Best of the Fest: Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh, 2009
After Hours Comedy: Pleasance Dome, Edinburgh, 2010
Best of the Fest: Assembly Checkpoint, Edinburgh, 2013
The Greenwich Comedy Festival: Greenwich Park, London, 2014
Banana Cabaret: The Bedford Arms, Balham, London, 2014
Always Be Comedy: The Tommyfield pub Kennington, London, 2017
Always Be Comedy: The Tommyfield pub, Kennington, London, 2018
The Big Funny Fest: The Old Deer Park, Richmond, 2019
Greenwich Comedy Festival 2020: Greenwich Park, London, 2020
Return of The Craic Online Comedy Club: Online: 2021
London Comedy Allstars: Wonderground at Earls Court, London, 2021
Irish comedian Andrew Maxwell is a fearless social observer, well-meaning character and brilliant stand-up comedian. He is an Edinburgh Festival favourite (in 2018, he played his 23rd fringe) and I have seen him many times live on stage both in Edinburgh and London.
The Dublin born funny man based in London is known for his snappy, lightning quick awareness and well observed responses. Maxwell challenges the audience by facing the controversial or taboo head on. At his twenty-minute sets that I have seen on stage, he engaged and bantered with the audience delivering a wealth of subjects tempting them into his uncontrolled way of thinking.
The comedian headlined an Always Be Comedy showcase that I saw in November 2018. He delivered a wide-ranging, politically clued-up set (subjects ranged from moving to Kent from North London, terrorism and Brexit). One of Maxwell’s strengths is engagement with the audience, and he did so disarmingly that he educated and made them listen whilst being extremely funny.
I saw Maxwell again headline the final show of a long day at The Big Funny Fest at Richmond in June 2019. As he started his set, a plane flew over the Big Top venue causing him to pause. Then another flew over and another. The venue had been erected directly over the flight path and Maxwell found comedy with this so that practically every time a plane went over, he had to time his punchlines to make the audience laugh. The Irishman rejuvenated the flagging crowd with his passion for comedy however his joyous initial banter subsided into a bleak assessment of the Brexit situation. The delivery with wit and honesty captivated the audience.
Maxwell made an extremely amiable compere for the socially distanced Greenwich Comedy Festival in September 2020 easily engaging with the audience warming them up for the comedians on the bill.
The comedian was a brilliant guest for Return of The Craic Online Comedy Club that I watched In March 2021. I also saw him again live on the bill for London Comedy Allstars in September 2021. Maxwell was a great story builder and extremely witty talking to the audience about his experiences of lockdown.
Maxwell is a very reliable, funny and likeable comedian.