviews 2012-05-26T23:03:05Z

Perhaps it never will, and I will cope with the inevitable trials of life with grit, fortitude, and humour. 'I feel I might die any waking moment': can I escape the grip of PTSD? 2018-10-20T04:00:00Z

Many of the stories have a scalding streak of off-kilter humour. Waiting for the Evening News: Stories of the Deep South by Tim Gautreaux | Book review 2010-03-20T00:06:00Z

It was a reminder of the strength and humour that we wove into our family after our father’s disasters. On the run with my dad 2016-06-04T04:00:00Z

Dinos Chapman in the brothers' Hackney studio studio: 'Our art is about humour, not death.' Dinos Chapman: 'Our work is horrible and gleeful at the same time' 2013-05-25T23:05:03Z

I’ve always been attracted to wit, humour and intelligence, so, for me, getting to talk to someone in a no-pressure environment where you can verbally spar for a little while feels an ideal scenario. Hookups, sexting and unwanted threesomes: first-time dating in the age of Tinder 2017-11-04T04:00:00Z

Fritz charts the physical effects and, particularly, the psychological shifts entailed, with wry humour and a firm technical grip. Poem of the week: Going, Going... by Leah Fritz 2011-08-22T09:18:53Z

I adore the drive, the warmth, the apparent spontaneity, the dizzy humour, the hilarious demolition of sentimental material. Fats Waller by Michael Longley 2011-02-19T00:05:53Z

Only it rather looked as if Harry's poshness, charm and sense of humour is what really counts when you are on the scrounge. Something for Nothing; The Route Masters: Running London's Roads; Iain Banks: Raw Spirit – TV review 2013-06-19T06:00:10Z

Hardly, he became a prolific broadcaster with a Pythonesque sense of humour. Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould ? review 2011-01-20T22:10:01Z

Close presides over her co-stars with gravitas and grace, in an understated performance that finds the humour in an otherwise bleak setup. Glenn Close: ‘You lose power if you get angry’ 2017-12-16T05:00:00Z

Garvey – who produces alongside Elbow's Chris Potter – has drawn out his sometime drinking buddy's humanity and empathy, capturing songs that address dark themes with humour and a twinkling eye. Exclusive: Listen to I Am Kloot's Sky at Night 2010-07-01T12:00:00Z

"The Last Demon" does not end in humour but with the destruction of the Jews and his own impending end. Collected Stories by Isaac Bashevis Singer ? review 2011-08-11T13:30:02Z

Improvisation was one of the things that made the studio nervous, but it added a lot of additional humour to Dazed and Confused. Richard Linklater: how we made Dazed and Confused 2019-06-11T04:00:00Z

My humour has always come from anger, but I have to make sure I don't just get angry and jump on a soapbox. 'My humour has always come from anger' 2011-03-06T00:02:01Z

Beautiful illustrations, voice narration from children, lots of interactivity and a dash of cheeky humour. The 50 best apps for children 2012-08-04T16:24:08Z

These were fun, and pointed to a possible sense of humour – but were nowhere as radical or compelling as the paintings. Best art exhibitions of 2012, No 2 – Edvard Munch at Tate Modern 2012-12-20T13:38:40Z

The BBC Trust has ruled that "smutty, seaside postcard" humour is acceptable before the watershed – but references to tantric sex are a no-no. Ricky Gervais back as David Brent, while Derek passes the taste test 2013-03-05T15:19:48Z

It is filled with humour and pathos and the minutiae of the life of the artist. World literature tour: France 2011-03-28T11:30:33Z

Fiennes’s performance is superb, a cousin, perhaps, to Bogarde’s haunted fugitive in The Night Porter, but with a sense of humour. Ralph Fiennes's 20 best film performances – ranked! 2021-01-28T05:00:00Z

It doesn’t have The End of the F***ing World’s humour, or Stranger Things’s heart. I Am Not Okay With This: more Big Teen Emotions from the Stranger Things team 2020-02-22T05:00:00Z

The intimidating, even obfuscating aura of respect for his work among cinephiles magnifies its machismo and intelligence, but obscures its humour. The dark comedy of Werner Herzog 2011-03-05T00:07:49Z

The grumpy aide is just like Malcolm Tucker, except without humour or insight or swearing. Is Kay Burley's new book any good? 2011-03-30T19:30:00Z

Crucially, the scores were not correlated with self-reported “sense of humour”. How funny do you think you are? Personality quiz 2017-01-01T05:00:00Z

It works because it appeals to my sense of humour, and I have a genuine reverence for both parties. 'I have a tattoo of Bruce Springsteen wearing 3D glasses on my leg' 2011-02-08T11:56:00Z

"The humour of everyday life is way funnier than what the comedians do on TV," Pekar once said. Harvey Pekar dies 2010-07-13T12:25:00Z

Didn't have to use too much of it, because the live stuff worked, and we had for the first time since 1736 some humour in 'Stenders, and it was lovely. Rewind TV: Bert and Dickie; Amy Winehouse – The Day She Came to Dingle; Absolutely Fabulous; Line of Duty; Twenty Twelve 2012-07-28T23:06:01Z

"The Danish sense of humour is a lot like it is in the UK," says Hagen. Heard the one about the invasion of the Danish comedians? 2013-02-22T09:55:58Z

It took black folk unimaginable resources of creativity, humanity, humour and generosity to detoxify it for their own collective sanity. The N-Word: a volcano kept active by the flickering embers of racism 2021-05-22T04:00:00Z

Marc Viñas, 41 Sales executive, Penguin Random House, Barcelona When I first met Roberta, I fell in love with her intelligence and sense of humour. Love across the divide: couples on Brexit, politics and religion 2019-03-24T04:00:00Z

It was a cocoon of family and friends with the occasional food drop from the SES, all endured with humour and love. How we stay together: we debate absolutely everything – but we fight fair 2020-02-22T05:00:00Z

He is a man of dry humour and intellectual curiosity. The Investigation by Philippe Claudel – review 2013-02-07T09:00:02Z

Conversations are laced with information and humour, and, oddly, not as much in-fighting as you'd expect. Top 10 US podcasts for road trip listening 2013-07-19T23:10:00Z

Is my sense of humour not feminine enough? The Austrian says he’s turned off by women who are dominant in bed 2015-07-04T04:00:00Z

An unmistakable dash of humour, even when your nerves are being shredded. The Last of the Vostyachs by Diego Marani – review 2012-08-14T13:45:01Z

Nonetheless, everything was wonderfully described and I loved the wit and humour in the dialogue. House of Secrets by Chris Columbus and Ned Vizzini - review 2013-04-12T11:00:00Z

Despite its humour, the reality of this film strikes hard. Every Studio Ghibli film – ranked! 2020-01-28T05:00:00Z

He was the secret agent with the twinkle of humour in his eye, and who put wit into his elegant, educated tones, which deepened and decelerated into a sensual purr as his tenure went on. Roger Moore: the modest, self-deprecating 007 who brought some serious aplomb | Peter Bradshaw 2017-05-23T04:00:00Z

A lot of subjects aren't funny, but you can make humour of them. Paul Feig: Hollywood's accidental feminist 2013-07-20T05:00:00Z

Policemen are not generally noted for their sense of humour, but Marchbank proves a fine exception. 24:7 theatre festival 2010-07-27T14:28:00Z

Presumably Matthew Woods learned a powerful lesson about the potential consequences of tasteless humour when a 50-strong mob turned up at his house and the police had to arrest him for his own safety. Matthew Woods deserves support as much as airport tweeter Paul Chambers 2012-10-12T08:20:03Z

Ben Arnold Four-part series examining and celebrating Jewish culture, and specifically Jewish humour. TV listings and previews: plan your week's viewing - 8-12 October 2012-10-08T08:00:00Z

Laughing at Pontius Pilate can be also be fatal, but even with the threat of facing wabid, wild animals within the week, resistance to overgrown schoolboy humour is futile. Clip joint: getting the giggles 2013-07-17T16:38:50Z

The narrator is country simple, with a voice that is full of truth and humour, but this isn't just smalltown America: he faces seriously violent big-time gangsters as well as small-time criminals. Your books of the year 2012-12-28T22:55:18Z

Looking back, the Carry On humour hasn’t dated well. End of empire: why Bollywood needs to grasp India's story 2017-02-22T05:00:00Z

These dissonant character sketches bring class warfare, horror, humour, occasional warmth and all the raw terrors of being a teenager. Streamadelica: the 30 best box sets to watch before you die 2019-01-26T05:00:00Z

They have even caught his loose-limbed gait, his obsequiousness smirk, and strange staccato laugh disconnected from humour. The Conman: How One Man Fooled the Modern Art Establishment 2010-04-09T23:06:00Z

There was humour to be found in your honesty, but also much sadness. 'I wasn't there at the end': your biggest regrets in life 2017-11-01T04:00:00Z

Exceptionally polite and affable, he's happy to answer a string of questions both thoughtfully and with puckish good humour. Smooth operator 2012-02-12T00:04:04Z

All the characters in the story are full of humour and personality. The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall - review 2012-12-13T09:00:00Z

Instead, they were almost always forged, in the first instance, through a sense of class-cultural affinity – shared humour, taste or lifestyle. The class pay gap: why it pays to be privileged 2019-02-07T05:00:00Z

Jack also remembered him as "a wickedly funny man" whose "passion, genius and sense of humour will be terribly missed by his family and friends". Bond composer Barry dies aged 77 2011-01-31T13:19:53Z

“It might sound hyperbolic, and I haven’t had much coffee, but humour has saved my life, I think.” Abby McEnany: 'When guys dream of lesbians, they're not thinking of me' 2019-12-04T05:00:00Z

Two further parts follow, one called "Night Guards", the other "Body Guards", and the tone becomes darker, the mood more tense, the characters more complex and less agreeable, though it's never without humour. Neighbouring Sounds – review 2013-03-24T00:06:39Z

Here is this week's tripartite nightmare … It's a pretty awful comedy, tired, almost contemptuously lazy, without any of the Farrellys' inspired black humour. Plummet Hollywood: what's happened to Owen Wilson, Aaron Eckhart and Naomi Watts? 2011-03-10T13:16:27Z

Much of the film’s humour derives from Benjamin’s evident discomfort in most social situations, contrasted with the glib glamour of his parents’ cohort. Here’s to you, Mrs Robinson: why The Graduate unites warring generations 50 years on 2017-06-15T04:00:00Z

As critics have shown, Pym's gifts include dispassionate irony, absurd humour, the depiction of London as a place of endless eccentricity, and a humanistic concern for the lives of the lonely. Letters: Barbara Pym is no Miss Marple 2013-06-06T19:59:01Z

As well as humouring bequiffed womanisers who referred to themselves in the third person, they raised a trio of well-rounded kids, one of whom even went on to become a famous film director. Six to watch: TV's best parents 2012-05-21T15:35:15Z

I wanted to see if middle-aged Jimmy had fight in him, how he’d cope or wouldn’t cope, how his sense of humour would help in his battle. Q&A: Roddy Doyle, author of ‘The Commitments,’ ‘The Guts’ 2014-02-08T00:56:37Z

As one reader said, the author might describe the short story as a melancholic form, but readers relished them for their humour. Guardian book club: The Collected Stories by Lorrie Moore 2010-04-23T23:07:00Z

“What I remember most in this moment of painful leave-taking is his humour, intelligence, wisdom and kindness,” she wrote. 'We are all so devastated': tributes pour in to Alan Rickman from acting world 2016-01-14T05:00:00Z

Written between 1951 and 1993, the letters are full of acerbic wit, insight, playfulness, self-deprecating humour and a nostalgic yearning for simpler times. Paperback writer 2010-03-16T14:13:00Z

Though some might dismiss their work as miserablist dirge, an Eeyored monologue backed by guitars, this would be to overlook the National's keen sense of lyrical humour, their delight in language and musical experimentation. The National: 'Our songs are about death – but in really fun ways' 2013-05-10T06:00:10Z

She was well-known for her trenchant opinions of the personalities of the music world, and her conversation was always peppered with humour, sometimes with a slightly edgy twist, carrying echoes of a difficult childhood. Valerie Watts 2010-07-14T16:21:00Z

In my mind, my answer teetered between sincerity and dry humour. Asymmetric love, part four: the view from the other side 2016-01-21T05:00:00Z

And keeping your sense of humour helps enormously too. A day in the life of a sex therapist 2015-07-18T04:00:00Z

You could see Hilarie's sweetness in the way she humoured our families. One Tree Hill and me: the true cost of renting your home to a hit TV show 2012-07-27T22:00:46Z

Yet for all the quibbles US critics have not entirely written off the new show with Entertainment Weekly singling out the show's humour and Variety hailing its "offbeat charm". Torchwood: Miracle Day - critical view from the US 2011-07-11T11:25:14Z

Raymond was relaxed and unflappable throughout, with a gently ironic humour. Letter: Making a scene with Raymond Cusick at Wimbledon theatre 2013-03-13T12:17:59Z

On paper, the mix of coarse humour and yuckity gore seems a slapstick treat, but the resultant movie is as heavy on its feet and as well-timed in its gags as its goofy-footed anti-hero. Mark Kermode's DVD round-up 2013-03-03T00:05:21Z

Many funny writers don't have a sense of humour. Craig Brown: The Lost Diaries 2010-10-01T23:05:00Z

Now, it's the deaths of good friends which fuel a lot of her coping-mechanism humour. A new film presents a revealing portrait of the comedian Joan Rivers 2010-10-25T06:00:00Z

She knew it was important to experience "the various humours ordained and created by Nature." Poem of the week: Of Many Worlds in This World by Margaret Lucas Cavendish 2012-07-02T10:52:13Z

She comes across as urbane, with a big sense of humour, and a wild streak. Patricia Clarkson: ‘I’m a free spirit… this is the life I want’ 2019-03-10T05:00:00Z

“Paris were frankly a bunch of complete maniacs,” says Power with affection, while “there was a British sense of humour about the actions here”. Giant condoms and buckets of fake blood: the true story of Aids activists Act Up 2018-04-06T04:00:00Z

Rather, it's the crispness, humour and beauty of the prose that make this book worth seeking out.  Top 10 books on the ancient world 2010-09-29T12:08:00Z

You can see it in his lunges at comedy: only Arnold Schwarzenegger has been more dogged and less convincing in his efforts to advertise his sense of humour. Tom Cruise, the bankable kook 2012-07-05T15:19:32Z

I think that mix of joy and sorrow, humour and pathos which Heidi does so well, was undoubtedly a part of it. Pippa Harris interview: 'People quite liked being made to cry' 2012-07-22T18:06:01Z

We felt the need to leaven things with more humour. Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould on Better Call Saul: 'It could have been a huge flop' 2016-02-16T05:00:00Z

Though calling it humour may be putting it a bit strong. Last night's TV 2011-07-04T20:59:01Z

One thing is clear: given the negative link between black humour and aggression, anyone who argues that a mean sense of humour leads to meanness in real life must be joking. Sick jokes and intelligence: is there a link? Quiz | Ben Ambridge 2017-04-09T04:00:00Z

The appeal, I think, was its gentleness and humour – and the fact that anything small and woolly sells. How we made The Wombles 2013-04-22T16:16:00Z

Comedian has attacked the three presenters of BBC1's Top Gear as unfunny "uber-conservatives" whose attempts at humour are more tragic than comic. Steve Coogan attacks Top Gear's 'ignorant' stars 2011-02-05T21:32:50Z

Eventually a dear friend, Xandra Bingley, happened to telephone me, after which she fed and cared for me with the most generous willingness and good humour until I was better. Diana Athill: Why I moved into an old people's home 2010-04-16T23:35:00Z

