...accompanied by a documentary about his stand-up during the pandemic

Russell Howard is to release a Netflix stand-up special and a documentary about trying to keep performing during the Covid pandemic.

The special, filmed in London during his Respite world tour, has been renamed Lubricant for the streaming service. It is his second special for the platform following Recalibrate in 2017.

Its release on December 14 will be accompanied by a documentary about  ‘18 months of the strangest gigs of his career’, entitled Until The Wheels Come Off. 

It makes him the first comedian to release a special and a documentary on Netflix at the same time.

In January,  Howard became the first Northern hemisphere comedian to be allowed into New Zealand after its strict lockdown and he previously documented that trip, and subsequent dates in Australia, in the Sky travelogue Russell Howard Stands Up to the World.

That tour also forms par of the story of Until The Wheels Come Off, which is described as: ‘The story of a comedy obsession persevering through the grip of a global pandemic.’

The two-parter is produced by Avalon, whose management arm also represents Howard, and which makes his Sky series The Russell Howard Hour.

Howard will continue his stand-up tour across North America and Europe next year, taking in 79 cities across 24 countries in five continents.

Published: 16 Nov 2021