Zoe: I’d point you to the fact we’ve just made a 10-part horror podcast.
Charlie: In my mind I’m on holiday in Hawaii, but also listening to the podcast we just made.
How did you two become comedy partners and what drew you to each other?
Z: The first time I saw Charlie we were both doing a stand-up gig (remember those?), and I was overwhelmed with this weird feeling that we were related.
C: Right, because we’re both short women with curly hair and glasses. How could we not be related?
Z: Charlie thought I was just being a creep, but then six months later she finds out she’s got a great great grandfather with the surname… Tomalin. So I guess the answer is: nepotism.
C: We’re both professional gag writers, so we got to know each other properly last year after writing on a couple of topical shows together. We both agreed it would be nice to write about some horrible things that weren’t actually happening. And like a creeping sickness that tells you you’ve made a terrible mistake… it grew from there!
Can you describe SeanceCast to readers who haven’t had a chance to listen yet?
C: SeanceCast is an extremely haunted sketch show, which follows two beautiful women (spoiler alert: it’s us) as we hold seances in order to find otherworldly content for our podcast.
Z: Each episode has its own story, as well as four ‘scenes from the beyond’ performed by some of the best comedy talent in the UK… we’re talking Amy Gledhill, Kiell Smith-Bynoe, Alison Thea-Skot, Kat Bond, Nimisha Odedra, Toussaint Douglass, Amy Sutton, Jen Ives and Mali Ann Rees.
C: We spent most of the budget getting our incredibly talented cast cursed with bursting pustules so they couldn’t do TV work and had to make our podcast.
SeanceCast features sketches specifically from female and non-binary comic writers, how has this decision affected the content of the podcast?
Z: Firstly, it’s made it fucking great. We were so lucky to work with brilliant writers including Olga Koch, Athena Kugblenu, Catherine Brinkworth, Jen Ives, Shelf (Ruby Clyde and Rachel Watkeys-Dowie), Siân Docksey, Tasha Dhanraj, Heidi Regan, Charlie V Martin, Kate Hinksman, Georgia Wagstaff, Jain Edwards, Atlanta Green and Emerald Paston. Follow them all on Twitter before they’re megastars!
C: From the start we wanted to do something by and for womxn that allowed them to be weird and gross. Too often, shows that are supposed to be ‘for girls’ flatten the female experience into this glittery girlboss thing. So we’ve made a show about ghosts and murder instead – stuff chicks are really into.
You’ve just been nominated for the BBC Audio Drama Award, what does this mean to you?
Z: I got into comedy because I was obsessed with the now defunct Radio 7 when I was a kid so it’s a real honour to be on a list with writers and performers who made you want to do the job in the first place. Basically when we saw the nominations we did a big fangirl.
C: … and then, of course, thanked Satan for delivering on his side of the bargain.
What one episode of SeanceCast would you recommend people listen to in order to get the full spooky experience?
C: Episode 1, but our other favourites are 4 and 9.
Z: I hear episodes 2,3,5,6,7,8 and 10 are pretty good too.
Paul McCaffrey is a stand up comedian with an abundance of live circuit experience, having performed all over the UK. He has also appeared on TV as one of the Impractical Jokers on BBC3, and performed the stand up spot on Russell Howard’s Good News. MoodyComedy spoke to Paul about his upcoming UK tour, I Thought I’d Have Grown Out Of This By Now.
Hey Paul, how are you?
I’m very well thank you. Just back off Holiday and ready to take on 2019. Really excited for my first tour!
What is the premise of your new show, I Thought I’d Have Grown Out Of This By Now?
It’s essentially a mix of my favourite bits from my
Edinburgh shows to date as it’s my first ever tour, a ‘best of’ I guess. The
majority of the show will be from a show I did in 2012 called ‘Pills ‘n’
Thrills and Belly Laughs’ which was about some friends and I going to a
festival 20 years on from our first ever festival when we were older (too old)
and wiser (not wise enough to realise this was a bad idea).
What has been the biggest challenge you’ve faced while crafting this latest show?
I guess what material to use and what to leave out. I’m very
lucky to be in a position where I have more material than I need but it’s my
first tour so I want it to be as good as possible.
Do you find you have a typical audience member or is your audience very diverse?
We’ll see, but I think my act is pretty accessible and I’d like
to think anyone would enjoy it.
How do you tend to find your Cardiff audiences? Are you looking forward to playing our Glee Club in March?
I’ve always loved playing at the Glee Club on the weekend
shows, it’s one of the best clubs in the country. I was at the Motorpoint Arena
in November supporting Kevin Bridges and it was absolutely amazing. The last
time I’d been in there was to watch Liam Gallagher so to get to perform on that
stage myself was pretty cool. My mum is also Welsh so I definitely have a lot
of love for Wales. I used to spend my summer holidays in Crickhowell as a kid
and I have very fond memories of those times.
What would you like people to take away from your show; what do you want them to particularly remember?
I’d just like them to have a great evening really, nothing
more than that, lots of big laughs and hopefully start to build and audience
that will want to come out and see me again and again. I’ve spent a good few
years headlining the various pubs and clubs on the circuit and supporting some
of the biggest acts in the UK (Sean Lock, Lee Mack, Kevin Bridges) and would
now like to step up a level and become a touring act myself.
What are your hopes for the next twelve months?
