Performing Arts

Superstar comedian and Hollywood box-office star Kevin Hart turns his immense talent to the written word by writing some words. Some of those words include: the, a, for, above, and even even. Put them together and you have the funniest, most heartfelt, and most inspirational memoir on survival, success, and the importance of believing in yourself since Old Yeller.

From the elections of Barack Obama and Donald Trump to the tragic events of Ferguson and Charlottesville, the subject of race has come to the forefront of American consciousness. Legendary satirist D. L. Hughley offers his own cutting observations on this contentious issue that continues to traumatize the nation, a wound made more painful by the ongoing comments and actions of the 45th president. Hughley uses humor to draw attention to injustice, sardonically offering advice on a number of lessons, like "How to make cops feel more comfortable while they're handcuffing you".

Richard Pryor journeys from his childhood in a family that worked in whore-houses and bars, through to his years in Hollywood - the money, the women, the drugs - and the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis.

The greats of comedy, when they were young and struggling, performing their great early routines.

By the tender age of five, Bernie Mac had found his calling: making others laugh. He has since become the star and cocreator of Fox’s hit sitcom The Bernie Mac Show; a stand-up legend; and a hit movie star in Head of State and Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle. Now, this amazing comedian delves deep down inside to retell the poignant and hilarious story of his childhood and the people who helped shape him into the comedian - and the strong and self-reliant man - he is today.

R. Eric Thomas didn’t know he was different until the world told him so. Everywhere he went - whether it was his rich, mostly White, suburban high school, his conservative Black church, or his Ivy League college in a big city - he found himself on the outside looking in. In essays by turns hysterical and heartfelt, Thomas reexamines what it means to be an "other" through the lens of his own life experience.

Comedian Trevor Noah offers listeners a glimpse into his childhood during apartheid in South Africa in this award-winning memoir.

Before Liz Lemon, before Weekend Update, before Sarah Palin, Tina Fey was just a young girl with a dream: A recurring stress dream that she was being chased through a local airport by her middle-school gym teacher. She also had a dream that one day she would be a comedian on TV....

In the mid-70s, Steve Martin exploded onto the comedy scene. By 1978 he was the biggest concert draw in the history of stand-up....

From a massively successful stand-up comedian and co-host of chart-topping podcasts “2 Bears 1 Cave” and “Your Mom’s House,” hilarious real-life stories of parenting, celebrity encounters, youthful mistakes, misanthropy, and so much more....

Since his first performance at the legendary New York nightclub “Catch a Rising Star” as a 21-year-old college student in fall of 1975, Jerry Seinfeld has written his own material and saved everything....

From a host of The Daily Show and stand-up comic, Michael Kosta, comes a wildly funny and insightful memoir about his unlikely journey from professional tennis player (#864 in the world) to professional comedian (there’s no ranking system in comedy but he’s probably . . . top 50?).

Bob Odenkirk’s career is inexplicable. And yet he will try like hell to explicate it for you. Charting a “Homeric” decades-long “odyssey” from his origins in the seedy comedy clubs to a dramatic career full of award nominations, it’s almost like there are many Bob Odenkirks....

Outsider. Misfit. Criminal. Convict. . . . Movie star. Family man. Comedy legend. Joey Diaz has been called every name in the book (and then some). Now, for the first time, he shares the story of his unlikely rise to fame in his own words—with no punches pulled....

James Andrew Miller and Tom Shales raucously and revealingly take the SNL story up to the present, adding a constellation of iconic new stars, surprises, and controversies....

Robin Williams was a singularly innovative and beloved entertainer. He often came across as a man possessed, holding forth on culture and politics while mixing in personal revelations....

Get a look into the mind of Cheech Marin - one half of the renowned Cheech and Chong comedic duo - and follow through the highs and lows of his personal and professional lives. An unborn baby with a fatal heart defect...a skier submerged for an hour in a frozen Norwegian lake....

