Taylor Tomlinson Treats the Church Like a Toxic Ex
Taylor Tomlinson released her fourth Netflix special on Tuesday. It is called Prodigal Daughter, and it finds her working through the familiar millennial terrain of religious trauma, sexuality, and the persistent fear of death. There was a time when comedy about religion meant pointing out the logistical flaws in Noah’s Ark. Now it means treating the church like a toxic ex (which, structurally speaking, yields better punchlines). Tomlinson has built a remarkably sturdy career out of making anxiety look slick. The hour moves at a relentless clip. She structures jokes the way a good lawyer builds a case. She lays out the premise, anticipates the objection, and then delivers a punchline that feels like a trap snapping shut. It is a highly polished set. The material about deconstructing her faith is sharp, avoiding the trap of sounding like a therapy session that accidentally got booked in a theater. She remains incredibly good at the mechanics of standup. The transitions between bits are almost invisible.
Ali Wong Books a Winter Stronghold
Ali Wong is extending her 2026 tour well into the winter. On Monday, Live Nation announced a slate of European dates alongside a three-night holiday residency at the Masonic in San Francisco this December. Wong has essentially turned the Bay Area into her personal winter stronghold. The tour expansion arrives alongside the news that she and Bill Hader recently ended their relationship. This detail matters only because Wong is a comedian who strip-mines her romantic life for material with terrifying efficiency. Her last special was a celebration of post-divorce singledom (complete with the requisite anecdotes about dating younger men). Whatever phase comes next will now be stress-tested in arenas from Houston to Stockholm. The demand remains massive. Audiences who want to watch a deeply skilled comedian navigate the wreckage of a highly public breakup will have plenty of opportunities.
Greg Davies Leaves the Desk
Greg Davies announced his first Australian standup tour in seven years on Wednesday. The Taskmaster host is bringing his Full Fat Legend show to venues across Australia and New Zealand this October. There is a distinct rhythm to the career of a British comedy television staple. They spend a decade sitting behind desks on panel shows, judging lesser comedians or answering trivia questions. Then, just when audiences forget they actually know how to hold a microphone, they announce a massive international theater tour. Davies is a physically imposing performer who understands exactly how to use his stature for comedic intimidation. It will be interesting to see how the stage persona has evolved after years of playing a benevolent television dictator. The transition back to pure standup is not always seamless. Sometimes the television money softens the edges. But the sheer scale of the venues suggests a performer fully confident in the material. The tour kicks off in Auckland before hitting Adelaide, Perth, Brisbane, and Sydney. It will be a useful stress test to see if a decade of judging other comedians makes a person better at being one.