An unlikely choice, perhaps, but Chris Rock has a passion for politics and pop culture combined with a fierce sense of humour. Who will replace Jon Stewart? 2015-02-11T05:00:00Z

I would encourage all readers who like a bit of seriousness mixed in with a sense of humour to read this. Flip by Martyn Bedford ? review 2011-03-04T09:31:09Z

Nasty humour might raise a few smiles from a mainstream audience, but how are you going to get readers to pick up your robot-emblazoned book in the first place? Douglas Adams is still the king of comic science fiction 2013-03-11T12:55:34Z

The humour was of the driest variety, not the usual knockabout, and left an indelible impression. Letter: Richard Griffiths was a brilliant Bottom for the RSC 2013-04-14T15:36:26Z

Beyond a certain pitch of intelligence, I'd say, it is hard not to find the humour, somewhere. What to Look for in Winter by Candia McWilliam - review 2011-08-18T09:00:01Z

Their special talent is to do this without succumbing to hollow nihilism, thanks mainly to the sincerity with which they appreciate old-fashioned showtunes and scatological humour. Why British critics don't get The Book of Mormon 2013-03-26T18:40:04Z

Or was it simply the cocky sense of humour that led Rolf to instruct the crowd in how best to invite him back for an encore? Rolf Harris at Glastonbury 2010 2010-06-25T11:58:00Z

What sets them a little apart is that they seem on a mission to inject a little self-deprecating humour into this rather po-faced world. This week's new live music 2013-03-09T06:00:12Z

“For us, the entire world was one big comedy act – so if something bad happens, we know in our family that humour is a great Band-Aid.” Shane Jacobson: 'I feel I’ve got to constantly prove myself' 2013-07-26T04:43:04Z

In this tasty 90 minutes of wild humour tinged with quiet sadness there is a great deal to savour besides the giant prawn. Mongrel Island ? review 2011-07-24T17:10:01Z

Actor Martin Short opened the good humoured ceremony at the Dolby Theatre with a song-and-dance routine set to a medley of melodies from Brooks' films. Brooks given Hollywood honour 2013-06-07T11:03:30Z

And “at really fancy shoots, a celebrity fecalist will study your bowel movements and adjust your humours.” Books of The Times: Tina Fey Is Greek and Also Teutonic, but She Isn?t a Troll 2011-04-03T21:52:49Z

A lot of the humour in Bed Trick, which I wrote as well as directed, is based on misunderstandings in language. Bed Trick: how we made a short film inspired by The Changeling 2013-05-16T11:21:14Z

But the comedy, or the wit, or whatever grown-up word best describes Jackson's wry humour, combines with a deft narrative acceleration to give his story the kind of straightforward appeal that literary fiction often lacks. Mick Jackson: 'Taking pity on the reader' 2010-04-08T09:41:00Z

His poems develop from a moment felt, or remembered – with pain or pleasure, regret or wry humour – while his observations avoid the judgments they invite. Your books of the year 2012-12-28T22:55:18Z

James is very much his father's son, intelligent and cultured, with a sly sense of humour. It's a gut reaction: how other people's bacteria can cure us – extract 2013-03-31T00:05:02Z

But in the face of the abuse the project uncovered, the sheer strength, ingenuity and humour of women shone like a beacon. What I have learned from five years of Everyday Sexism 2017-04-17T04:00:00Z

Dalton ticks this box, but that's not to say he's devoid of humour; it's just that the wit is drier and more deadpan. My favourite Bond film: The Living Daylights 2012-10-05T09:48:12Z

The Man is trying to drag the kids' bag, but good sense and good humour wins the day. Pop at the pictures: When Cliff Richard ruled the charts 2012-08-23T12:28:59Z

He laughed a lot, so hopefully he thinks I’ve got a decent sense of humour. Blind date: ‘My memory is a little frosty’ 2018-10-06T04:00:00Z

It was often very funny – bubbling with joyful absurdity – but the humour prickled at your conscience. Best theatre of 2012, No 7: Ganesh versus the Third Reich 2012-12-13T16:02:59Z

In the pit the BBC Symphony Orchestra, sounding refreshed by a break from the , tirelessly brought out the colour and humour in the score. Bliss; BBC Prom 61: H?nsel and Gretel 2010-09-04T23:06:00Z

Now we can see the humour behind the Donald McGill sexism – and men's sometime helplessness in the face of female pulchritude is a perfectly legitimate subject for humour. The Two Ronnies: the double act's popularity is still booming 2010-12-23T10:30:00Z

Fountain succeeds in making Luxor seem seedily enticing, though there's a coarseness to the humour that you might expect from the ultimate hen party destination. Queen of the Nile – review 2013-04-22T17:08:30Z

There is an understated humour in the poem which brings the world of the hedge sparrows, and indeed ourselves, into sharp focus. Richard Price poem to represent Team GB in Cultural Olympiad project 2012-07-26T14:22:47Z

Yet there is no miserabilism in this wonderful film, but rather terrific grit and humour. The 50 top films of 2017 in the US: No 2 The Florida Project 2017-12-21T05:00:00Z

It is told with pace and verve and bitter, black humour. Critical eye: book reviews roundup 2010-04-02T23:06:00Z

It's an odd experience, going to the theatre with a small child: there are occasional moments of humour for the adults in this adaptation, but that's not what it's about. Which stage shows are best for young children? 2013-07-08T12:52:21Z

Much of this humour invites the reader to wonder if Charlie is really as innocent as everyone thinks. The Gamal by Ciarán Collins – review 2013-04-27T10:00:01Z

Reflecting the humour in Davies's work, there will also be an appearance from Monty Python member Terry Jones – a booking that the curator ascribes to his being one of his north London neighbours. Ray Davies reveals lineup for 2011 Meltdown festival 2011-03-24T11:59:35Z

Beneath the impassive breast of the new president of the European council, Herman van Rompuy, must beat a previously undetected sense of humour. In praise of? the haiku 2010-04-18T23:05:00Z

Apart from a run-in with the regimental chaplain, who was provoked at one point by my aggressive humour into the un-Christian act of imitating me, there was little friction. Philip French: my life as a stammerer 2010-12-26T00:05:05Z

“He will be fondly remembered for his gruff vocals, his self-deprecating humour and the haunting lyrics that made his songs the perennial favourite of so many generations.” Celebrities Offer Tributes to Leonard Cohen 2016-11-11T05:00:00Z

“You see it today in Australia with people like Josh Thomas doing stand-up, all working off that older heritage of knock-about subversive humour.” Geoffrey Rush: 'Art doesn’t do well in the dark. But that’s where we’ve put it' 2013-07-15T05:13:00Z

Jen and I managed to navigate the conundrums with a healthy dose of humour and compromise. Our gay wedding: ‘Does one of us have to play the groom?’ 2016-11-12T05:00:00Z

Soon after, his guitar playing completely captivated us and his northern humour had us in stitches. Mick Ronson: sideman and Starman 2013-04-25T11:24:51Z

Vargas uses her academic background in archaeology in unexpected ways which, nevertheless, work perfectly within her stories; there's also a strong vein of humour running through her work. World literature tour: France 2011-03-28T11:30:33Z

They have restored levels of low-key warmth and humour to balance the dark, high-stakes storylines that accompanied the original trio's departures and threatened to engulf the show. Was the BBC right to kill off Being Human? 2013-03-08T13:02:15Z

To be an empathetic comedian you have to have that touch of self-deprecating humour that comes from being different or the other. TV executives stifling new comedy, says veteran producer 2013-06-25T13:38:37Z

Against: Or, brought immensely irritating camp humour, depending on your camp humour-tolerance levels. Poll: Who is the best Batman? 2012-07-18T10:19:00Z

So I kind of mask it with humour.” Maya Rudolph: ‘I'm not a woman in comedy. I'm a comedian' 2015-12-05T05:00:00Z

Such a great sense of humour, so subtle, even when he was 14. Jason Bateman: ‘My dirty secret? Playing the straight man. Because he gets to be in every scene’ 2014-10-09T04:00:00Z

British television is currently bereft of awe-inspiring, surrealist humour, and we need more of it. Vic Reeves & Bob Mortimer return to TV with Lucky Sexy Winners 2012-08-17T23:05:00Z

JNR Comedy Exchange 10pm, Dave As pretty much every comedy show apart from The Office has discovered, British humour, like strong cheese, is something that doesn't travel well. Sport Relief 2010 | Dom Joly and the Black Island | Comedy Exchange | South Park and more | Watch this 2010-03-19T06:45:00Z

Famously witty as an individual, his music is full of subtle humour, well represented in this gentle, occasionally dark but finally benign comedy. La Cenerentola - a musical guide 2012-06-19T12:21:43Z

Gil threw down the gauntlet, challenging us all to get involved, be informed, retain a sense of humour and do the right thing. Gil Scott-Heron: poet, campaigner and America's rough healer 2010-04-16T23:08:00Z

It’s a fantastic exploration of that specific pain, with humour and biting wit. Insecure's Natasha Rothwell: 'I was deeply obsessed with David Brent' 2020-07-15T04:00:00Z

Norris takes the story back to very early versions of the tale, with fairies and gruesome child-eating ogres as well as earthy humour and a touch of magic. This week's new theatre 2012-12-22T00:04:01Z

There is perhaps less humour and irreverence in the LA exhibits than in the previous shows. A museum devoted to the wreckage of lost love 2016-06-11T04:00:00Z

Without overstating the comparisons it's not a bad description, because Bluestone 42 is a series that similarly deals in gallows humour as it follows the travails of a British bomb disposal team in Afghanistan. TV highlights 05/03/2013 2013-03-05T07:00:13Z

As a bandleader, I try to pass on the same family values that I grew up with: help people, hang on to your sense of humour, be tolerant and keep your judgments to yourself. Jools Holland: My family values 2012-06-01T23:05:12Z

We had some criticism, people saying they thought it was cruel, but you have to have a sense of humour to go to an ugly dog contest. Experience: I own the world’s ugliest dog 2016-06-17T04:00:00Z

The film, full of black humour and suspense, opened in France a few weeks ago to public and critical approval. Alain Corneau obituary 2010-08-31T15:39:00Z

Six episodes in and Bluestone 42 seems to have settled down rather too quickly, which is another way of saying its humour isn't close enough to the bone. TV highlights 09/04/2013 2013-04-09T06:00:01Z

It has a rawness and also a humour that often eludes selections made by overly academic curators. Robert Mapplethorpe: sexual terrorist 2010-09-21T21:00:00Z

The Mill on the Floss is about the rise and fall of a Lincolnshire family and moves subtly between humour, polemic and tragedy. Read 'em and keep: what are the books to pass on to the next generation? 2011-03-28T19:30:01Z

Some choose to treat their anxieties through surreal humour. France's 'lost generation' of jobless youth finds film portrait in Juliette 2013-07-20T23:06:06Z

But their sly humour remains one of Kraftwerk's most enduring suits. Kraftwerk – review 2013-02-10T00:06:14Z

He had a gadfly mind, a strongly contrarian streak and a mischievous sense of humour. The Life and Thought of Herbert Butterfield by Michael Bentley ? review 2011-07-15T21:55:05Z

Lassoing together a plot that involves freak tennis accidents, a pterodactyl on the loose and affable resurrected mummies forced Besson to crank up the kind of daffy humour that made The Fifth Element sparkle. Sacré bleu! Why Franco-Belgian comic-book movies are more fun than Marvel and DC 2017-08-02T04:00:00Z

While Anne is still lucid, there is deeply moving gentleness and humour in their relationship. Cannes 2012: Amour ? review 2012-05-20T14:26:48Z

With courage, good humour and gentleness, Georges and Anne confront their destiny, and in the shadow of death, their relationship is deeply moving. Amour – review 2012-11-15T15:29:01Z

I also think that her honesty, humour and self-deprecating defiance are criminally underestimated. Girl Least Likely To by Liz Jones – review 2013-07-06T13:00:00Z

He said director Edward Hall "marvellously nails the humour and the pathos of the piece" and praised Miriam Buether's set design featuring scores of speaker cabinets. Sunny reviews for Kinks musical 2014-05-02T12:35:07Z

Both seemed to depend for their limited humour on in-jokes that I, for one, wasn't getting. YouTube Comedy Week, day 3: Doc Brown, Jamie Oliver – and Adrian Chiles? 2013-05-22T13:13:34Z

Throughout his tenure he was gently mocked for his limited acting range and reliance on stunt doubles, ribbing he tolerated with typical good humour. James Bond: Cars, catchphrases and kisses 2012-10-25T07:05:41Z

She does humour well, too, as her videos show. Ones to watch in 2013: Charli XCX 2013-01-03T10:00:03Z

If they weren't so good humoured about the ridiculousness of it all, you'd want to laugh at them. From Viva Brother to Lovelife 2012-08-13T15:02:00Z

The revival's triumph, not unexpectedly, is Sir Colin Davis, who brings a wise combination of delicacy, humour, heart, head and munificence to the score, and wins glorious playing from the orchestra. The Pearl Fishers, Le Nozze de Figaro 2010-06-05T23:05:00Z

But it’s in exactly the spirit of risky and narcissistic industry humour the Academy awards want: selfie comedy. Oscars 2017: Jimmy Kimmel the safe choice for host but sparks unlikely to fly 2016-12-05T05:00:00Z

Wit and humour are always a good measure for the humane scholar. Letters: 'Peter Worsley was one of Britain's sociology superstars' 2013-04-02T16:45:38Z

But by far the best quality was the fantastical world – oh, and the wonderfully odd sense of humour too. House of Secrets by Chris Columbus and Ned Vizzini - review 2013-04-12T11:00:00Z

But very soon I warmed to the charm, intelligence and good humour, and ended up thinking the film something of a triumph. Much Ado About Nothing – review 2013-06-15T23:06:00Z

Amstell likes to play with form a little too – by dropping the microphone, for instance – and is a wonderfully exact user of language, the root of most of his humour. Comedy gold: Simon Amstell's Do Nothing 2012-11-15T12:00:55Z

Already Utopia feels more than the sum of these parts: a fully realised world with a distinct look, and a heightened tone that's confident enough to cut from humour to gore to big thriller moments. Utopia: episode one 2013-01-15T23:25:01Z

It might have made a sad story but, told as it is with zest and humour, it becomes a love song to her adoptive parents. Summer reading: 'coalition books' 2010-07-16T23:05:00Z

However, some humour was cut “otherwise the audience wouldn’t pay attention to the next scene.” Kicks: sneaker violence gets its own movie 2016-09-09T04:00:00Z

"Kelly's work demonstrates her flawless structural technique and passionate commitment to emotion, humour and depth of character, which is particularly visible in the celebrated screenplay for the upcoming Saving Mr Banks," De Luca said. Fifty Shades of Grey film hires Terra Nova writer 2012-10-09T09:37:48Z

But mostly, a sly and lovely humour dominates. This Is the Way by Gavin Corbett – review 2013-02-20T09:01:01Z

She was one of our best-loved actresses and there was always a touch of humour or a glint of wickedness about her. Gavin and Stacey actress dies at 84 2011-02-02T13:47:51Z

Instead of treating their characters with documentary-style solemnity or, worse, pity, they depict them with rambunctious humour and blunt honesty, and gift them huge, cinematic stories. Meet the new hotshots of American film-making 2017-10-22T04:00:00Z

Courteous and warm, his exceptional intellect was balanced by an endearing, even impish, sense of humour. Elliott Carter remembered: 'Music seemed to erupt from his very being' 2012-11-06T18:41:42Z