Mindy Kaling has lived many lives: the obedient child of immigrant professionals, a timid chubster afraid of her own bike, a Ben Affleck–impersonating Off-Broadway performer and playwright, and, finally, a comedy writer and actress....

Six-time Emmy Award-winning funnyman Tim Conway, best known for his characters on The Carol Burnett Show, offers a straight-shooting and hilarious memoir about his life on stage and off as an actor and comedian....

If you are driving, pull over. If you are at work, close your door, unless you don't mind your colleagues seeing you doubled over, in tears, on your office floor...

Last Words is the story of the man behind some of the most seminal comedy of the last half century....

In these fresh and hilarious personal essays, Mindy Kaling gives the inside scoop on her new role as single mom, the perks of being her own husband, and how she deals with social anxiety even at the most glamorous A-list parties....

From 1962 to 1992, Johnny Carson and his Tonight Show dominated the American consciousness. Henry Bushkin was Carson’s best friend and lawyer during that period, and his book is a tautly rendered and remarkably nuanced portrait of Carson, revealing not only how he truly was, but why....

At last, the definitive audiobook about perhaps the best cabin crew dramedy ever filmed: View from the Top starring Gwyneth Paltrow.....

It's no lie: Chelsea Handler loves to smoke out "dumbassness", the condition people suffer from that allows them to fall prey to her brand of complete and utter nonsense....

In this definitive joke-writing handbook, learn comedy writing and how to write a joke with a simple comedy-writing and joke-writing formula you can use right now to write your own jokes....

Why is every film or tv programme a sequel or a remake? Why are people so f***ing hung up about swearing? Why do the asterisks in that sentence make it okay? These and many other questions trouble David Mitchell. Join him on a tour of the absurdities of modern life....

The exercises in this book will get you off the couch and onto the stage, helping you develop the skills necessary to envision, and achieve, a successful career in comedy....

David Mitchell has written a book about his life....

One of this generation's hottest and boldest young comedians presents a transgressive and hilarious analysis of all of our dysfunctional relationships, and attempts to point us in the vague direction of sanity....

A whimsical celebration of life, art, success, kindness, love, and thriving in a meaningless universe, drawn from three iconic graduation speeches from beloved comedian Tim Minchin in a unique blend of Charlie Mackesy meets Kurt Vonnegut.

Authors Keegan-Michael Key and Elle Key build on the popularity of their 2022 Webby Award-winning podcast and delve deeper into the world of sketch, helped along with new essays created expressly for the book by comedy greats.

Journey into life’s quirky truths with comedian Tim Minchin in this nonfiction book, that infuses his renowned comic flare with heartfelt wisdom. Minchin transforms three of his most adored speeches—including his viral “9 Life Lessons” speech—into a captivating book designed to inspire, amuse, and create a sense of wonder.

Move over, James Bond. There's a new spy sensation in town and her name is Jane Ponds. A madman is hellbent on starting World War Three. The last person you’d think the US Intelligence Agency would tap to save the day is a recently widowed senior center desk clerk named Janet Ponderosa. And yet call upon Janet is exactly what the Agency does. With Social Security threatening to cut off her pittance of a retirement benefit, what’s she got to lose? Nothing much…except her life. Fans of Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club, Jonas Jonasson’s The Hundred-Year-Old Man and of course ...

Alright, let’s just get this out of the way: Yes, I’ve been naked outside. A lot. And I mean a lot. If you’re reading this, you’re probably thinking, “Why on earth would anyone want to be naked in the outdoors?!” And trust me, I’ve asked myself the same question at least a hundred times—mostly while I’m standing there, naked as the day I was born, in some ridiculously awkward situation. But here’s the thing: There’s something magical about being naked in nature. Something freeing. Like, the second you strip away those layers of clothing, you shed all the other layers ...

