Get us in your inbox
🙌 Awesome, you're subscribed!
Thanks for subscribing! Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon!
The self-made, party-lovin’ comedian and Beyoncé superfan reveals her favourite comics
Luisa Omielan has had an incredible few years. Her word-of-mouth Edinburgh Fringe hit, ‘What Would Beyoncé Do?’, brought the feelgood atmosphere of a house party to comedy club and became a sell-out success across the globe. Now she’s back on the road with her hugely successful follow-up, ‘Am I Right Ladies?’ (You might’ve seen this clip from the show making the rounds on social media recently.)
Ahead of her next London show, we asked the fast-rising comic to talk us through her favourite stand-ups. It wasn’t the easiest of tasks for her. ‘Even though I am a comedian, I don’t like watching comedy,’ she says. Uh-oh! ‘But here are ten comics who I do love to watch and feel are unsung heroes of the stand-up world.’
‘As a comic, I hate having to follow Nathan Caton. He has become my unlucky comedian, because whenever I see him perform he annihilates it and I always die on my hole. For me, he’s that comic, who is totally amazing… But please don’t make me follow him…’
‘Such a scathingly brilliant joke writer. I feel like you could name any celebrity and Katherine would destroy them. She needs to be on a British version of “The Comedy Roast”.’
‘She’s Greek but speaks English with a better accent than I do. Audiences love her. She’s so feminine and sexy on stage as well as being really frickin’ funny.’
‘I have so much love for Sloss as a comic. He’s simply an excellent comedian, a superb joke writer, with well-thought out ideas and a delivery that knocks it out the park every time I see him.’
‘One of my all-time favourite stand-ups. Scathing, raucous – I love the freedom in her comedy. She insults all races and sexes but because she’s so skilled she can annihilate them while always keeping the audience on her side. You want her to insult you. It’s amazing that she can be so scathing and clearly come from a place of such love.’
‘Why hasn’t this woman got her own TV show? An unquestionable headliner who has a great dark side to her comedy. Every time I see her perform I think: Fuck me, the room is in the palm of her hand! She’s so close to the bone and so talented.’
‘Zoe Lyons is Britain’s best kept comedy secret. I can’t think of anyone who wouldn’t love her and find her hilarious. She’s another sharp joke writer, has excellent stage presence – she’s just a fucking brilliant comic. She should be massive.’
‘He’s not only a brilliant comic, he’s a fucking artist. Terry Alderton has so much skill, I love the way he’s very clowny. For me, watching him is joyful on a primitive level in the sense that I’m in awe of him and can do nothing but wet myself and clap. Terry is a tour de force and nothing like you’ve ever seen before.’
‘Dave has got the best classic jokes: set-up, punchline. He’s old school good. I watch him and think: now that’s a comedian. That’s the end game; to get that good. Silly, playful and yet authoritative, he makes me laugh until I cry.’
‘You might not have heard of this Welsh comedian, but if you ever see him listed do yourself a favour and check him out. You feel like you are watching a genius on stage. His material’s so beautiful I can’t do it justice in a sentence. Comedy as a genuine art form – just beautiful.’
Discover Time Out original video