Hitchcock wryly called his box-office flop an "expensive self-indulgence"; to Truffaut, he said that "the humour is quite rich". The Trouble With Harry: Hitchcock's lost masterpiece 2012-07-02T18:00:01Z

Madden can attest to her sense of "warmth and humanity" and youthful humour. Stars check back into Marigold Hotel 2015-02-25T05:00:00Z

Kehlmann's idiosyncratic sense of humour adds to the atmosphere of light surrealism: in a nightclub, a Princess Diana lookalike gets up on stage and sings "Happy Birthday, Mr President". Fame by Daniel Kehlmann 2010-09-19T11:57:00Z

"Kingfisher!" shout the boys, humouring their dad because it could play dividends later. Last night's TV 2010-05-17T07:00:00Z

I ask if he can explain his humour. Bill Bailey: Bill's excellent adventure 2013-04-19T14:00:00Z

Daily Show host Stewart took on conservative blowhard O'Reilly in a debate that mixed moments of humour with a bit of serious political stuff, and largely wiped the floor with him. Catch-up TV Guide: From The Rumble In The Air-Conditioned Auditorium to Portlandia 2012-10-12T23:05:30Z

A new exhibition highlights how black humour helped troops cope with the horror of World War One. WW1 show explores role of humour 2014-06-18T04:00:00Z

The duo have worked together as Belshazzar's Feast for nearly 20 years, and developed a style that mixes their celebrated sense of humour with some very fine musicianship. Belshazzar's Feast: Stocking Fillers – review 2012-11-15T22:15:01Z

He retained his energy, humour and his amazing capacity to work. Top India artist MF Husain dies 2011-06-09T18:14:09Z

My Dad had a lively sense of humour, he was always cracking jokes. Top 10 tips for being a comedian 2014-10-24T04:00:00Z

Just as most fishermen don't like the taste of fish, many humorists don't have a sense of humour. Craig Brown: The Lost Diaries 2010-10-01T23:05:00Z

My own belief, for what it's worth, is that any form of attack is best leavened with humour. How rude should theatre critics be? 2011-07-29T14:03:46Z

Joachim is taken by the girls' incredible spirit, their generosity, their humour, their intelligence. Cannes film festival: Mathieu Amalric 2010-05-17T20:35:00Z

From Chaucer to Wodehouse to Waugh, the English sense of humour has always proudly been held dear and adored. Let's start a comedy crime wave 2010-08-03T10:36:00Z

The search is entirely good humoured, with no sense of parental irritation at his disappearance! The best children's books: 0-2 year-olds 2010-05-12T07:00:00Z

Written in old age with a final flourish of inspiration, the score bristles with complex counterpoint, rapid madrigal patter, wild humour and explosive, trill-laden orchestration. Falstaff; Tallis Scholars ? review 2012-05-19T23:06:20Z

Elizabeth Hillman from the Discovery Channel said the team would miss his "straightforward honesty, wicked sense of humour and enormous heart". 2010-02-10T17:42:00Z

With startling honesty they examine the friction between individuals and society, as well as exposing the secret collusion between love and property, and their ironic humour is often a reflex of despair. The Real Jane Austen: A Life in Small Things by Paula Byrne – review 2013-01-17T11:03:01Z

The humour here is zany, there are misses as well as hits, but it's an entertaining romp through some big ideas and some teensy, ticklish details. The Detective Show 2010-09-30T20:45:00Z

But it sometimes lacks a sense of humour, and although it is as multilayered in construction as Your Last Breath, it lacks that show's emotional complexity. After the Rainfall – Edinburgh festival review 2012-08-09T11:22:08Z

It's the same enthusiasm he brings to his roles, an almost maniacal happiness and humour that dances in his eyes, even at inappropriate moments. Jeff Goldblum: the Buddha of Hollywood 2010-07-12T20:30:00Z

It's hard to imagine any of them being in the running for the Orange prize were they writing today unless they'd balanced out their humour with something bleak. Orange prize 'grimness' is not the fault of women novelists 2010-03-18T12:00:00Z

They've spent a very long time as the Next Big Thing, beloved of audiences and critics who go mad for their ultra-exuberant, gloriously ramshackle brand of humour, but never making the jump into the mainstream. Pappy's: the boys who never grew up 2013-07-20T05:00:00Z

The book crackles with the same dry humour as its title. Because it was there 2015-11-19T05:00:00Z

Humour is a horribly subjective thing, and asking readers to post their favourite songs with jokes was making a request that required personal taste to be applied to both humour and music. Readers recommend ? the results: songs with jokes 2010-09-02T22:31:00Z

The Wipers Times, which combined dark humour and satirical swipes at allies and enemies, was set up after troops discovered an abandoned printing press on the battlefield. Michael Palin returns to TV drama in The Wipers Times 2013-07-01T23:00:02Z

I don’t know if you really want to get into anything, even a 90-minute encounter over steak and chips, with someone who objects to their humour being critiqued as “unfeminine”, I said. The Austrian says he’s turned off by women who are dominant in bed 2015-07-04T04:00:00Z

This mad reality blends everything – injustice with humour, anger with grace, compassion with clairvoyance, comedy with tragedy. Why Shakespeare is … Palestinian 2012-06-11T14:10:02Z

Drawn with humour and affection, Hannah's world is utterly convincing: colostrum for the lambs is kept in the scullery, while udder cream is brought out to cure any skin ailment. The Secret Hen House Theatre by Helen Peters – review 2012-07-13T21:40:01Z

The first disc was mainly a collection of love songs, albeit with a singular, reliably dark humour, but the second was a concept album about a teenager struggling through his parents' protracted, bruising separation. Cosmo Jarvis: 'My generation is the worst' 2011-08-11T21:30:01Z

His early non-fiction is stamped with the mark of total self-belief, and faith in the ideology for which he was fighting, which can lead to moments of unintended humour now. A life in writing: Tariq Ali 2010-05-07T23:18:00Z

Morgan maintained a line in self-deprecating humour, and had a rich and sonorous voice that worked beautifully in performance. Pete Morgan obituary 2010-07-15T16:54:00Z

Very often when the most grim things are happening, the bitterest humour comes out. Michael Palin: 'I will die, but not retire' 2013-07-04T17:30:52Z

"At first we tread lightly in terms of the situations Blue finds herself in, and there are certainly moments of humour," she says. Julia Stiles: Older roles are better 2015-03-01T05:00:00Z

If the hype is to be believed, cats are the epitome of modern web humour. What effect has the internet had on comedy? 2011-04-02T23:07:08Z

Personally, I liked the character of Mila, especially her witty humour in dire situations. MILA 2.0 by Debra Driza 2013-07-09T08:00:00Z

I'd thought he might be quite forbidding but he's a great storyteller with a healthy sense of humour that he's happy to turn against himself. Stewart Brand and the Whole Earth Catalog, the book that changed the world 2013-05-04T23:00:04Z

He is a great South American novelist but one who combines that continent's vibrant and malign profusion, its energy and crazy humour, with what might be termed a European intellectual rigour. Mario Vargas Llosa: an unclassifiable Nobel winner 2010-10-08T10:50:00Z

A lot of people take themselves so seriously: they couldn't imagine injecting humour into a song. Happy hour again: Paul Heaton tours UK pubs on his bike 2012-06-06T17:30:11Z

Ehrlbruch gives the impression that he is an artist incapable of sentimentality, but his drawings have a delicacy and a sweet humour that help us cope with the immensity of the subject. In translation: nine authors pick their favourite children's fiction 2013-06-28T17:29:01Z

"Quite frankly I was tickled at the idea of playing here," he said, interrupting his all-Chopin programme with his characteristically fluent chat and sharp humour. Daniel Barenboim - review 2011-04-08T23:51:33Z

I liked his voice, his manner, his name, his vocabulary, his self-effacing charm, humour and, of course, his hair. Russell Brand: what I made of Morning Joe and Question Time 2013-06-28T19:06:09Z

Harnessing a sharp comedy sensibility to an arsenal of fascinating facts, she's a treat for anyone who matches a sense of humour with an inquiring mind. This week's new comedy 2012-06-22T23:06:21Z

After the video become popular online, she tweeted “Some people just don’t understand sarcasm or the British sense of humour”. Cara Delevingne: 'Some people just don't understand sarcasm' 2015-07-30T04:00:00Z

Neither was without humour, but a trio of classic farces would be insufferable. Michael Billington on marathon-length theatre 2012-07-01T20:30:01Z

It’s a not a mission for the faint-hearted: rescue a script in serious need of humour and writerly panache. Phoebe Waller-Bridge brought in to liven up new Bond script 2019-04-14T04:00:00Z

Contrary to the impression of a serious character, out of the media glare Maybury hails the actor as “enormous fun” on set and says he has a terrific, dry sense of humour. Daniel Craig: a reluctant Bond who has made the role his own 2015-10-25T04:00:00Z

Like nearly everything to which Palin has set his hand in a long and distinguished career, The Truth is immensely well-intentioned, resolutely on the side of the angels and overflowing with wry good humour. The Truth by Michael Palin – review 2012-07-13T21:55:03Z

I see in her someone with a sense of fairness, kindness and humour, which she gets from her mother – and I hope from me. Steve Coogan: my family values 2016-04-15T04:00:00Z

The stories are told with dignity and humour, and without judging the individuals or their choices. TV highlights – 09/05/2013 2013-05-09T05:59:01Z

A sci-fi book, packed full of adventure and humour, it made me think about all of the universe and how we were created. The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams - review 2012-08-28T14:00:00Z

Jean Genet, describing the "Palestinian revolution", said that the atmosphere was like Paris in '68 but with good humour and courtesy. After Tunisia: Ahdaf Soueif on Egypt 2011-01-28T13:00:00Z

Despite this, and the fact she refused to turn up before 11am, Taylor was very pleasant, with a good sense of humour. How we made Cleopatra 2013-07-15T17:59:00Z

The staging involves a lot of humour and activity. Heavy rock Coriolanus turns up volume 2013-08-21T01:27:33Z

He had a self-deprecating sense of humour, was a great cook and a very gentle and understanding person. Kim Gordon: ‘I'm not a badass, whatever that means’ 2019-12-21T05:00:00Z

She has a great voice, but also a sense of humour. Tulipa ? review 2011-04-01T21:30:01Z

Instead of buffoonery, he trades in a kind of dry sarcasm, although his humour seems ultimately good-natured rather than nasty. This week's new comedy 2010-06-04T23:06:00Z

There is a bit of fighting in this story but it's mainly humour. Blart: The Boy who Didn't Want to Save the World by Dominic Barker - review 2013-03-30T09:00:00Z

When Lichtenstein is faulted for being emotionally reserved, this is to deny that humour has an emotional impact. From heresy to visionary 2013-02-23T09:01:01Z

You look at other shows with a similar awkward humour, like The Office, and it's just people moaning about their jobs. Rhys Darby, comedian and actor: Portrait of the artist 2012-08-22T07:01:00Z

My dad, because he is full of integrity and good humour; and my grandad, because he's full of the same. Q&A: Matt Smith 2013-03-30T08:00:07Z

So I started to wonder if I could combine fairytale, darkness, humour and complexity to create a story worthy of a ballet. Raven Girl takes wing and flies onstage 2013-05-04T06:00:35Z

Cross-eyed Nuts humour is the greatest of all the arts. The Hard Sell: Go Compare 2012-07-13T23:10:46Z

There are few shows I just haven't got, or just don't understand the humour – such as Psychoville, but then I never got The League of Gentleman either. Casting a critical eye over the TV critics 2011-07-20T13:55:00Z

Iain Banks's ability to combine the most fertile of imaginations with his own highly distinctive brand of gothic humour made him unique. Iain Banks: tributes pour in for 'one of Scotland's literary greats' 2013-06-09T18:36:53Z

With its obvious, though never heavy-handed metaphors, about gardens and soil, Another Year moves the viewer through warmth and humour until a desperate and desolate sadness creeps in. Cannes: tales of misery, money markets and Maid Marian 2010-05-15T23:08:00Z

Treasures of Heaven includes the cult of Beckett – but it does not examine the treasury of profane humour that is The Canterbury Tales. Why did Chaucer not make it into Treasures of Heaven? 2011-08-05T13:31:37Z

His end, as a cheeky old man playing golf and seducing girls in the back seat of his car in Florida, is described with humour. Guts, greed and gushers 2016-05-26T04:00:00Z

Comedy is also essential to Hungarians; we need our sense of humour to deal with difficult situations. A brief guide to Hungarian cinema 2010-06-24T21:30:00Z

Handsome in an appealingly nerdy way, he had a sideways sense of humour that worked perfectly online – on Vines and podcasts. ‘Harris Wittels was the funniest person I ever met’ – Amy Poehler, Sarah Silverman and Aziz Ansari on a lost comic genius 2017-04-17T04:00:00Z

"I'm not going to suddenly stop admiring his unique comic talent because I've switched teams," he says, adding that there ought to be a vehicle to show off his "scabrous, dark, smart working-class Scottish humour". BBC's Shane Allen: 'I'm doing the job of comedy gods' 2013-03-24T18:15:01Z

"We will never forget Andrew's warm personality, fantastic sense of humour, kindness and zest for life," it said. Director Andrew McLaglen dies at 94 2014-09-03T04:00:00Z

Jackson has her cast deliver their dialogue in English which just adds to the unusual mood, with some wonderfully dour humour. This week's new DVD & Blu-ray 2011-08-19T23:08:01Z

In a coded, nuanced way, they delivered messages of rebellion, couched in a wry humour that allowed them to fly under the radar to the top of the charts. The Kinks: They really got me 2010-12-20T21:59:01Z

What he called his doodles were a bit like the man – deceptively simple, but imbued with wit and gentle good humour. Letter: Michael Gough obituary 2011-04-06T17:07:02Z

From what I saw, the TV series retains all the sense of humour and iconic style of Meadows's best cinematic work. Trailer Trash 2010-08-28T23:06:00Z

Much funnier than most "humour" books, began life as a blog, as did many giftable tomes this season. Christmas gifts 2012: the best stocking-filler books 2012-11-28T13:00:03Z

It's painful to report, then, that Perry's second album is a hard-nosed pop product with little of the humour or wit expressed so fluently by her wardrobe and choice of beau. Katy Perry: Teenage Dream 2010-08-21T23:06:00Z

Massey’s is an astonishing story – one of criminality and violence, regret and loss, humour and chutzpah, love and loyalty. 'You start getting bitter': what I learned from 43 years in prison 2018-07-28T04:00:00Z

Forty years later, Richard Linklater cited its melding of gallows humour with outright devastation as the gold standard to which his Before Midnight aspired. Bad romance: a thorny history of marital strife on film 2017-05-05T04:00:00Z

Vox pop at airports arrives glumly good humoured, even as deadlines click back by a day at a time. Smiling in the face of ash 2010-04-18T16:30:00Z

For all its brutality, Rick and Morty has made an artform out of dancing along the offensiveness line, keeping the humour sharp and savage without making it cruel, even when Rick himself is behaving cruelly. How Rick and Morty became TV’s most unlikely hit 2019-11-23T05:00:00Z

The book could easily have ended up as a series of Boy's Own tales of derring-do, but Fong elegantly balances heroism with rationalism, courage with compassion, shock with humility and humour. Anatomies by Hugh Aldersey-Williams; Extremes by Kevin Fong – review 2013-02-24T00:07:13Z

For setting an example and fighting hatred with humour. Samuel West: ‘My best kiss? Julia Roberts in Notting Hill, but they cut it’ 2020-10-24T04:00:00Z

Other highlights included a Mock the Week Andy Murray special which saw the Wimbledon champion showing he has a sense of humour as he was made the butt of most of the jokes. Sport Relief raises more than £51m 2014-03-22T03:34:56Z

