We could all use a good chuckle right about now.

You know why, I know why, let’s move on.

I recommend you start with a look at the best jokes and one-liners from last year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival (or Festival Fringe, depending on who you ask).

Alright, welcome back.

Now let’s move on to some UK-based comedians who spoke with the Guardian, picking their all-time favourite stand-up routines.

Do I know the names of all of these comedians? No, but let’s go along for the ride anyway.

First up is Phil Wang, who picked Andy Daly’s routine about nothing:

Andy Daly’s mock standup routine about nothing at all has a cult following among comedy fans. The US comic, a regular on shows including Conan, steps into character as bland-but-confident observational comic Jerry O’Hearn. And somehow he is able to create five incredibly funny minutes without once actually saying anything specific.

Observe:

Second on the list is Rose Matafeo, who picked Paul F Tompkins’ Peanut Brittle:

When I was in my teens, big acts rarely travelled to New Zealand, so I enjoyed most of my standup through comedy albums I borrowed from the library or CDs bought from the shop. My favourite was the 2007 album Impersonal by the US comic Paul F Tompkins.

My most listened-to track was Peanut Brittle. The entire routine is about those novelty cans labelled peanut brittle that actually contain spring-loaded snakes. The skit is completely perfect, flowing seamlessly between observations about the stupidity of the product and impressions of execs trying out new fonts for the can to keep the product relevant.

Observe:

John Kearns chose Eddie Izzard’s Swiss Army Knife:

I first heard the Swiss Army Knife routine on the radio in my dad’s car. I was being dropped off at the cinema but remember thinking the film could wait, as Eddie Izzard went through each instrument of war on his knife one by one: “I can see you with my magnifying glass!” I was giddy with how silly it all was…

Swiss Army Knife is part of Glorious, a film of a gig Izzard did in 1997 that is striking for its ambition and scope. Beginning with the Old Testament and ending with Armageddon, he roots everything in the tiniest of details. On the first day God created “baked potatoes and crinkly things … very small avenues … toilets in French camping sites”.

Observe:

To finish, here’s Kae Kurd with a stand-up routine many people may recognise – Eddie Murphy’s Italians After They See Rocky:

I first watched Raw, the film of Eddie Murphy doing standup in the 1980s, when I was about 16. I found it on YouTube, which is how I discovered most comedy when I was a teenager. There are few people that can do voices and act-outs so well. He does an Italian guy coming out of a cinema and telling another guy about watching Rocky.

Once more, observe:

Eddie, man – that guy was wild.

Here’s hoping you found a few laughs above, and a little escape from the current situation.

[source:guardian]