Brick Wall Comedy

When Comedy Gets Too Comfortable

Published September 02, 2026

When Comedy Gets Too Comfortable

This week, we dissect the shifting landscape of comedy: from award-winning shaggy dog stories to raw creative processes and improvised family specials.

Feelgood Hour Beats Hard Jokes

Chris Cantrill winning the Edinburgh Comedy Award for Rewilding suggests the industry has finally decided that a “relentlessly feelgood hour” about village life is a viable comedic strategy. It is one way to approach a festival that often rewards the emotionally ambitious.

Cantrill, one half of The Delightful Sausage (whose partner Amy Gledhill won in 2024), transitioned from sketch to a solo “shaggy dog story” about his Northumbrian village life. His background, which includes writing for Saturday Night Live UK, demonstrates how a sustained narrative and character work now outmaneuvers rapid fire gags in the awards circuit.

The award validates a different kind of comedic ambition. It is focused on atmospheric storytelling, not punchline density. Marty Gleeson also took home the Best Newcomer award for her show Dog Ear, reinforcing the idea that a compelling, if sometimes meandering, narrative can carry a room.

Publicly Airing Half-Formed Premises

‘Notes: The Comedy B-Sides’ at Edinburgh Fringe asks comedians to deliberately expose their raw, half-formed ideas, which is one way to ensure nobody expects a polished set. This is a brave approach, a calculated risk to lower audience expectations.

Hosted by Stephen Gordon, this late-night show, which took place on September 1, 2026, features a rotating lineup, including Yvette Segan, Val Vulpe, Adam Flood, Robin Grainger, and Laurie Brewster. Performers read “half-formed premises, 3am voice memos, and ideas that went somewhere unexpected” directly from their phone notes. Robin Grainger, for example, mined material from shopping lists, while Val Vulpe offered Moldovan dry wit.

The format turns vulnerability into a comedic device, allowing audiences to witness the creative struggle. This creates a unique connection, or perhaps a collective sigh of relief that their own notes apps are not being scrutinized. The show aims to “pull back the curtain on the messy, brilliant and chaotic process that comes before the polished show.”

Mom Calls Become Special Material

Eric Neumann’s Call Your Mom special, which blends traditional stand-up with “raw, unfiltered, hilarious improvised conversations” with his mother, is a bold experiment in making private family dynamics public for mass consumption. This is one way to get a special made when you are short on material.

The special, which recently premiered on the Roku Channel, is a hybrid format that has earned national attention, including a digital billboard in Roku City and a physical billboard in Times Square. Neumann has a track record of success, with his five previous albums and specials all reached #1 on the iTunes Comedy charts. He is also performing Neu Material at New York Comedy Club on September 1, 2026.

This approach pushes the boundaries of a traditional special, proving that authentic, unscripted family interactions can resonate, provided the mother is sufficiently entertaining. It risks genuine discomfort for comedic payoff, turning a phone call into a main event.

This Week’s New Releases