Utterly devoid of wit, replacing that required virtue with banal repetitions and entirely predictable humour. Russell Brand to tour mosques and synagogues with new comedy show 2013-06-11T15:52:08Z

A flicker of humour 10 minutes from the end is the only acknowledgment that tragedy needs more than anguish to thrive. Review 2011-04-14T00:00:02Z

The story of their flight combines – in characteristically Hungarian ways – wide-eyed terror, near-lunacy and antic humour. Vilmos Zsigmond: the cinematographer who transformed how films look 2016-01-06T05:00:00Z

The humour came from seeing powerful targets such as Howard and Rudd squirm after being cornered into uncomfortable questioning during their light morning runs. Wednesday Night Fever gets off to a lukewarm start – TV review 2013-07-03T23:14:01Z

It's certainly spectacular, I just wonder if it's lost some of the intimacy it had in its early days in Bristol, and the humour. Last night's TV 2011-01-24T07:59:00Z

I knew exactly what I was in for going into this picture, but still emerged a blubbery mess, humours gushing from my nasolacrimal ducts with tidal force. Why Lion should win the best picture Oscar 2017-02-15T05:00:00Z

For one, scientific literature on humour and comedy is relatively sparse, and what there is of it is, as you might expect, not funny at all. Crowdsourced science blogging for Comic Relief 2013-03-12T12:00:00Z

Dickens, Sterne, Peacock, Chesterton, Waugh ... take humour out of the tradition, and it loses a vital element. Booker prize 2010 smiles on comic novels 2010-10-13T10:48:00Z

She also, it emerged again quietly, had precisely no sense of humour whatsoever. Rewind TV: Mad Men; Thatcher coverage; Off Their Rockers – review 2013-04-13T21:45:01Z

It was also clear, though, that his misguided attempts at humour had taken him into areas where there is little humour to be found. The man Cannes banned 2011-05-19T15:26:10Z

He says the default tone of the family was the Jewish-inflected wisecracking that became the default setting of American mainstream humour. Michael Tilson Thomas: 'The most important thing about music is what happens when it stops' 2012-05-25T12:04:46Z

I am deadly serious about writing humour and wanted my book to be judged on its merits and not according to my gender. The chick-lit debate: who in Playboy Mansion Hell calls women chicks? 2010-08-04T09:15:00Z

Photograph: PR Maclean’s film, however, possesses a good-natured, almost self-deprecating humour, undercutting any semblance of the maestro’s relentless cool. Existential cowboys: Slow West isn't the first European journey into US darkness 2015-06-26T04:00:00Z

Perhaps the most surprising thing for fans of the series are the moments when humour and light shine through the darkness. ‘Nicole Kidman asked for a part. Then it was fun to write a sequel’ 2017-07-08T04:00:00Z

In the early part of this book, Parks vents his commuting grievances with all the ferocity and paranoia of any "disgusted of Tunbridge Wells", albeit with better style and more black humour. Italian Ways by Tim Parks – review 2013-06-22T13:00:02Z

In Freedom, Patty's scornful sister Abigail complains of the "testosterone and potty humour" which has kept her from succeeding in the New York theatre world. Does Freedom reign? 2010-09-17T23:05:00Z

If you are a fan of dark humour you will enjoy reading this book. Blubbers and Sicksters by Jamie Rix - review 2013-03-14T09:00:00Z

Ensuring that families, school groups and community groups come back year on year requires a great deal of hard work, commitment, creativity, energy, money and a sense of humour. How can today's children's museums keep up with today's children? 2013-06-27T09:44:00Z

As far as humour goes, thin smiles and silent chuckles are all it raises. How Do You Know ? review 2011-01-30T00:06:09Z

The story of Kate, an earnest social crusader in 2012 who believes in organic food, doulas and not allowing her toddler daughter to wear pink, is also delivered with humour and panache. The Engagements by J Courtney Sullivan – review 2013-07-20T13:00:06Z

He was great fun to work with, a great sense of humour and wonderful ad libs. Tony Curtis: 'The king of cool is on his way up, with syrup' 2010-09-30T16:09:00Z

There's something Reithian about his humour, I suggest: inform, entertain and educate. Bill Bailey: Bill's excellent adventure 2013-04-19T14:00:00Z

Much of the humour in The IT Crowd stems from their inability to interact normally with others. The IT Crowd – box set review 2013-05-16T14:30:01Z

It highlights Lennon's sense of humour, and the rather childish and crude answers he gave show his unique wit. Lennon's landing card up for auction 2011-08-23T11:44:56Z

“My sense of humour definitely lubricated many a situation in a new school and I was able to understand people; I read people really well now.” Insecure’s Natasha Rothwell on being 2018’s funniest character 2018-12-18T05:00:00Z

Satire with humour … Matt Haig, speaking at the Edinburgh book festival. The Humans by Matt Haig – review 2013-05-15T07:00:04Z

It has so much that appeals: romance, gravity, action, humour and wish fulfilment. Marc Webb: the latest director caught in Spider-Man's web 2012-06-21T20:00:01Z

He has a fantastic sense of humour and some great 'catch phrases', he talks about "worlass" and the Allotment he and another swimmer managed to get last year. Swimmers plan a day of mourning as Newcastle cuts pool and Turkish baths 2013-03-25T17:05:33Z

There is a sense of slow change as disabled people fight back with their own brands of humour. Disability can be funny – just get disabled people to make the jokes 2018-07-18T04:00:00Z

Suddenly you realise you're in for not just humour but a seriously fine night of entertainment, and it just keeps on getting better. The Book of Mormon – review 2013-03-24T00:05:41Z

"We've got the same sense of humour, and he's a really fascinating person." It's time for you to talk 2011-08-12T23:06:39Z

At times, his humour is masterful and timeless. Ken Dodd: Don't call me eccentric 2013-11-08T08:12:01Z

Whether this is in contrast to the sofa oaf, or Samsung's sense of humour, is not made clear. The new Samsung TV advert 2013-06-22T05:00:00Z

Because it not only condemns a work of humour to the ghetto of the light and frivolous but it is also ridiculously outdated. The chick-lit debate: who in Playboy Mansion Hell calls women chicks? 2010-08-04T09:15:00Z

Rock's ability to stay focused on the humour may be a survival impulse ingrained from childhood, but the burdens of that trauma chafe under the surface. Yeah, he said it 2010-05-28T23:04:00Z

JNR Gallows humour must be part of working in a hospital, but it's testament to the quality of Getting On that more of the comedy derives from the characters than their particular situation. TV listings and previews: plan your week's viewing - 12-16 November 2012-11-12T08:09:51Z

Some unintended humour was added by the last-minute stand-in for Macduff, too big for the original actor's trousers, which impeded his bowing somewhat. Macbeth 2010-07-17T23:05:00Z

Huggins shaped it to star Garner, who shared his wry humour, and in his draft pilot, Huggins tried to break as many TV western rules as possible. James Garner obituary 2014-07-20T04:00:00Z

I loved them for many reasons – for their melodies, of course, and for their humour and their wit, and for their northernness. Hail, Hail Rock'n'Roll 2011-01-06T23:24:00Z

By engaging with their readers and speaking to them on their own level with humour and candour, Gould, Daum and Crosley seek to illuminate broader truths. Confessions in new women's lit: Emily Gould, Meghan Daum and Sloane Crosley 2010-07-31T23:06:00Z

We all loved his dry sense of humour and unflappable demeanour. Acts pay tribute to designer Fisher 2013-06-26T16:37:40Z

This film takes a national humiliation that destroyed a presidency and plucks from it a story that not only promotes American pluck, ingenuity and good humour, but uncovers the same qualities in Hollywood itself. Oscars 2013: what the nominations say about America 2013-02-21T16:00:00Z

The humour was there, although nowhere near the level of Infinity War. 'Epic on every level' – readers' Avengers: Endgame reviews with spoilers 2019-04-29T04:00:00Z

BBC entertainment commissioning controller Mark Linsey said: "Frank is one of the funniest faces on TV and his own individual style and unique humour is guaranteed to keep audiences laughing." Frank Skinner back on BBC Two 2010-02-22T15:03:00Z

Tune in, or drop out?Tune in, for a show that's high on concept and adept in execution – even if the humour signal comes and goes. The Imaginary Radio Programme – Edinburgh festival review 2012-08-08T09:30:28Z

There is some much-needed humour in his work, too, and I like the way he uses small internet interventions to spread his mischievous ideas. Les Rencontres d'Arles 2011 ? review 2011-07-09T23:06:19Z

In this book, I have little chapters on, say, medieval medicine, or punishment, or medieval humour, simply to convey the broad continuities that underlie this bewildering range of events. Peter Ackroyd: 'I just want to tell a story' 2011-08-25T13:51:05Z

I felt as if I'd had a really nice time, but I think humour needs some aspect of tragedy in order to be memorable. What's on Stephenie Meyer's ideal bookshelf? The works that made the artists 2012-11-25T00:05:41Z

“Of course, sense of humour is relative, is subjective, but there is an assumption that black people won’t find certain things about white comedies funny,” she says. Issa Rae: 'So much of the media presents blackness as fierce and flawless. I’m not' 2017-08-05T04:00:00Z

There are other parallels between the two movies, with many noting the Marvel-style humour that was present throughout The Last Jedi. Why superfans love Avengers: Infinity War and hate Star Wars: The Last Jedi 2018-05-02T04:00:00Z

Mom carried a lot on her shoulders when Dad was overseas and handled it with grace and good humour. Burt Reynolds: my family values 2016-01-22T05:00:00Z

Photograph: Christopher Baines Aside from trump gags, which they are very good at, there's also an acute perceptiveness to their humour that's often overlooked as mere silliness. Vic Reeves & Bob Mortimer return to TV with Lucky Sexy Winners 2012-08-17T23:05:00Z

Martel’s new film, Zama, is her first in nearly a decade, a feverish satire of colonial hubris with a delicious streak of absurdist humour. Lucrecia Martel: 'The Oscars are a joke' 2018-05-24T04:00:00Z

When Eva proposes visiting with her husband, Anne rejects the offer, commenting: "His British sense of humour is acceptable in small doses." Amour – review 2012-11-18T00:06:00Z

A jolly jape it is too, provided you enjoy Wodehouse's very particular brand of silly-ass humour and don't mind an extremely convoluted book, plus songs that often owe a considerable debt to Noël Coward. By Jeeves ? review 2011-02-21T17:48:27Z

He had quite a sense of humour and was absolutely not a cheap architect. Stairway to heaven: Jimmy Page’s castle is his home 2018-07-08T04:00:00Z

I don't read French but I could read the story based on the illustrations and the amazing artwork, the characters, the humour, the plot. Tintin brings out Steven Spielberg's motional side 2011-07-25T11:20:28Z

The humour of the Victorian music hall bridled against church-imposed morality. Radio: Esther Waters, a gripping play about a Victorian girl's fight for survival 2013-03-09T06:00:06Z

It is a show with a warm heart but a ruthlessly hilarious mind, and the mind always trumps the heart: happy endings are not guaranteed but dark humour definitely is. Arrested Development season four: the return of the greatest sitcom ever 2013-05-20T16:13:33Z

Few genuine legends of 1950s rock'n'roll are touring, never mind with such endearing humility and humour. Duane Eddy – review 2012-05-28T17:16:28Z

The comedian moved to Channel 4 after quitting BBC2 panel show Mock the Week, where his abrasive humour attracted complaints on several occasions. Katie Price threatens C4 over Frankie Boyle joke 2010-12-10T10:21:00Z

So far, Leuch is taking the hostile response with good humour, launching a blog dedicated to users' reactions. Justin Bieber erased from the internet! 2010-05-27T12:28:00Z

He had a very original sense of humour, as you'd expect, but he was always quite reserved. Schoolteachers of rock 2010-04-25T20:30:00Z

Readers are responding, she hopes, to "the combination of the sadness and the humour" in the novel. Brandford Boase award goes to My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece 2012-07-05T17:17:00Z

The Throne of the Crescent Moon by Saladin Ahmed is notable for its middle-eastern fantasy setting, but the work's real strengths are its deep sense of irony and dark humour. The best young sci-fi novelists 2013-04-15T11:51:22Z

Marson's account, though, sounds a surprising note of black humour: he hid from Downie in an adjoining room, readying to defend himself with the nearest object to hand – the script for episode two of "Timelash". JN-T: The Life and Scandalous Times of John Nathan-Turner by Richard Marson – review 2013-03-22T16:30:04Z

Shrigley sees the pieces as something between black humour and a conversational gambit about the nature of death. How to dispose of a dead pet: is taxidermy the very best option? 2017-12-04T05:00:00Z

Pitcher's handling of the subject is beautifully wrought and peppered with humour, layering the everyday teen experience with the extraordinary and traumatic. Annabel Pitcher wins Waterstones children's book prize 2013-03-21T20:00:00Z

Such boasts were effected with self-effacing good humour. Hugo Dixon obituary 2010-12-03T16:25:00Z

"Alternative" comedy is typically perceived as a reaction to the politically incorrect style of humour that Davidson embodies. Old school champion Jim Davidson aims to turn standup on its head 2010-09-16T16:06:00Z

It was set during and after the second world war and it featured the elements that typified her later work: life in small-town Ireland, family relationships, humour, and gripping plots. Maeve Binchy, bestselling Irish writer, dies aged 72 2012-07-30T23:18:52Z

When she endured a nervous breakdown, she rebounded by embracing her own ridiculousness; when her voice began to lose its range, she compensated with humour and sheer character. Whitney Houston's voice was a show of strength, but also marked her downfall 2012-02-13T12:51:18Z

And occasionally, when things get stressful, my sense of humour. Portrait of the artist: Abi Morgan, writer 2012-06-05T18:59:01Z

He was verbally nimble, full of humour, and a lazy craftsman. Stephen Sondheim: Gershwin great? It ain't necessarily so 2010-11-24T21:31:00Z

Set in the murk of the English civil war, this eerie, hallucinogenic dream from Wheatley and regular writer-collaborator Amy Jump is an alchemic mix of dark humour and foreboding horror. Mark Kermode's DVD round-up 2013-07-13T23:05:18Z

He was suffering, he says, with a likably deadpan humour, from a "really bad case of the twenty-ones". Joyland by Stephen King – review 2013-06-22T15:00:00Z

And just as the heroes of his films achieve their dreams, the audience also watches Herzog, with his moral seriousness, absolute determination and great good humour, achieve his. The dark comedy of Werner Herzog 2011-03-05T00:07:49Z

Watchdog the Broadcasting Standards Commission said the "explicit sexual content and humour had exceeded acceptable boundaries for the time of transmission". Chris Moyles: top 10 controversial moments 2012-07-11T11:08:36Z

Despite this, Driver's zest for everything, sense of humour, cracking laugh and refusal to forgive her mother were absolutely life-affirming and a marvel to hear. Desert Island Discs: Desert Island Discs: which episode would you take to a desert island? 2011-03-31T13:28:12Z

But this being Sweden, top cop Jenny Hultin and her team approach their seemingly impossible task with stoical Scandi good humour. The Village; Arne Dahl – The Blinded Man; Catchphrase – TV review 2013-04-08T06:00:19Z

Although full of ferocity, humour, generosity and wit, Trockel's art itself lacks a unifying style, even though her early fabric pictures, featuring logos woven into cloth, gained her an international reputation. Rosemarie Trockel at the Serpentine: life, the universe and everything 2013-02-13T19:30:01Z

