David Baddiel's Fame: Not the Musical; and spot-the-famous-scion in No Quarter

Alice Jones' Arts Diary

David Baddiel is coming out of stand-up retirement, again.

The comedian will play 12 dates at Soho Theatre, London from Monday in the 150-seat cabaret bar.

The show, a work-in-progress tentatively titled Fame: Not the Musical and billed “as much a thought-piece as a comedy show” will be an hour-long deconstruction of fame, his own fame and our culture’s obsession with fame in general. Baddiel hasn’t done a full show in 15 years, having retired to concentrate on writing. He has made occasional appearances including a gig at IndigO2 in 2010. At that gig, he shared tales of groupies  and read out rude lines from Anna Karenina. His old sparring mate Frank Skinner begins a run of work-in-progress shows at Soho Theatre in April. Perhaps by the summer they’ll be back together again.

No restraint in this Quarter

Polly Stenham’s new play, No Quarter, pulls no punches when it comes to dysfunctional parents and inheritance. So it’s fun to play spot-the-famous-scion with the cast.

Tom Sturridge, son of the actress Phoebe Nicholls and Brideshead Revisited director Charles Sturridge, takes the lead. And Joshua James, son of the actress Lia Williams from her first marriage to her childhood sweetheart Brandon, plays Arlo.

Some inheritances are better than others, clearly.

Also in Alice Jones' Arts Diary:

Kristin Scott Thomas wishes all the world was a stage despite film role in Dans la Maison

Harry Potter star teaches fans 'How to be Daniel Radcliffe' in spoof video