Watch Comic Aid For Free

Wonderful Movie

Pretty Good

Just what I expected

It's funny watching the elements come together in this complicated scam. On one hand, the set-up isn't quite as complex as it seems, but there's an easy sense of fun in every exchange.

The DVD of comic aid claims that it is live and uncut. A number of the acts have been spliced up which is a shame. I saw the live show which was brilliant but the DVD has omitted a few sections. I can understand why they cut parts of the bear talking with Johnathan Ross because of grating chemistry, but they cut Dylan Moran's' section drastically. He's a wonderful man to listen to, (see monster) and a hysterical actor (black books / the actors) but his seven minutes were cut by half, his closing lines leaving DVD audiences bemused. Why would the editors cut his sly and poetic observations but leave in johnny Vegas'intimidating drunken rants and sexual assaults on the audience?

Amazing how seemingly shallow celebrities can get involved in this kind of thing for free. Everyone was very funny (some funnier than others: Bill Bailey, Lee Evans and Omid Djalili particularly impressive) and I am certain that it raised a lot of important money for the Tsunami charity.Despite the reason for the evening, there was not the sombre mood you might expect, and the light-heartedness paid off. The comedians did their material in a lively mood (except the trademark cynics like Dylan Moran, Jack Dee and Jo Brand), and the combination of musical comedy from Bill Bailey and Rich Hall, impressions from Jon Culshaw and Alaistair McGowan, mind tricks from Derren Brown and stand-up worked excellently, making sure that the audience was never bored.

After the Tsunami disaster in December of 2004, the charities thought of many ways to raise money. So they decided a really good way would be to get a load of comedian talents to perform for a few minutes each all at once. The first people to appear on the stage in front of however many thousand people (all money going to the charity) were Jonathan Ross and Jack Dee. After that they brought in all the acts of the night. The people that were good enough to do Comic Aid were Bill Bailey, Jo Brand, Derren Brown, Jimmy Carr, Julian Clary, Lenny Henry in Pieces' Omid Djalili, Lee Evans, Leigh Francis as Bo' Selecta's The Bear, Dawn French doing her impression of Catherine Zeta-Jones, Eddie Izzard, The League of Gentlemen, Alistair McGowan, Dylan Moran, Graham Norton, Paul O'Grady as Lily Savage, Ardal O'Hanlon, Simon Pegg, Miranda Richardson and Johnny Vegas. Very good charity and comedy!