Catherine Bray of Film 4 highlights the movie's gleeful, giggling "madness and humour", comparing it to Terry Gilliam's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, surely a high point for movies with narcotic-fuelled protagonists. Post-credits scene: Bad Lieutenant 2010-05-24T16:01:00Z

The delight in Hamilton's writing is his clarity, enthusiasm, good humour and elegant wit. Michael Bracewell's top 10 art books 2012-06-06T10:35:15Z

There is a certain type of comedian, thankfully a tiny minority, who believes that finding the humour in disability requires reliance on stereotypical cruelty. Getting a laugh out of disability 2010-04-28T12:00:00Z

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter – outstandingly awful, should've taken itself less seriously and played humour Snow White: Dark with great visuals and excellent cameos, but let down by a lack of precision in its direction. Open thread: What's the greatest-ever kids movie? 2012-06-29T16:26:03Z

“There’s a certain mix of humour and toughness and a real eastern European vibe which Polish audiences like,” says Joanna Michalec, director of Phoenix Productions, the leading international distributor of Polish films. Why Polish gangster films 'on steroids' are making it big at the British box office 2018-05-03T04:00:00Z

There was no humour, and life has humour in it, even if you are an orc. Q&A: Paul Merton 2014-09-27T04:00:00Z

Baker was at the height of his powers and influence, and famously preferred to work without a companion, but he was soon won over by Tamm's professionalism and good humour. Mary Tamm obituary 2012-07-26T17:10:33Z

The writers wrote with honesty and charm and humour and humanity. Drama in the wings: why theatre in prisons matters 2010-06-25T12:49:00Z

High seriousness and scatological humour, ribald performance, death and despair all play their part. Turner prize 2012 exhibition review: is this the best one yet? 2012-10-01T13:08:55Z

It is a film on a knife edge, one that pits the inherent humour of its situation against the inherent horror of its subject matter. 'Bin Laden doesn't do jokes' 2010-04-30T23:10:00Z

With extraordinary energy, and his irrepressible and ingenuous good humour, Attenborough continued with public commitments until almost the very end, relinquishing his presidency of Bafta only a few years ago. Richard Attenborough's death: a sad day for the British film industry 2014-08-24T04:00:00Z

In Suzanne Moore's excellent essay on female anger, she chides us because "we cloak our vitriol in humour". Feminists can't be funny and angry? Are you having a laugh? 2013-02-28T14:50:01Z

There is a wild, slightly mad humour, too. Unsent: New and Selected Poems 1980-2012 by Penelope Shuttle - review 2012-12-28T22:55:07Z

Miranda explained to the BBC's arts correspondent Rebecca Jones that "there are times when… people want big, silly, warm, honest, eccentric humour and that seems to be now". AUDIO: Miranda Hart on her comical life 2012-10-09T08:47:07Z

That said, I think that Miss Fame’s chicken has a better sense of humour than Violet. RuPaul's Drag Race ends season 7 with one of the best finales in show's history 2015-06-02T04:00:00Z

She had this incredible, incredible sense of humour. Caroline Aherne remembered by Ricky Tomlinson 2016-12-11T05:00:00Z

They realised they had the same sense of humour and taste in music. Explorers – New Band Up North #26 2013-05-13T16:00:01Z

Behind the scenes, though, he was wrestling with the nature of the show's humour. Steve Carell: 'I don't care for mean humour' 2010-10-14T20:30:00Z

What we said: “A lab-rat experiment of a film with flat, facetious humour and a single insidious joke maintained and developed with monomaniacal intensity.” The best films of 2020 so far 2020-05-12T04:00:00Z

Beryl stayed loyal to her obsessions, investing them with humour and a disinterested understanding of human foibles right to the end of her long and honourable career. 'The rarest of friends' 2010-07-02T16:00:00Z

It was undeniably audacious but brilliantly simple at the same time, a well-executed idea displaying aptly dry humour. Bert Stern 2013-06-30T15:44:49Z

Perhaps Wilson was the least essential of its three stars, but the public is comfortable with him and his natural, unforced sense of humour. David Thomson on Owen Wilson 2011-07-14T21:09:01Z

And while the queasy colours and ghoulish forms suggest that, if figurative art isn't quite dead, it is certainly unwell, Van Lankveld's spontaneity and black humour are disarming. Artist of the week 91: Rezi van Lankveld 2010-06-10T09:53:00Z

It wasn't just his humour that captivated readers; the persona that emerged through the column was "humane, liberal and compassionate", as Gavin Ewart put it. How Clive James transformed the role of television critic 2012-06-23T23:06:15Z

In the absence of a metric for gauging a man’s humour or internal beauty or moral worth, I want someone tall and basically symmetrical. Going it alone: why I chose single motherhood 2018-06-23T04:00:00Z

Like Clarke, Clement appreciates the Australian sense of humour, recalling the good-natured responses to jibes in the Flight of the Conchords episodes, Drive By and Unnatural Love. Jemaine Clement: Australians have a great attitude to being made fun of 2014-09-01T04:00:00Z

There might well have been more if the company hadn't tried so hard to be funny, and concentrated instead on telling a coherent story and allowing the humour to emerge organically. Moby Dick 2010-04-26T20:30:00Z

Funny and gritty, and bursting with life and humour. Books of the year 2012: authors choose their favourites 2012-11-23T22:55:14Z

He has also done various things with animals, the outdoors and countryside: boy-scouty, Famous-Fivey things that don't require any special expertise, just good humour, charm and a willingness to get involved. Harbour Lives – TV review 2013-06-14T22:00:01Z

Indeed as most female comedians will tell you, humour is not necessarily a way to get people to like you, especially men. Feminists can't be funny and angry? Are you having a laugh? 2013-02-28T14:50:01Z

We all have the same sense of humour. Comic lawman Dredd's Scots roots 2012-08-14T05:37:40Z

"Ambulance service people, police, all those people who work in highly stressed situations develop really cruel senses of humour," she says. Getting On: deadpan with bedpans 2010-10-18T20:07:00Z

When reading a Joshua Ferris novel, it is best to suspend disbelief at the unlikely narrative and relax into his geek-smart prose and wry humour. Looking for a place called hope 2014-04-24T04:00:00Z

It would also be enjoyed by fans of Skulduggery Pleasant, who are looking for something quite different, without so much humour, but still strangely similar. The Obsidian Mirror by Catherine Fisher - review 2012-12-28T09:00:00Z

However, TT has gone to some lengths to make sure the dialogue in Lego Batman 2 crackles with humour. Lego Batman 2: DC Heroes – review 2012-06-19T07:25:00Z

But this doesn't take into account taste or sense of humour, which are obviously highly subjective. Laura Solon: My Edinburgh 2010-08-16T09:13:00Z

The long sentence, the lower-case proper nouns, the low-level humour: Saramago's prose always sounds like the beginnings of a stand-up routine or a shaggy dog story. Cain by Jos? Saramago ? review 2011-07-15T21:55:02Z

I am loving, caring and supportive with a good sense of humour. I'm 50 and disillusioned about love. How should I be in my next relationship? | Leading questions 2019-12-03T05:00:00Z

Family life was really raucous and full of humour and a lot of drinking. ​Alessandro Nivola: ​'It's been nice picking through my dad's experiences for the Sopranos film​' 2019-04-14T04:00:00Z

"And his anarchic humour too…" She explains that this was true off stage too, especially as a grandfather. 'Grief is like a tsunami' 2010-07-10T23:02:00Z

This being a Terry Pratchett series, there will, of course, be humour involved, but the author is adamant that "you can't just put humour in a book". Terry Pratchett enters parallel worlds of science fiction 2010-06-16T13:51:00Z

So, I think, is Shrigley, whose dark humour is at best a mordant response to modern life. Turner prize 2013 shortlist: Tino Sehgal dances to the fore 2013-04-25T12:52:06Z

Sadly, when it comes to humour, the words disability and funny tend to conjure images of people being laughed at rather than laughed with. Getting a laugh out of disability 2010-04-28T12:00:00Z

Jennifer is fascinated in the whole world of the psychologist and I'm fascinated in the way she uses humour to help people think about difficult things. Jennifer Saunders: from Comic Strip to Spice Girls musical 2012-12-11T06:30:02Z

Bill was a quiet man, with a sharp sense of humour, who was deeply respected and loved by all who met and worked with him. Bill White obituary 2010-12-06T18:08:00Z

"What are the projected figures?" she asked, no humour intended. Rewind TV: Dragons' Den; Great Thinkers: In Their Own Words; My Life as a Turkey: Natural World Special 2011-08-06T23:05:53Z

It was typical: people weren't sharing confidences, reader to writer, they were testifying, one fan speaking up in front of everybody else, with sardonic humour, wounded pride, pain. Listening to Van Morrison by Greil Marcus 2010-06-04T23:06:00Z

But even if he was pigeonholed somewhat, one of the reasons that his work resonates still is because of the fierce intelligence and humour behind it. Edgar Wright, Alice Lowe, John Landis and Ben Wheatley on zombie king George A Romero 2017-07-18T04:00:00Z

They have a curiosity about life, a sense of humour and emotional reserve. Dev Patel: ‘I’m just this guy from Rayners Lane – how the hell did this happen?’ 2017-01-15T05:00:00Z

Here, too, there is humour, as when he titles a poem "The Invasion of the 2nd Lumbar Region", and compares the spreading cancer with alien invasion, US bombing raids and media saturation. Collected Poems by Edward Dorn – review 2013-02-01T16:01:01Z

His humour drives him, and has kept him locked in his studio for nearly two decades. Turner prize 2012 exhibition review: is this the best one yet? 2012-10-01T13:08:55Z

Yet its strange and not entirely convincing amalgam of quirky, idiosyncratic humour with refined lyricism found a notable exponent in soloist Kirill Gerstein, who attacked its virtuoso demands with a combination of brilliance and sensitivity. Prom 56: BBCSO/Bychkov ? review 2011-08-28T14:44:08Z

But it's worth it for the moments of vicious humour, the clarity that suddenly emerges from the chaos, and the fact that they know how to rub our noses in it. The Thrill of It All ? review 2010-10-27T20:29:00Z

His humour exploits identity politics to the full. New Africa: the doctor who became a standup comedian 2012-08-23T23:05:01Z

With honesty, precision and humour, she conveys all the boredom and exhilaration of weight loss, along with its tendency to threaten the people around you. Big Brother by Lionel Shriver – review 2013-05-11T07:00:24Z

A sense of humour on your girlfriend’s part may not be enough to facilitate your pleasures. I love my girlfriend, but I want to have a threesome | Dear Mariella 2017-12-10T05:00:00Z

It's not entirely clear what their worldview is but it could perhaps be reduced to "dystopian with humour". New band of the day - Young Fathers (No 1,404) 2012-11-27T16:48:09Z

"Just as disappointingly, Freeman largely fails to capture the blackly comic humour of the character." Critics split on complex Richard III 2014-07-10T04:00:00Z

His sense of humour seemed limited by his… person. End of the affairs: the dangers of internet dating 2012-02-10T22:59:54Z

Some people have excused MacFarlane, saying he has a "brand of humour": yes, an obnoxious brand of humour. Oscars 2013: 10 things we learned on the night 2013-02-25T16:00:56Z

The "intelligent, gentlemanlike" practitioner is a kind of therapist, whose business is humouring his clucking patients. Ten questions on Jane Austen 2012-05-18T21:45:05Z

This clunky reliance on ableist tropes as a form of humour was disappointing coming from a film lauded for its “moments of sharp, cinder black comedy”. Three Billboards' portrayal of dwarfism is reductive and ableist, and I would know | Eva Squire 2018-01-31T05:00:00Z

You also get an idea as to which have kept their humour and some hold on normality. How Mumford & Sons became the biggest band in the world 2012-11-15T16:50:01Z

As Kansas whirls by over eggs and fried potatoes, we discuss her fear of flying: “Trains are the only way to fly,” she giggles, “but you’ve got to have a sense of humour.” Views you don’t get on the freeway … across America by train 2020-01-29T05:00:00Z

It is a deeply political play, but full of wild black humour and an acute awareness that the prosecutors of any revolutionary cause ultimately become its victims. The Big Fellah 2010-09-27T20:29:00Z

Troubles is a work of characteristic depth and humour, which views the decline of the British empire through the prism of a decaying seaside hotel – pointedly named the Majestic – in Wexford. JG Farrell's Lost Man Booker prize for Troubles ? a literary resurrection 2010-05-20T06:00:00Z

Many of these films deliberately mimic the tropes and stylistic tics of indie cinema – alienated teenagers, dysfunctional families, meditations on suburban soulnessness, self-consciously quirky humour, and a generous resort to shock tactics or the taboo . Reaching Nirvana 2011-03-04T21:30:00Z

She mocks the "sweet-belled idle" and their ignorant racism, but, more importantly, she shows a certain tough humour, as well as anger and compassion, on behalf of Ku Li. Poem of the week: Ku Li by Robin Hyde 2011-02-28T12:55:00Z

Let's have some poetry, some intrigue, some romance, some anger, some humour, some sarcasm, some derring-do. Readers recommend: Songs with great opening lines 2010-03-26T00:01:00Z

Connery’s Bond was a rougher diamond, but blessed with a wry sense of humour that diffused the violence, inviting the audience in on the joke. Sir Sean Connery obituary 2020-10-31T04:00:00Z

Shaw's obsessive project might be seasoned by technical perversity and back-street humour, but when his images work they are wonderful. This week's new exhibitions 2011-02-19T00:05:56Z

We employ a dark humour to avoid it. Hannah Gadsby's Nanette dares to dream of a different future – for ourselves and comedy | Jane Howard 2018-06-26T04:00:00Z

It features helium-high vocals, but something about them suggests not facetiousness but its benign cousin, playfulness, as though Frank Zappa's mordant humour had been tempered by Brian Wilson's knack for harmony. New band of the day ? No 895: ANR 2010-10-26T15:39:00Z

I'm a big fan of Adrian Chiles too – because he adds humour to a game. TV review: UEFA Champions League Final: Bayern Munich v Chelsea 2012-05-20T15:00:02Z

Jimmy Kimmel, returning as host, will try to balance political barbs with humour and reminders that this is, after all, just an award show. Oscars on edge: in a strange year for Hollywood, anything is up for grabs 2018-03-02T05:00:00Z

Built on stilts, with a pitched roof, it echoes Vieux Lille’s medieval heart, but with a great deal more humour. Lille wonder: a whistle-stop tour of a Franco-Belgian jewel 2019-10-13T04:00:00Z

I was brought up on stories – my grandmother was a storyteller and her stories were laced with humour, so that they were tolerable. Debut author: NoViolet Bulawayo 2013-06-16T10:30:01Z

My dad shares a lot of my sense of humour, even though he's more externally conservative. Julia Davis: laughing in the dark 2012-08-10T22:00:36Z

Dahl gave them a sly pastiche of a Bond movie, full of straight-faced camp, moments of wicked humour and overblown events that must have looked unfilmable when presented on the page. My favourite Bond film: You Only Live Twice 2012-10-04T15:29:14Z

"But there was something about the military experience that brought out a certain sense of humour. The ever-present threat of death and dismemberment focused the mind." WW1 show explores role of humour 2014-06-18T04:00:00Z

Patrick’s weekend in New York is laced with humour as he picks up his father’s ashes: he ends up being directed to the wrong body in the morgue, where he is greeted by enthusiastic mourners. Patrick Melrose captures heroin addiction perfectly – my memories flooded back | John Crace 2018-05-22T04:00:00Z

My British humour comes through with him – very uncommon. Barack Obama: the college years 2012-05-25T22:00:53Z