Let’s be real for a second—there’s something incredibly freeing about being naked. You know, that feeling of shedding every layer and just existing in your natural state. It’s not about vanity or trying to make some bold statement; it’s about pure, unfiltered freedom. But let’s face it, we can’t all live in a nudist colony (as fun as that sounds) or have a private beach to run wild on. So what’s the next best thing? Finding sneaky, unexpected places to ditch the clothes and enjoy being you. In this book, I’m about to take you on a wild, hilarious, and slightly rebellious ...

Alright, let’s be real—buying a house is a big deal. And when I say "big deal," I mean stressful, overwhelming, and let's face it, occasionally a bit terrifying. We spend months, maybe years, pinning down what we want, scouring listings, attending open houses, signing piles of paperwork, and going through all the ups and downs that come with finding a new home. But let’s take a moment and ask: What if you did all of that, but without the clothes? Yeah, I’m talking about doing it all, from house hunting to signing that final offer, in the most liberating way possible: naked. Why? ...

When Maximus Profitt, CEO of Joyful Health Care, is abducted during the Bay to Breakers race, retired SFPD Detective John Morgan is reluctantly pulled back onto the force. Meanwhile, when his next-door neighbor, Sara Darby, an overstressed Jessica Fletcher wannabe, and her misfit friends: Vivian Char, a food truck chef, Ivy Drip, a retired nurse drowning in medical debt, and Gloria Wright, an 82-year-old feminist and recovering lawyer, find themselves at the end of their ropes, do what any rational woman would do when faced with injustice. They cover up a murder. What begins as a series of ...

The Boomer Crew's biggest gamble yet! The lads go to Monaco to make their fortune in the casinos; what’s the worst that could happen? Well, Blakey’s car might get trashed, Finley might lose all his money, Geoff and Daisy might break up and Johnny might not make it back to Blighty. Will their wildest gamble yet pay off – or leave them broke and broken? Double Up or Quit is the third laugh-out-loud installment in Peter Seddon’s cozy crime series, packed with his signature wit and the misadventures of the Boomer Crew – Britain’s unlikeliest criminals. Perfect for fans of The ...

The Underwear Uprising Nobody Asked For (But Everyone Needs): EPIC EXITS III is Here There are books. There are bold books. And then there’s EPIC EXITS III — The Story of an Underwear Revolution: a chaotic, sweat-drenched, lion-roaring, menopause-powered masterpiece that somehow—against all odds —makes perfect sense. This is not just a book. This is a movement. (And in some cases, a pelvic one—see: **Spuddle Man Pants™**.) Bollocky & Buff, once a forgotten relic of bargain bins and uncomfortable gussets, has risen like a phoenix in properly ventilated knickers—and you’re ...

Ultimately, this is the book’s purpose: How “these days” are different from “those days”. I am a GenXer. That means I was born between 1965 and 1980. Each generation has different characteristics and different world views than the one before and the one after. This is VERY true for us GenXers. We experienced the world differently as kids than the generations around us. And, as adults, we think differently about how things should be done and what makes sense. We are pragmatic, probably above all. We do things because it “makes sense.” Common sense is a hallmark of the ...

Welcome to ShipIt, the small-town shipping center where nothing ever goes according to plan! When corporate threatens to shut down their under-performing branch, the quirky staff of ShipIt will do anything to save their jobs—even if it means filling their shelves with empty boxes before a surprise inspection. Between Maria the sleep-deprived manager with party-animal elderly parents, Tom the cryptic septuagenarian who refuses to retire, Jenna the seemingly ditzy clerk with surprising corporate connections, practical cleaning contractor Amanda, and gruff delivery driver Butch, this ...

Epic Exits II: The Accidental Sequel Welcome to the ultimate guide to leaving your job in a blaze of surreal, side-splitting, and slightly unhinged glory. Whether you’re suffering from "Can You Just" fatigue, a boss who schedules meetings over lunch, or an IT Steve who was clearly destined for jousting greatness, this book is your passport to escaping corporate madness with style, flair, and possibly a papier-mâché cow head. Inside these pages, you’ll find: Masterful exit strategies (including sumo-wedgie philosophy, doughnut crime scenes, and the unstoppable power of a well-timed ...

