My favourite comedian by comedy magician Mandy Muden

8 July 2019

My all time favourite comedian is the late, great Joan Rivers. I have been very fortunate to see her a handful of times and each time she got better and better.

Mandy Muden

I remember seeing her when I was in the audience for the recording of a TV comedy show. She was on the bill with a bunch of young male comics who were decades younger and she wiped the floor with each and every one of them. Her charisma was just astounding.

I think what I loved most about Joan Rivers was that she was fearless. She didn't care who was in the audience and what she said to them. She was there to make people laugh and that's what she did.

I have read her books and seen many documentaries about her. She didn't have it easy she worked for everything she got. She suffered many knock backs in her career and should have been further up the food chain than she was. But that didn't stop her boundless energy and work ethic. The fact that she was working so hard right up to her death is a testament to us all.

I also love the American comic and magician The Amazing Jonathan. The first time I saw him live was in the Golden Nugget casino in Las Vegas. Before the show the audience was sitting quietly chatting all very relaxed but within seconds of Jonathan hitting the stage the energy level in the room had gone up by a million percent. He just has that 'X' factor thing that people talk about. The best thing about him is that he is totally unpredictable. Seeing him perform is like being on a comedy rollercoaster.

Another favourite is the brilliant comedian and actress Kerry Godliman. I remember seeing one of her first ever gigs many years ago and she just owned it from the start. Kerry really does have funny bones. Her take on the world is hilarious.

She is also a brilliant actress. I genuinely love everything she does. If you ever see her on a bill ... go. She's a genius.

Then there is the wonderful Barbara Nice. I could watch her shows for hours and hours she is wonderful. She is so creative. Her brain works in a completely different way to everyone else. I recently worked with her and she hosted the raffle it ended up being like a rock concert with the whole audience up dancing and cheering. It was just so joyful. It was like watching a masterclass in comedy. The audience left that night in such a happy mood.

Mandy Muden: Is Not The Invisible Woman