The Queen of Versailles A documentary of subtle power and broad humour. Trailer trash 2012-12-30T00:06:06Z

They find his lowbrow sense of humour and fast-talking ways charming. Better Call Saul at Paleyfest: 'The only master plan is to be interesting' 2016-03-14T04:00:00Z

It also has the bonus of a strand of irreverent humour; essential, given how many scenes involve pompous privileged men in suits holding forth in stuffy, wood-panelled rooms. Toronto film festival 2017: a surge of woman power 2017-09-17T04:00:00Z

Her alarming art is leavened by great humour and tenderness. Marina Abramovic 2011-03-08T00:05:37Z

Quipping through Llewyn's layered misfortune – Woody Allen with a guitar case – Isaac never lets pathos squash the humour in the Coens' superb script. Cannes 2013 round-up, week 2: Gosling for breakfast, skinflicks for lunch 2013-05-25T10:59:01Z

The Coens have created a gem with their latest film, a western portmanteau of tales from a comically picturesque old west, conceived with humour, warmth and visual flair. The Coen brothers’ films – ranked! 2018-09-07T04:00:00Z

I believe the Lord has a sense of humour. Community: Ken Jeong, Alison Brie, Danny Pudi and more on their favourite episodes 2013-05-03T12:00:00Z

Luard is an immensely engaging raconteur and her chaotic travels in search of authentic local food are served with humour and plenty of mouthwatering recipes. Still Life: Klipfisk, Cloudberries and Life After Kids by Elisabeth Luard – review 2013-06-28T16:30:00Z

Apparently, Lincoln used to drive his colleagues mad with his odd sense of humour and his long stories, just as we see in the film. An American history professor on Lincoln 2013-01-28T18:32:55Z

Yet the humour – usually wild, sometimes literally explosive – is seeded with powerful themes. Howard Brenton 2010-07-09T23:05:00Z

It's this moment that sums up Glee's appeal: it's funny, but there's a genuine point to that humour. Glad to be Glee 2011-01-06T20:30:01Z

The relationship is handled with a refreshing frankness, candour and humour. Love & Other Drugs ? review 2011-01-02T00:03:03Z

The story is an unexpected mix, switching, sometimes in one sentence, from trapped despair to warm, wry humour. Irma Voth by Miriam Toews ? review 2011-07-15T21:55:09Z

The historical detail is mixed with science fiction and satirical humour. Elton inspired by Gove Blackadder quote 2014-11-05T05:00:00Z

She has a steely disposition that can bend lithely into playful humour. Angelina Jolie springs back to life from a career slumber in Maleficent 2014-05-29T04:00:00Z

With her wry humour, Marilyn added: "I hope all those extra takes are not for your Hollywood friends to enjoy at a private party." Marilyn Monroe: proto-feminist? 2012-07-21T21:05:42Z

Their rapid-fire, pomposity-pricking banter – belligerently daft, mocking conventions without ever threatening to break them – has come to represent the British sense of humour. From Python to Seinfeld - are these 12 classic comedies still funny? 2014-10-25T04:00:00Z

He's an excellent singer and guitarist who writes bleak, well-observed and sad personal songs that are carefully balanced against witty, good‑humoured introductions. Sam Carter – review 2013-03-24T17:54:27Z

Toilet humour … Kurbrick's film rings true Even though it's mostly swearing and blowing things up, Full Metal Jacket creates a well-researched historical picture of this crucial point in the Vietnam war. Full Metal Jacket: history unzipped 2010-06-24T08:46:00Z

I would thoroughly recommend these books for readers who like mystery and dry humour. Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy - review 2013-07-17T08:00:00Z

This is a rare kind of humour: it is not only a matter of verbal deftness – a word, or a comma, popping up unexpectedly – but of intelligence, lightly applied. The 5 Simple Machines by Todd McEwen – review 2013-04-02T10:57:00Z

The interplay between the two is masterful, rich in the wry, ironic humour of Jewish eastern Europe. Another Yalta conference 2014-09-25T04:00:00Z

He's so precise with his language and he makes his point so brilliantly with humour. Ian McEwan brings home bacon with comic novel gong for Solar 2010-05-25T09:58:00Z

Telex were different, too – among the earliest proponents of electro-pop, with their own, very Belgian, deadpan humour. Hidden treasures: Telex – Looking for Saint Tropez 2013-01-22T15:04:00Z

The correspondence is distinguished by its sly philosophic humour and mandarin diversity of interests, ranging from the chivalric romances of Charlemagne to French structuralist theory. Italo Calvino: Letters, 1941-1985 – review 2013-05-29T13:42:12Z

Although dripping in pop-culture references and broad sexual humour, it recalls a more nostalgic tradition: filmed on multiple cameras, in front of a studio audience. How The Big Bang Theory became the Friends of the iPhone generation 2014-08-06T04:00:00Z

Tom Cruise in Oblivion: 'There is little of the knowing humour and fun we saw in the Mission Impossible films.' Oblivion – review 2013-04-09T23:01:03Z

The thread of sly humour that runs lightly through the best of his stories only further increases the sense of foreboding. In praise of? MR James 2010-12-29T00:05:07Z

We have created for ourselves a political culture so drained of personality and humour that we fall upon a mildly amusing after-dinner speaker like Johnson, and hail him as a Titan of mirth. Boris Johnson, the comedian of politics, has the last laugh 2012-07-30T12:00:01Z

Barbra Streisand, who starred in the latter film alongside Robert Redford, praised Hamlisch for "his brilliantly quick mind, his generosity and delicious sense of humour, which made him a delight to be around". Marvin Hamlisch obituary 2012-08-08T12:26:28Z

But if it was the humour that initially caught people's attention, it has long since become just one element in a show of increasing depth. TV review: Last Tango in Halifax; Fresh Meat 2012-11-20T23:00:01Z

Ms Brown describes landscapes and her Norsemen and women with a lucid, dry humour. Bones of contention 2015-08-27T04:00:00Z

But over the past few years, Mann has built up a considerable fanbase for her appealingly natural comic presence in films that would otherwise be dominated by frat-boy humour. Leslie Mann: 'If I don't have a creative outlet, I implode' – interview 2013-02-16T22:00:02Z

She has a sicker sense of humour than he does, Brooker says. Charlie Brooker: 'Happy? I have my moments' 2019-06-01T04:00:00Z

For more arcane references, footnotes can only add to the pungency of the humour and the social commentary. Poem of the week: Twenty-eight and Twenty-Nine by Winthrop Mackforth Praed 2011-01-04T10:56:26Z

There's black humour in lyrics such as "If my heart skips a beat, I'll seek medical attention". Martin Rossiter: The Defenestration of St Martin – review 2012-11-29T21:30:03Z

Green's mix of self-deprecating humour and indignation, pitched just the right side of petulance, give the song a breadth of appeal that would have seemed unlikely to anyone who had heard only the title. Cee Lo Green: 'I'd do a lot more damage if I could' 2010-09-30T21:00:00Z

There is humour to be had of course, but we don't shirk away from the stark choices judges have to make in a place like Mega-City One. Comic lawman Dredd's Scots roots 2012-08-14T05:37:40Z

I think free speech is all and humour is the best defence. Got to get this off my chest 2011-02-20T00:05:50Z

The book's quietly irreverent humour and delicate use of magic realism are unusually sophisticated for a young audience. Top 10 books on the ancient world 2010-09-29T12:08:00Z

Her art is full of subversive humour, dangers and fears. Louise Bourgeois: a web of emotions 2010-06-01T20:30:00Z

But the humour rippling through the play is all Gray. The Late Middle Clases; The Crucible; Ingredient X 2010-06-05T23:05:00Z

The humour occurs, then, when we fail to see these as nothing more than the playing out of physical forces – the overcoming of inertia, for example – and instead attribute human characteristics to them. Fischli and Weiss: the art of humour 2012-06-05T12:03:00Z

The winners are marked out by a combination of anarchic creativity, wry humour and passionate commitment to their environment: the same qualities that makes this place so unique. The best towns and small cities in the US: Eugene, Oregon 2017-11-22T05:00:00Z

From the action-packed openings, the wonderful noise and colour, the gentle humour and the superhuman heroics, Mr Anderson gave me the brightest bits of my childhood. Thunderbirds guru Anderson dies 2012-12-27T09:57:48Z

For a story about the limitless possibilities of the imagination, it is a surprisingly constrained and old-fashioned musical show, and it displays little of Dahl's subversive humour. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – sickly sweet 2013-06-28T10:48:00Z

They use humour to praise traditional French values – not only national but rural – with deeply nationalistic results. Cyrille Falisse on film in France 2011-03-23T22:16:01Z

In a work about Jews and Jewish culture," he says, "there's got to be humour. Carl Davis: my Kindertransport song cycle 2012-06-15T10:28:34Z

So are we, but humour and light-heartedness begins to enter the room, and with it a deep connection. Tears, honesty and flirty games: how we escaped our married sex rut 2019-05-19T04:00:00Z

If he was the nation’s Zola, Mr Eka is shaping up to be its Murakami: approaching social concerns at an angle rather than head-on, with hefty doses of surrealism and wry humour.  Burning bright 2016-01-21T05:00:00Z

“Self-deprecating humour is a common form of comedy and it helps get the audience on side because you’re being vulnerable,” he says. 'What if my kids are scared of me?': Alex Brooker on life as a disabled dad 2020-07-02T04:00:00Z

At a time when all press and broadcasting was controlled by the government, this was courageous writing – but the outlandish humour, and perhaps also his family connections, protected him from retribution. Adam Lusekelo obituary 2011-04-12T17:17:07Z

What a lot of people miss, they both think, is Gang of Four's sense of humour and provocation. Gang of Four: Old punks, new Content 2011-01-20T23:00:01Z

Featuring a wonderfully dry sense of humour, but also a tendency for a frustrating lack of explanation in some of its puzzles, Sticker Star is a highly engaging RPG-lite. Paper Mario Sticker Star – review 2012-12-08T00:05:40Z

However astonishing, Wobble's musical travels avoid pretension, grounded by the Trilby-hatted Cockney geezer's mischievous, surreal humour. Jah Wobble & the Nippon?Dub?Ensemble 2010-08-06T20:46:00Z

The story's genius lies in its wicked humour, which remains relentlessly uplifting even as the Blitz begin to smash all the hopes of that pre-war arcadia. The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford | Book review 2010-03-21T00:08:00Z

Somehow, despite the territory, Gillies manages to steer the book away from misery lit and beneath the profoundly bleak narrative runs a stream of grim humour. The raw horror of Alzheimer's 2010-06-01T20:00:00Z

"I think he's an incredibly sad creature. A lot of humour comes from that, and the way he covers it up with anger. "I feel he has a lot of depth. Galaxy's quest to put fun in fantasy 2014-07-30T04:00:00Z

"It was also very entertaining, as there is humour in her music at times." Celebrating Doctor Who's Delia 2013-01-11T16:40:51Z

Goldberg was the first woman to solo-host the awards in 1994, and her mixture of buffoonery, costume changes and self-deprecating humour got her invited back three more times. The many lives of James Franco 2011-02-20T21:29:01Z

Yet always the nobility of human stoicism shows through, tinctured with wise, deep humour. Annie Proulx 2010-08-06T23:05:00Z

But mostly the ruthless black humour is sustained, and occasionally some genuine emotion can creep in and touch our hearts. Seven Psychopaths – review 2012-12-09T00:05:57Z

“The most important thing is our sense of humour is the same,” says Ryan. How we met: 'Seeing a young lady walk into the factory, especially one so pretty – it was a big day' 2019-08-26T04:00:00Z

"Women and irony is still a taboo theme, as is women and humour," she once said. PhotoEspaña 2013: the 1970s feminist avant garde 2013-06-14T15:50:00Z

Here was a man with honesty and humour. Maldives president takes on US in Hay call for direct action on climate 2010-05-29T16:35:00Z

Tall, elegant and determined with an acerbic sense of humour, she brought a fresh knowingness to her roles. Obituary: Lauren Bacall 2014-08-13T04:00:00Z

It's as if a younger Rebus had been dragged to New York, given a sense of humour and allowed to unwind a little. Gun Machine by Warren Ellis – review 2013-01-31T09:01:01Z

One Mississippi was able to locate all the knotty seams of despondent humour to be mined from bereavement, which is no small task. I Love Dick, Lady Dynamite and the death of 'quirky' comedies 2018-01-24T05:00:00Z

He was constantly bringing to light the tremendous heritage, humour and culture of my home city. Dave Sheasby obituary 2010-04-01T17:46:00Z

Connery’s natural muscular power and wry humour modified the elegance and eccentricity of Bond in just the right way. Sean Connery at 90: a dangerously seductive icon of masculinity 2020-08-25T04:00:00Z

The revolutions across the Middle East and north Africa did not invent humour or satire. In Egypt, satire can't just be a laughing matter 2013-04-10T15:50:26Z

She can make a big joke – though the humour of "I hate men" when sung as a termagant roaring is pretty threadbare – but she is not habitually light. Birthday; Kiss Me Kate; Get Stuff Break Free – review 2012-06-30T23:05:59Z

Best chosen language = greatest powers of the mind, most thorough knowledge, human nature, liveliness, wit, humour, world. Ali Smith: Style vs content? Novelists should approach their art with an eye to what the story asks 2012-08-18T15:00:00Z

This is a decently cast show, hard to fault and full of humour yet with much exploration of Mozart's infinitely complex score, as well as Da Ponte's scintillating text, still to be done. Les Troyens; Le nozze di Figaro; Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra/Dudamel – review 2012-06-30T23:07:11Z

Photograph: Industrial Light & Magic Verbinski's very witty animated western aims much of its humour at adults, and mainly hits its target. TV highlights 27/12/12 2012-12-21T12:47:37Z

Why he thinks it likely that we would ever resort to such humour is, naturally, beyond me. John McEnroe and Daniel Tosh – you cannot be serious? 2012-07-11T15:54:40Z

His humour was cheeky, irreverent, subversive and most definitely not politically correct. Christoph Schlingensief obituary 2010-08-24T17:44:00Z

This time he is back in the second Diary of a Wimpy Kid book with more jokes, stories and Greg's fabulous cartoons filled with humour. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules by Jeff Kinney - review 2013-01-15T09:00:00Z

If people with mental health problems want to use these terms and find the humour in them – as some do – then all well and good. Don't mind your language: public relaxed over TV swearing 2010-06-09T21:00:00Z

Recently, Whittaker was filmed for Stylist magazine reacting with humour to people criticising her casting. 'When people need help, I never refuse': new Doctor Who trailer released 2018-09-20T04:00:00Z

My new novel, Chapman's Odyssey, is dedicated to Sandra's memory, most particularly in those passages of humour that reflect something of her beguiling dottiness. Author, author: Paul Bailey 2011-01-15T00:05:47Z

Bloodletting was used to regulate the body’s humours, but also to fix everything, including severe haemorrhage. Blood tales: the magic liquid that keeps us alive 2018-10-20T04:00:00Z

He was from Walsall and his work contains the strong vein of humour that runs through Black Country culture. Anthony Cartwright: 'The title is intended to provoke a reaction' 2012-08-04T23:05:22Z

The description of this side of his life is a horror story, albeit informed by Kent's eagle eye for detail and leavened by his grim sense of humour. Apathy for the Devil: A 1970s Memoir by Nick Kent | Book review 2010-03-27T00:08:00Z

You Suffer is a gag done with panache, and there's a nice twist of humour in Soulwax's I Love Techno too. Readers recommend songs with 10 words or fewer: The results 2010-06-03T20:30:00Z

Topical humour lasts only as long as its victims . Craig Brown: The Lost Diaries 2010-10-01T23:05:00Z

