What elevates Mr. Franken above your garden-variety comedian is an erudite wit and a highly developed sense of the absurd.
— The New York Times
Simply hilarious.
— The Times of London
I cannot remember one moment of this show that wasn't funny. I am still laughing.
— The Scotsman
You can't take your eyes off these inspired outpourings.
— UK Guardian
Best Alternative to Psychedelic Drugs.
— San Francisco Bay Guardian
Will Franken is an astounding character comedian who makes almost everyone else in his field look like lazy chancers.
— Chortle UK
Quite simply, he does the smartest comedy I’ve ever seen. I laughed so hard when I discovered his act that my ribs couldn’t contain it all.
— The Oakland Tribune
Franken wanders through a parallel-universe city populated by hipsters who challenge John Milton to poetry slams and crass marketers of women’s empowerment symposia, among other fun-house imaginings.
— The Onion
This is a supremely talented comedy actor, and each of his characters lives and breathes, however absurdly they do it.
— The Scotsman
It’s more acting than stand-up, and no race, minority, nor pet cause is safe. It belongs in some London theater and it’s way too good for cable TV.
— David Downs, Gelf Magazine
Every Will Franken show is like watching a cast of thousands, with a potpourri of voices and characters.
— San Francisco Chronicle
Instead of delivering one-liners, Franken simply becomes these diverse characters, something that a generic stand-up comic would be hard-pressed to replicate.
— San Francisco Herald
A hilarious, dryly intelligent comedian.
— The Reno News and Review
Dear Edinburgh;
I'm coming back! Don't miss the latest instalment of Will Franken madness: Concert to Benefit the Victims of My Father (details coming soon!) xx
International Press / Praise →
Friday, 24th May
The Claudia O'Doherty Experience
Invisible Dot; 2 Northdown Street; London; N1 9BG
8:45pm
£10
Saturday, 25th May
Group Therapy
Gorilla; 54-56 Whitworth Street W; Manchester M1 5WW
7:00pm
£10/£8 (concession)
Monday, 27th May
99 Club
99 Club; 28A Leicester Square, London; WC2H 7LE
8pm
Tuesday, 28th May
Comedy DeLuxe
The Luxe; 109 Commercial Street; Spitalfields Market; London E1 6BG
7:30pm
£10
Wednesday, 29th May
How The Light Gets In Festival
The Globe at Hay; Newport Street; Hay-on-Wye; Hereford HR3 5BG
Time/Prices TBC
Thursday, 30th May (1st Show)
We Love Comedy
Balham Bowls Club; 7-9 Ramsden Road; SW12 8QX
Thursday, 30th May (2nd Show)
Hotel Kakistocracy
The Horse Bar; 122-124 Westminster Bridge Road; London, SE1 7RW
9pm
Wednesday, 5th June
ROFL & LOL Comedy Club
The Finsbury Pub; 336 Green Lane, N4 1BY
8:30pm
Thursday, 6th June
Work-in-Progress Slot/Clapham Comedy Club
Bread & Roses; 68 Clapham Manor Street; Clapham Common; SW4 6DZ
10:00pm
£7
Wednesday, 12th June
ComComedy
The Queen of Huxton; 1-5 Curtain Road; London; EC2A 3JX
Time/Prices TBC
Saturday, 15th June
Monkey Business
The Sir Richard Steele; 97 Haverstock Hill; London; NW3 4RL
8:45pm
£12.50/£10 (concession)
Tuesday, 25th June
The Free Beer Show -- Richard Herring (opening slot)
The Cellar, Frewin Court, Oxford, OX1 3HZ
8:15pm
Friday, 28th June
Wallace & Gromit: Children's Hospital Benefit
The Horse Bar; 122-124 Westminster Bridge Road; London; SE1 7RW
Friday, 5th July
Soho Comedy Club
Empire Cinema Arts; Leicester Street, London; WC2H 7NA
8pm
Thursday, 11th July
Chortle Fast Fringe
(details to follow)
Friday, 12th July
Funny Fridays at The Magdala
The Magdala; 2A South Hill Park; Hampstead; NW3 2SB
8:00pm
£5/£4 (concession)
Saturday, 13th July
Edinburgh Preview
The Harrison; 28 Harrison Street; London; WC1H 8JF
Saturday, 20th July
Funny In Falkirk Festival
Behind the Wall; 14 Melville Street; Falkirk; Stirlingshire; Scotland; FK1 1HZ
[More details TBA]
Tuesday, 23rd July
Neath, Wales Comedy Festival
The Clown's Pocket; 8 Old Market Street; Neath, Wales; SA11 3NA
8pm
£6
Friday, 26th July - Monday, 29th July
Will Franken's Irish Debut: The Dublin Comedy Festival
Venues & Times TBC
Wednesday 31st July through Monday 26th August
New One-Man Show At Edinburgh Fringe Festival -- "Concert to Benefit the Victims of My Father"
Pleasance Ten Dome; Pleasance Courtyard; 60 Pleasance; Edinburgh, Scotland EH8 9TJ
5:40pm
£6 (previews) /Friday, Saturday, Sunday £10 (£9 concession)/Monday thru Thursday £9 (£7.50 concession)
Saturday, 14th September
Soho Comedy Club
Empire Cinema Arts; Leicester Street; London; WC2H 7NA
8pm
Saturday, 30th November
Charity Show
Cardiff, Wales (more details to follow)
Podcasts
Listen to Will's new podcast series, Strollers as well as the original Things We Did Before Reality.
Television
Watch Will's performance on England's The World Stands Up Programme!
“Dear NBC, I would like to audition for Last Comic Standing, but where should I go? What should I do? What does it mean to audition for Last Comic Standing? Will there be water there at the place I audition? What if I get sick the day of the audition? I have been divorced, is that okay? Signed Josh–I mean, Will Franken.”
After I sent the e-mail back, I waited and waited and waited. I looked at the computer screen for minutes, then hours, until the very next day when, right in front of my eyes–A NEW E-MAIL APPEARED!!!!
Radio
Explore
shop
That’s Not The Reason I’m Doing This
$20.00 (includes domestic shipping)
Ever the nomadic and oftentimes undefinable entertainer — a comedy club here, a rock club there — Will Franken the wanderer found a home for the fullest expression of his talents to date in the theatre. More...
Concert To Benefit The Victims Of My Father
$20.00 (includes domestic shipping)
This live CD contains some of Will's best-known pieces. Laugh along with audiences as Will frolics and cavorts from character to character like a caged animal finally released into his natural habitat: the stage. More...
Putting Smiles On The Faces Of Dead People
$18.00 (includes domestic shipping)
In the summer of 1997, a close friend convinced Will Franken to take some student loan money and purchase a small home recording studio. The result, over the course of two years — between Missouri and New York and North Carolina--was a 19 hour, 17 CD box set — of which Putting Smiles On The Faces Of Dead People is but one in a series of best-of volumes from that period. This 72 minute compilation contains some of Will's personal favorites, many of which — owing to the level of studio complexity inherent in purely audio comedy — he has never performed live. The studio Will is different from the live Will — even more cerebral, even more surreal — but still hilarious.More...