Stand-up comic, musician and conductor Rainer Hersch has performed in comedy clubs worldwide, made numerous appearances at the Edinburgh Festival and put on several comedy-concert series at London’s Southbank Centre. This audio anthology brings together two of his BBC Radio series, All Classical Music Explained and Rainer Hersch’s 20th Century Retrospective, plus the standalone programme Gershwin’s Horns and some stand-up comedy from Rainer at London’s Comedy Store.

Hope Brown’s mundane life is turned upside down when:-she unexpectedly loses the job she loves; runs into big trouble with the police when she’s implicated in an unexplained death; finds herself the target of a notorious local drug gang - out for revenge; and discovers dark secrets about her past that she is determined to uncover. Hope takes flight from the dreary London council flat that she shares with her slovenly stepfather Charlie, and stepbrother Joel, looking for a fresh start in Northumberland, in the peaceful, coastal town of Amble, where she was born. She's determined to ...

Are you tired of juggling anxious thoughts and daily mishaps—like life’s one giant blooper reel? Meet your new playbook for mental health: Half Crazy, Fully Human by Felicity Hartwell. Backed by real psychological insights—and a hearty dose of humor—this book dares to ask: what if laughing at life’s chaos is the best way to conquer it? From playful strategies that tame those intrusive thoughts to reimagining every “failure” as your own comedic outtake, Felicity Hartwell shows how a little laughter and a lot of self-awareness can turn meltdown moments into stepping stones.

Are you tired of being the bigger person? Do you yearn to master the fine art of passive-aggressive revenge? Look no further! The Art of Being Petty At Work is your hilarious (and toxic) guide to becoming the office prankster everyone secretly fears. From expertly timed “Per My Last Email” zingers to the masterful placement of 'Official' signs, this parody guide will teach you how to reach the level of petty most people can only ever aspire to achieve.

The Art of Changing Your Mind is a witty and insightful exploration of the power—and occasional absurdity—of shifting your opinions. From mastering the backpedal to using your ever-changing views for personal gain, this book offers a humorous guide to navigating the fine line between being open-minded and simply inconsistent. With practical tips on how to flip-flop with confidence, maintain political advantages, and stay flexible in a world of constant change, it’s a playful yet thought-provoking look at the skill of evolving your beliefs without losing face (or followers).

Kiedy przycisną nas bieda, kryzys i ból istnienia, na przekór wszystkiemu uciekamy w świat żartu i beztroski. Ruszamy do kabaretu, by zobaczyć, jak artyści kpią w żywe oczy z tych, którzy zgotowali nam kłopoty. Jest tam wszystko: piosenka, poezja i pieprzny dowcip. Nie dziwota, "kabaret” to przecież nazwa zestawu naczyń z przyprawami – sól z pieprzem, coś dla smaku. Dla każdego coś miłego. Polski kabaret mocno się zmienił przez ponad stulecie swojego istnienia. Zaczęło się od krakowskiego Zielonego Balonika wzorującego się na paryskich scenach Montmartre’u.

Laughing Through the Stink: Fart Humor for the Humorless dives into the surprisingly sophisticated world of flatulence comedy. From the science behind farts to their place in literature, workplace pranks, and viral social media moments, this book offers a hilarious yet insightful look at why passing gas has universal appeal. Whether you’re the life of the party or someone who needs a little push to embrace your silly side, this guide will have you giggling through every pfft and blarp. Perfect for anyone who’s ever wondered, “Why are farts so funny?”—even if they won’t admit it!

Mike Bubbins, star of the BBC sitcom Mammoth, has recorded his first stand up comedy show. It's a very funny performance and includes a lot of hilarious stories, nostalgia for the old days, and optimism about the good new days. Recorded live in Wales, Mike proves what an accomplished comedian he is.