Race, and racism, has been at the heart of Chong’s life and his humour. Tommy Chong: 'We were always high. That was the job' 2020-04-10T04:00:00Z

There's a sprinkling of giant bosses and the game is shot through with hit-and-miss humour. This week's new games 2011-07-22T23:07:37Z

The show hit upon a mix of ordinary teenage angst, humour and gore that earned it a devoted fanbase. Joss Whedon written out of Buffy film 2010-11-23T20:30:00Z

And that's where the humour of the writing meets its intelligence, aided by the distanced but affectionate tone of the narrator. Poem of the week: Relational Epistemology by Heather Phillipson 2013-05-07T10:35:31Z

Paul takes all this with characteristic good humour. Roof climbing with Paul McCartney – a classic interview from the archives 2012-06-18T15:33:47Z

It’s the fast rise and slow decline of what might be America’s greatest humour magazine that is documented in Doug Tirola’s film Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead. National Lampoon: the magazine that became a comedy empire 2015-10-08T04:00:00Z

Only an hour later did I regain my humour and curse my idiocy at not taking pictures. ‘You buy a lot of flowers and tampons': things you only know when you have seven daughters 2016-01-09T05:00:00Z

Arthur had a great sense of humour and loved to send himself up. Dad's Army creator on 'captain of comedy' Arthur Lowe: from the archive, 16 April 1982 2013-04-16T06:00:00Z

So I wrote some screenplays, I wrote a column for the Guardian, I wrote a lot of humour for the New Yorker. George Saunders: 'It was good to have a painful immersion in capitalism' 2013-05-26T08:00:06Z

The humour is much too vital for anybody to start getting complacent or flashy about things. ZTT: 'Every record company panicked after Two Tribes' – a classic feature from the vaultsZTT: 'Every record company panicked after Two Tribes' 2013-01-01T11:00:00Z

Martin often spikes his work with an impish, self-deprecating humour, revealing the absurdity of our aspirations to longevity, even as he falls foul of those vanities himself. Artist of the week 105: Kris Martin 2010-09-16T11:03:00Z

Moebius starts drawing the story like it's a Belgian humour comic and Jodorowsky becomes barely coherent in his rush to tie up all the plot threads. Alejandro Jodorowsky's dance on the edge of meaning 2011-01-25T12:27:40Z

She had a fighting spirit and a wicked sense of humour. Natalie Rothstein obituary 2010-04-20T18:10:00Z

While much of the audience laughed, Boyle looked unsettled, Smith said, and launched into a long explanation of why his humour tended to be so vicious. Frankie Boyle 2010-04-08T15:24:00Z

Many had doubts about his ability to sustain the show but, in fact, he succeeded in pulling off the tricky mix of insight, humour and pathos the show requires. Who will replace Jon Stewart? 2015-02-11T05:00:00Z

Capone seems motivated entirely by sociopathic playground humour. Boardwalk Empire: season one, episode four 2011-02-12T22:10:00Z

His ill-starred reign was redeemed only by the “grace, patience, humour and dignity” which the doomed royal family showed in their captivity. Long they ruled 2016-02-18T05:00:00Z

It's clear, visually inventive and rigorous, with humour next to deep sadness. Viva Belarus Free Theatre 2010-12-13T12:54:00Z

I think that one gets more of an ear for Fitzgerald’s particular brand of humour by reading his letters. Sarah Churchwell on Gatsby 2012-07-02T11:00:00Z

The narrator sustains our interest, although the humour of the opening stanzas rather evaporates. Poem of the week: Among His Books by Edith Nesbit 2012-10-01T12:07:58Z

But I think in some of our music there's a lot of humour and some stuff we do is quite tongue in cheek, like Mozart's House. The classic pop of Clean Bandit 2014-05-25T04:00:00Z

Plenty of humour, which this six-part documentary doesn't shy away from. People Like Us – TV review 2013-02-07T07:00:18Z

I'm more and more interested in humour as a way to explore that. The laugh-out-loud nightmares of Joanna Hogg 2011-02-24T22:30:01Z

While a sombre subject, she chats about it with a matter-of-fact humour. When do you know you're old enough to die? Barbara Ehrenreich has some answers 2018-04-07T04:00:00Z

No, the core characteristics of the new He-Man are deduction, humour, acuity, forethought; it is an un-gendered sweep of traits that boil down to intelligence. Fancy that: the golden age of the sexy geeky leading male 2012-07-27T21:59:00Z

Travels with My Aunt is an excellent demonstration of his talent, wit and dark sense of humour. Travels with My Aunt and the many shades of Greene 2012-06-15T14:32:11Z

It was named by my grandfather, who was possessed of a wicked sense of humour that tended towards the scatological. Family life 2011-01-15T00:05:55Z

Recently retired US chat show host Jay Leno is to receive this year's Mark Twain Prize for American humour. Jay Leno awarded Mark Twain Prize 2014-06-18T04:00:00Z

Perhaps subtleties of humour and pathos don't translate easily. Shi Cheng: Short Stories from Urban China - review 2012-05-22T12:31:01Z

In recent years, the web has turned cats into harbingers of bad irony, humiliating failure and poorly spelt humour. Klaxons, Best Coast and Wavves are all cool for cats 2010-06-25T23:06:00Z

They can be playful, something more literal minded western writers often fail to grasp, for when it comes to Africa humour is the first casualty. The Masque of Africa: Glimpses of African Belief by VS Naipaul 2010-08-28T23:06:00Z

O'Donnell adeptly balances caustic humour and compassion, as the trio is pursued by social services, drug dealers and a sinister, long-lost grandfather. Commonwealth book prize 2013: Regional winners - in pictures 2013-05-14T09:01:00Z

Andrew Slater as Rambashi, the hopeless pirate, adds plenty of humour. The Firework-Maker's Daughter; Hallé Orchestra/Elder; Cheryomushki – review 2013-03-31T00:07:03Z

“She combines the physical humour of Lucille Ball with the diverse characters of Lily Tomlin,” wrote the New York Times. ‘She was our Michelle Obama’: how Gilda Radner changed comedy for ever 2019-05-07T04:00:00Z

The mild, kind-hearted humour and well-cushioned heartache of the first film are also more or less replicated. Streaming: To All the Boys: PS I Still Love You – the longed-for sequel lands 2020-02-15T05:00:00Z

“I wanted to bring in as much humanity as possible, as well as the humour,” Rae told the Associated Press early in the show’s run. Charlotte Rae, Diff'rent Strokes and Facts of Life actor, dies aged 92 2018-08-06T04:00:00Z

In Paul Thomas Anderson’s Oscar contender Phantom Thread, the brutality of this is explored in all its jagged splendour with ghoulish humour, unflinching honesty and ultimately, surprising tenderness. Why Phantom Thread should win the 2018 best picture Oscar 2018-02-28T05:00:00Z

Even at this morning's run-through, a week before it starts its national tour, the play fizzes with humour and acute political observation. Max Stafford-Clark: by hook or by crook 2010-09-05T20:30:00Z

Fresh interest in acts which typically combine humour and song reflects the burgeoning cabaret scene in London that has been boosted by the popularity of television talent shows. Edinburgh festival 2010: cabaret takes on standup comedy at the fringe 2010-07-31T23:06:00Z

With typical, baffling-to-civilians services humour, the Royal Navy called the undersea heist Operation Barmaid. Secrets of the Conqueror by Stuart Prebble – review 2012-10-12T07:00:02Z

Thatcher's lack of humour and abrasive and confrontational approach to carrying out her policies made the downright rudeness of Spitting Image possible. Margaret Thatcher and Spitting Image: we had no idea we would be joined at the hip 2013-04-17T19:00:01Z

She pauses, before adding: "I love the way Lady Gaga finds humour in fashion, but it's still very stylised." Growing older: Kim Gordon 2013-02-16T09:00:37Z

Our family life is very happy and we have the same sense of humour, interests and ambitions – our home is a nice place for our kids to grow up. ‘I don’t think we’ll ever have sex again’: our happy, cuddly, celibate marriage 2017-04-15T04:00:00Z

As much as I don't really feel I share a sense of humour with my family, I definitely share one with her – we find the same things funny. Steve Carell: My family values 2013-06-28T11:59:01Z

I'm just never gonna have a sense of humour about this stuff again. Ray Liotta: 'I like Brad. I admire his whole career' 2013-06-06T12:34:00Z

She is also a charmingly engaging presence, dispensing in-your-face attitudinal shtick with winning humour and sharp self-awareness. Pink – review 2013-04-25T17:02:35Z

As always in Britain the answer to this problem is to approach it with humour. Britain's anger issues: something to shout about 2014-07-06T04:00:00Z

I would describe my sense of humour as dark, and liberal. My disability is not a joke 2010-04-13T18:30:00Z

Her Ryan Seacrest impression may not cut it, but her humour and chat with “people who are killing it who are not just straight up white dudes” certainly does. The 50 best podcasts of 2016 2016-12-21T05:00:00Z

Jim Shelley Childish humour One of the worst films in history, Freddy Got Fingered, the creation of comedian Tom Green, is released. The Guide's 1,000th issue: 2000-2003 2013-01-05T00:03:00Z

I tried to warn her that it wasn’t a family film and she put me in my place, telling me she knew exactly what it was and that she loved the racy humour. Experience: I manage the last Blockbuster in the world 2019-05-17T04:00:00Z

Oberst may kill off Bright Eyes but he will go on writing literate songs of urgent yearning undercut with mordant black humour. Bright Eyes ? review 2011-02-15T19:20:00Z

Shining humour into dark corners was a speciality. Bridget O'Connor obituary 2010-10-18T17:36:00Z

Ironic humour carries safely enough in a conversation guided by facial clues and tonal hops, but it won't easily survive the transition to Sunday supplement. Martin Amis: a new chapter in America 2012-06-02T23:04:03Z

There's a surreal sense, a more political observational one, and certainly countries have a mainstream sense of humour which refers to Angela Merkel, or national football stars. Comedy without borders: Eddie Izzard and the language of standup 2013-04-24T11:00:05Z

Alternative comedy – the punk-comedy revolution of the 1980s – steered mainstream humour away from the working men's club and towards the student union. Mrs Brown's Boys: how the 'worst comedy ever made' became a smash hit 2013-01-29T16:57:30Z

Instead, it is more judicious to puncture its bombastic façade using the weapons of humour, evasion and other similar sleights of hand. The N-Word: a volcano kept active by the flickering embers of racism 2021-05-22T04:00:00Z

His show features classic physical clowning comedy and absurd visual humour and was described as "breathtakingly brilliant". Silent clown scoops comedy award 2012-08-25T15:39:29Z

The series started in 1989 with The Adventure of Clapham Cook, which set the tone – seriously played, but with flashes of humour. Your next box set: Agatha Christie's Poirot 2011-07-28T21:00:05Z

A prototype pep-talk containing all the ingredients of Bake Off’s future success: pathos, humour, a rounded teaspoon of melancholia, and words like “peepers”. Bake Off at 10: the greatest moments from the nine series so far 2019-08-26T04:00:00Z

"You can't look back and smile on this story, but there is humour of a particularly Jewish kind," he says. Carl Davis: my Kindertransport song cycle 2012-06-15T10:28:34Z

And that powerful sense of revelation and empathy burns through this book as much as the blazes of righteous anger and the bright sparks of humour. Guardian book club: Kalooki Nights by Howard Jacobson 2010-09-20T10:37:00Z

"But she did speak at some length about how important music was to her survival - in preserving her optimism and her sense of humour." Oscars: Reporter's diary 2014-02-24T11:48:11Z

Few of his feature films allowed for much humour, unlike television, which gave him more leeway. William Windom obituary 2012-08-23T16:01:54Z

Fortunately, the second agent Pitcher approached recognised the humour, sensitivity and warmth in the beautifully written story and snapped it up. Annabel Pitcher: 'Nobody wants to write about a perfect family' 2011-08-19T10:56:01Z

There's entertaining material about Davies's ill-chosen education career – and plenty examples of his taste for playground humour. Greg Davies ? review 2011-03-22T19:31:00Z

Apart from his enthusiasm and an endearing line in self-deprecating humour, what Lightbody brings to Tired Pony is his distinctive voice – and therein lies the problem. Tired Pony 2010-07-18T21:01:00Z

While the young male protagonists in The Karate Kid and Bill & Ted possess purposeful strength, they display a vulnerability, a gentle resilience, a sense of humour with suburban heroism. Cobra Kai, Bill & Ted: comebacks redefine middle-aged masculinity, but where are the women? 2021-01-04T05:00:00Z

Ellis told the story of Bruce Taylor, an old school friend without whose "twisted sense of humour" the novel could not have been written. American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis 2010-07-16T23:05:00Z

And then there's the sly humour of When It Blows Its Stacks. Savage on Beefheart 2010-12-22T13:46:32Z

This year's celebrity autobiographies, generally agreed to be an improvement on the wretched class of 2011, fared respectably but not brilliantly, led by Miranda Hart's mixture of humour and memoir, Is It Just Me? Bestselling books of 2012 – commentary 2012-12-28T22:55:06Z

And part of the lessons are how you grow a thick skin without losing your sense of humour, without becoming too grim and too serious. Hillary Clinton meets Mary Beard: ‘I would love to have told Trump: “Back off, you creep”’ 2017-12-02T05:00:00Z

The humour in My Man Godfrey is madcap, but in the best way, and the main source of comedy is the vulgar behaviour of the spoiled, witless Bullock family. My streaming gem: why you should watch My Man Godfrey 2020-04-24T04:00:00Z

Whip It No one was really expecting much from a film about roller derby directed by Drew Barrymore, but this was a surprisingly effective and spiky coming-of-age tale with smart insight and warm humour. Ellen Page: five best moments 2016-02-19T05:00:00Z

Nearly 70 years on, one of the few safe places to talk about menopausal women is in humour, and not always of the gentle type. What science doesn’t know about the menopause: what it’s for and how to treat it | Rose George 2015-12-15T05:00:00Z

I have to admit I'm fast losing my sense of humour. Pornography is everywhere, and I think it's changing how we feel about sex 2013-04-28T08:00:23Z

But there's always a radical stance in her stuff, coupled with a sense of humour. The artists' artist TV drama writers 2011-07-27T21:16:01Z

La Cenerentola Glyndebourne Until 10 July Hall admirably refused to treat the work as frivolous, but in underlining its moral seriousness lost sight of its humour. La Cenerentola – review 2012-05-24T10:19:28Z

Of all human traits, humour tends to be the most underrepresented in the history of the visual arts. This week's new exhibitions 2011-08-12T23:08:44Z

The multiplatform Complete Saga retells episodes one to six with plenty of Lego humour and charm. Star Wars: a short history in video games 2015-11-06T05:00:00Z

His humour grew reflective and wry and a touch metaphysical. The grammar of hard facts 2015-05-14T04:00:00Z

Kahn navigates this slapstick theatre of the absurd with consummate self-deprecating humour. This week's new exhibitions 2012-06-22T23:06:30Z

Every corner reflects Wood’s artistic flair and sense of humour – except the kitchen. Inside Ronnie Wood’s cottage studio 2019-04-27T04:00:00Z

There's a lovely moment when he says something like: "God must have a wicked sense of humour – he made me." A member of the British Polio Fellowship's view on The Sessions 2013-01-20T19:44:01Z

Early word suggests a superior romcom full of pathos and sly humour. Summer 2017's best movies: from Scarlett Johansson's hen night to Morrissey's teen years 2017-06-15T04:00:00Z

En route announcements blend humour, menace and levels of enjoyable psychosis and I certainly will never dream of spitting at fellow travellers, nor will I alarm children, wander about with my shoes off, or smoke. A happy ending to my American tour 2010-10-19T09:57:00Z

Meanwhile, on Atlanta, Henry is all about dry humour, often making people laugh without cracking a smile. 'I’m black, I can’t do method acting’: Brian Tyree Henry on Atlanta and Widows 2018-11-03T04:00:00Z

They could come in different sizes and shapes, but there was an assumption they were serious people, even if they had a good sense of humour, right? Hillary Clinton meets Mary Beard: ‘I would love to have told Trump: “Back off, you creep”’ 2017-12-02T05:00:00Z

Murphy writes with such sparky humour and genuine tenderness about women's lot that I wish she'd resisted the temptation to round everything off so neatly. Review 2010-04-20T00:48:00Z

"He was a very interesting man; a progressive thinker with an unexpected and puckish sense of humour." National Portrait Gallery to put EO Hopp? back in the frame 2010-10-07T12:55:00Z

The paintings added some much needed humour and helped personalise the aircraft for men who risked their lives every day. In Pictures: Don Allen's "nose art" 2012-08-17T14:57:36Z

Steinem, thankfully, has no time for the tedious academic theorising that bogs down so much feminist discourse but favours instead plain speaking, good humour and common sense. Hadley Freeman's 10 awesome women: from Katharine Hepburn to Miss Piggy 2013-04-22T15:38:00Z

He cranked up the ultra-violence, added a strand of screwy humour and, most significantly, draped the story of The Wizard of Oz on top. Was Stephen King right to hate Stanley Kubrick's Shining? 2013-04-06T07:03:01Z

All because in the right hands, comedy can be dynamite under the oppressive backsides of authoritarian groups or regimes – who by definition have absolutely no sense of humour. Feminists can't be funny and angry? Are you having a laugh? 2013-02-28T14:50:01Z

What else appealed to you, I ask: his sense of humour? The 100-year-old couple – still married, still going strong 2017-02-11T05:00:00Z

Despite their air of carefree humour, the portraits are inescapably wistful because – along with George Barris's subsequent pictures of Monroe at Santa Monica beach – they are among the last photographs taken of the star. Bert Stern 2013-06-30T15:44:49Z

Revisiting your youth is important for maintaining your empathy and humour levels, Devon says. How to survive the teenage years: a parents’ guide 2018-06-30T04:00:00Z

Billed as worm's-eye-views of warfare from the German standpoint, the books contain some crude humour and a great deal more cruelty and brutality – they are war comics without the pictures, devoured especially by teenage boys. Sven Hassel obituary 2012-10-02T16:06:04Z

At least at home the British sense of humour remains a going concern. This week's new exhibitions 2010-06-04T23:06:00Z

His innate charm and humour warm the room, but it is clear that the one character he loathes to play in public is Mackenzie Crook. Mackenzie Crook unearths metal detector sitcom 2014-08-11T04:00:00Z

Long-time Hitch collaborator Charles Bennett adapted Buchan with the ideal level of disrespect and produced a joyful confection of subversive humour, intelligent twists and wild sexual tension. My favourite Hitchcock film: The 39 Steps 2012-06-16T23:03:03Z

You get all three, and much more, with this double act from Albuquerque, whose mind-expanding live-cartoon playlets – animated with grace, great skill and unpredictable humour – have brightened many a fringe. Edinburgh festival 2013: our critics' picks 2013-07-15T05:59:01Z

You need to have a sense of humour and try to do some good. Top 10 tips for being a literary agent 2014-05-10T00:21:16Z

Paul Noble draws a world of humour and imagination – is that too "traditional" to get him a Turner? Turner prize: too respectable? 2012-09-28T12:23:05Z

I couldn't see any of the humour which Sarah Waters identified. The Vet's Daughter by Barbara Comyns - review 2013-07-22T08:00:00Z

Love, crime and cockeyed redemption meet on a hardscrabble housing estate in County Cork, Ireland, in a rare blend of heartbreak and humour. Irish charm 2016-08-11T04:00:00Z

Repeating the phrase in Italian for emphasis, he adds: "The Americans especially don't like humour mixed up with seriousness." Clive James – a life in writing 2013-07-05T07:45:01Z

Choollburra credits Bill Crosby and Richard Pryor as his, as well as the 1970s sitcom Good Times that, while dealing with issues such as poverty, unemployment and racism, did so with humour and empathy. Aboriginal humour: 'the flip side of tragedy is comedy' 2013-06-19T01:08:50Z

Stockard is what Tallulah Bankhead must have been like: wonderful, idiosyncratic voice and a wry sense of humour, with inner strength and swagger. Ian McKellen: 'X-Men was a gay man’s delight, because it was full of the most amazing divas' 2015-11-21T05:00:00Z

Photograph: Private Collection/© Estate of Roy Lichtenstein/DACS 2012 When he turned to Van Gogh's famous room at Arles, Lichtenstein's sense of humour itself became a way of exploring that painter's romanticised "madness". From heresy to visionary 2013-02-23T09:01:01Z

The buzz: "You've got to have a sense of humour to get these guys as they obviously don't mean some of their twisted, backwards lyrics!" New band of the day ? No 943: Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All 2011-01-11T17:04:49Z

While they may not match the British obsession with scatological humour, the park's popularity suggests that Koreans are less embarrassed when it comes to celebrating the toilet and its central role in daily life. South Korea's toilet museum: a place for contemplation 2012-11-09T15:07:46Z

The only difference now is people have lost a lot of their sense of humour that they had back when we made the film. How we made Monty Python’s Life of Brian 2019-04-16T04:00:00Z

Izzard, Noel Fielding and Ross Noble are perhaps the most obvious inheritors of Sykes' humour. Obituary: Eric Sykes 2012-07-04T11:18:49Z

One reason for this, of course, is that English people can be supremely arrogant about their own sense of humour: a feeling of national entitlement comparable to the pre-1953 smugness of English footballers. Why Loriot gets lost in translation 2011-08-25T14:45:25Z

These series give us the humour of "The Golden Girls" but a richer landscape of the interior lives of older women. "And Just Like That": How "Sex and the City" sequel broadens the representation of 50+ women on TV 2022-01-07T05:00:00Z

Mars created it to explore her compulsion to be funny, both on stage and off, and gradually realised that humour was, for her, an avoidance of responsibility, a fear of appearing earnest. The great comedy ambush 2013-01-09T19:00:02Z

Berger, whose work also ranged a number of literary genres from detective fiction to humour, saw two other books turned into films. Little Big Man author Berger dies 2014-07-22T04:00:00Z

Lazarev tinged its humour with sadness as cornet flourishes marked the stages of the lieutenant's life and mourned his passing, before sinking into silence. Philharmonia/Lazarev ? review 2010-12-15T23:20:01Z

I searched very deep to find those topics, and then had to find humour in them, simply because everything else had been done. Jerry Sadowitz attacks offensive comedians – for stealing his material 2012-12-06T14:27:56Z

Of humour, there is not a lot, except a brief scene featuring a curly brown wig that brings to mind, probably unintentionally, Brian May. Marc Almond/Ten Plagues – review 2013-04-26T11:33:49Z

Both revel in what Sands calls "the richness of the language, the outrageous, subversive humour of it, the vicious, violent, uncompromising, stiletto-like confrontations, which are fantastic for actors." Homage to Harold Pinter 2011-08-07T20:31:01Z

And through her eyes, it became easy to understand Barker's charm, and the wit and the humour that united them. The poems and punch-ups of By Grand Central Station 2013-03-06T19:29:01Z

Serious as she is about her subject, in person she exudes endless warmth and good humour. Ava DuVernay on the legacy of slavery: ‘The sad truth is that some minds will not be changed’ 2017-02-06T05:00:00Z

Some of the most positive responses to the show have come from cancer survivors… Absolutely and those responses suggest that cancer survivors and those with cancer don't need an explanation for the use of humour. Who's afraid of the big C? 2010-09-18T23:06:00Z

His publishers soon realised that Thomas's scripted humour was an enormous attraction for readers and audiences. Writer's centenary is celebrated 2013-07-06T10:35:47Z

"The things that I have apparently parodied I actually admire," Lichtenstein said, and humour is as central to his work as is a very American buoyancy. From heresy to visionary 2013-02-23T09:01:01Z

But normally, when poets try to get inside the heads of animals, there is usually less humour in evidence. Bevel by William Letford – review 2012-08-28T11:30:01Z

I hope that people can enjoy it, whether that means providing scares, thrills or even humour in places. Prometheus: the making of a new myth 2012-05-25T23:01:00Z

If that kind of humour isn't your cup of tea, it hasn't bothered South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone much. No freak-out over South Park 2010-04-23T11:30:00Z

If tension does start to rise, remember that humour can be a great way to defuse it, says Horton: Uncle So-and-So with his Brexit views might be headed off with a joke. 'Allocate a chill-out zone': how to keep the family peace at Christmas 2019-11-29T05:00:00Z

Basil Fawlty reminds us that postwar Anglo-German relations weren't just complicated by changing economic fortunes and a rapidly unfolding European project, but also by increasingly divergent ideas of what humour could and should do. What's German for funny? 2012-02-12T20:00:13Z

The 200th episode of South Park - known for its politically incorrect humour - will be shown in the US this week. South Park duo pen Broadway show 2010-04-15T10:35:00Z

Yet her humour is intact despite it all – probably even boosted. Getting On: deadpan with bedpans 2010-10-18T20:07:00Z

His most substantial gift was to restore Cervantes's smile, allowing us to perceive in all their complexity the layers of wit and humour on which Don Quixote rests. Anthony Close obituary 2010-10-03T17:41:00Z

A plot of white crosses hinted at darkness and mortality, while there was humour in bicycle parts and pieces of wood and metal united as unfathomable contraptions. Joshua Tree national park: music, myths and art in the desert 2018-04-12T04:00:00Z

Her earlier pieces, especially, were harrowing in their portrayal of haunted souls and precarious sanity; later in her career, there was more humour, though it was wry rather than sunny. Step-by-step guide to dance: Pina Bausch/Tanztheater Wuppertal 2010-03-30T11:13:00Z

Simon Kunz's excellent King Rat acknowledges a debt to Shakespeare's Richard III by asking: "Was ever woman in this humour wooed?" Dick Whittington and his Cat ? review 2010-12-05T22:15:00Z

The American west was Dorn's imaginative home, and his poem is an extraordinary feat of imagination, humour, allusion and lyric invention. Collected Poems by Edward Dorn – review 2013-02-01T16:01:01Z

It is a wonderfully witty play of firecracker imagination and humour. Snoo Wilson obituary 2013-07-05T17:57:52Z

This doesn't usually mean you are going to be liked by the target of your humour – the politician you satirise or the ex-boyfriend you emasculate. Feminists can't be funny and angry? Are you having a laugh? 2013-02-28T14:50:01Z

But deeply religious Gaudí was an austere character: it was left to Jujol, his little-known collaborator, to bring a lightness of touch and humour to many of his most famous works. Gaudí's Catalan shadow: the art of Josep Maria Jujol 2013-06-03T06:00:06Z

Martin will be remembered for his warm-heartedness, infectious sense of humour, boundless energy and endless commitment to the musical education of young people – and also for his green Dr Martens boots. Martin Read obituary 2012-11-12T15:01:14Z

Its lack of worthiness and eye for humour make it even more effective at emphasising its point. Theo's Adventure Capitalists 2010-05-04T07:00:00Z

Forster seemed less straightforward, wry and intense, as you would have expected from his oeuvre, which has an off-kilter, brooding nervousness shot through with dry humour. Robert Forster: me and my bridge 2010-07-14T20:31:00Z

The cricket match is introduced mainly to provide some humour and narrative excitement, and to foreshadow a second visitation from Britain – a gunboat sent to forestall the implementation of the Fixed Period law. David Lodge: rereading Anthony Trollope 2012-12-14T22:55:04Z

Its humour and quality – and the hunt for a pygmy hippo by the eccentric son of a Mexican drug lord – ensured it caught their imagination. Would we have survived without the Guardian first book award? 2012-05-29T08:30:00Z

Yet the effect of her shows, it seems to me, rather firing up her audience's anger about inequality, is to bring some humour to the subject, and draw the acrimony out. Comedy gold – Jo Brand's Barely Live 2013-07-12T14:09:37Z

The role of Yelnikoff was originally written in the 1970s, and intended for Zero Mostel; he's an archetypal Allen protagonist, eking humour from despair as he peers over the existential abyss. Larry David: 'I'm cranky' 2010-06-25T23:02:00Z

I'm not entirely adverse to some humour, but we surely don't need the full life story. What's the point of theatre programmes? 2012-10-10T16:07:27Z

Was it also a feature of a generation who experienced war that they displayed considerable wit and humour? Letters: 'Peter Worsley was one of Britain's sociology superstars' 2013-04-02T16:45:38Z

As I translated it I really admired its economy and humour, and its somewhat anti-Italian spirit. Authors choose their favourite short stories 2012-12-21T22:55:14Z

I am wary about analysing humour too much. The innocence of childish humour 2013-03-16T07:45:01Z

There’s tingling sensuality and raucous humour amid the sadness, and wild splashes of colour too, as Balagov counterintuitively paints a war-shredded city in vivid pea greens and blazing oranges, frenzied with sound and human bustle. Streaming: the best film of 2019? 2019-10-12T04:00:00Z

There were too many voices, often, though Brand's freewheeling, caterwauling humour always came out on top. Rewind radio: Russell Brand in aid of Teenage Cancer Trust; Noise: A Human History – review 2013-03-24T18:00:12Z

As derivative as it is, though, it still works a treat, charming and disarming in equal measure with its humour, heart and honesty. Toronto 2013: Reporter's diary 2013-09-12T13:42:39Z

Yet the internet has also revolutionised humour on a molecular level. 'Horrifyingly absurd': how did millennial comedy get so surreal? 2019-08-13T04:00:00Z

Watkins gained a reputation for reliability, prodigious talent and unruffled, good humour whatever the situation. Derek Watkins obituary 2013-03-25T16:29:10Z

Dunn's autobiography, Permission to Speak, was titled after one of Jonesy's catchphrases "But he was a wonderful person to work with - great sense of humour, always fun, a great joy really." Dad's Army star Clive Dunn dies 2012-11-08T09:55:45Z

If you do decide to stay friends with him – and I’m not sure there is an obvious reason why you shouldn’t – it’s important he knows that kind of humour is off the table. Ask Molly Ringwald: my friend made a sexual comment about my wife 2015-08-21T04:00:00Z

But it seems to me that the closer Creed gets to traditional forms, and the stricter the method, the more his art loses its humour and declines into old-fashioned minimalism. Martin Creed: Down Over Up; Richard Wright: The Stairwell Project; Joan Mitchell 2010-08-07T23:05:00Z

"The setting and mood of the short story are static and tense, whereas the setting and mood of Disturbia are more dynamic and peppered with humour and teen romance." Disturbia did not steal Rear Window plot, judge rules 2010-09-22T14:38:00Z

He had a great sense of humour and was a fabulous musician. Unsung hero 2010-03-18T17:17:00Z

“He went through period of anger and desperation, but then would bounce back, and his humour was always there. That was his way of normalising it.” Breaking the taboo: the director who has filmed the moment of death 2018-09-13T04:00:00Z

Amid all this carnage, black humour was their only coping mechanism. Life and death in the US Marines 2014-05-24T04:00:00Z

Parker is a conceptual artist, a provocateur, a theorist with a sense of humour. Cornelia Parker: A history of violence 2010-05-25T20:31:00Z