Just to keep improving as a comic and to hopefully get some
more opportunities on TV. I would love to do Live at the Apollo and The Royal
Variety Show particularly. Hopefully if I keep working and making audiences
laugh, that will come. I’m heading up to the Edinburgh Festival again this
year. I’m looking forward to that and I have an exciting radio project which is
about to start which should be announced very soon.
Paul McCaffrey is a recognisable face as one of the jokers on Impractical Jokers, alongside Roisin Conaty, Joel Dommett and Marek Larwood. McCaffrey has supported some of the biggest names in comedy on tour, from Sean Lock to Rob Beckett, and now he brings his latest stand up show Suburban Legend at the Edinburgh Festival. He is performing his free showat the Laughing Horse at the Counting House throughout August.
1) What excites you most about the Edinburgh Festival?
Certain restaurants and the rooftop hydro pool at the Sheraton hotel (I never used to be this much of a ponce, I’m sure I didn’t).
2) What was your first Edinburgh show about?
It was about a man trying to stretch 20 minutes over an hour with varying degrees of success.
3) Does your comedy attract a certain type of audience?
It’s starting to. I was in a TV show a few years back (Impractical Jokers on BBC3) which some people really liked and I get a good few people that come from that. I’d say it’s fairly broad though, accessible to most people.
4) What is the worst experience you’ve had with Edinburgh accommodation?
Mice, last year. My regular Edinburgh flat mate, Matt Forde absolutely shat himself and had a sleepless night in the front room because he could hear them in his bedroom. Very funny.
5) What is your most treasured memory of your comedy career so far?
I’ve been on tour with Sean Lock this year, as a long time fan, that was pretty special.
6) What show will you definitely be seeing at the festival this year?
I always see Matt Forde, that’s kind of set in stone. I want to see Carl Donnelly on the Blundabus, for my money, one of the best in the business.
7) What do you hope to gain from the Edinburgh Festival this year?
To come back with a new set and to improve as an act is the main reason but I feel like I’m on good form at the moment so it would be good if I got some work from it too.
8) What do you imagine your last ever show will be about?
Whatever is annoying me at that time, other people in the care home probably.
Today I present to you a man of many surprises: a choir boy, a fire engine fanatic; a man who can do a brilliant impression of sellotape. Lloyd Griffith is a very funny guy with a very unique take on the concept of stand up comedy who manages to incorporate detailed autobiographical anecdotes and spot on observations as well musical interludes. Here we have a comedian who will soon be appearing on every television show under the sun, if his latest Sweat The Small Stuff and BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge Comedy Club are anything to go by.
I asked him these seven questions to find out more…
1) What’s the best thing about modern day technology?
Pretending that we’re doing interviews face to face. Nobody will know if this interview is face to face or not. Sure, you could have a photo of you and I together but that can be done by photoshop. The whole world is fake because of modern technology. Why are you looking at me like that? It’s the truth Becca.
Meeting Lloyd Griffith, January 2015
2) What’s your favourite film of all time?
Very good question.
3) Which five comedians would be on your perfect line up?
Alive: Lee Mack, Sean Lock, Terry Alderton, Daniel Kitson, Me.
Dead: Lee Mack, Sean Lock, Terry Alderton, Daniel Kitson, Me.
4) Best/worst nightmare you’ve ever had?
The other night I had a dream that I had a flip phone like people had in 2004. People were shouting at me in the street as though I was a child murderer because I had a flip phone. Whenever I went into a phone shop to try and get an upgrade they had security remove me from the shop. It was awful. I woke up in tears.
5) Which is your favourite British city?
Tough one this Becca. Very good question. My rating of cities is based on Cathedrals and Football stadia. If it’s a draw, I’ll use fire stations as the deciding factor. You see, Durham has a very nice cathedral (my 5th fave), yet has no proper football stadium. On the flip side (not flip phone, lol) Brighton has a very nice football stadium but no Cathedral. Now, Liverpool has two very good football stadiums and two VERY interesting Cathedrals, but, I have to say that Exeter is my favourite city after London and Grimsby.
6) Does the lifestyle of a working comedian suit you?
Oh totes babez. I spend the day at home in my Grimsby Town shorts eating soup (homemade pea and ham at the moment, got myself an hand blender in the January sales didn’t I?!) and writing jokes. Occasionally people like you come round to do an interview and I make an effort and wear a suit like I’m wearing now, but overall that’s what I do. Then I’ll jump in my Seat Ibiza 1.9 tdi (s) and go tell jokes to people in the evening. I sometimes take a soup with me. Genuinely, I love making people laugh and so when I do that (usually 44% success rate) I’m having a good time.
7) Are you a rule breaker?
Nah mate. Pretty straight down the line LIKE A RULE. Haha. Please come to my show.
For more information live shows and television appearances, visit Lloyd’s website, or follow him on Twitter at @LloydGriffith.
Where? Just the Tonic at The Charteris Centre – Just the Crypt (Venue 393)
When? 13:20
What are your feelings as you enter into this year’s Edinburgh Fringe season?
A little nervy but pumped as hell. All the preparation is making me look forward to just getting there and it happening.
What is the premise of your Edinburgh show this year?
The tagline is: I was a married, 21-year-old monogamous Evangelical, then I became the opposite. It’s a true solo comedy show about faith, non-monogamy and KFC.
What is the biggest obstacle you face(d) while putting this show together?
Translating the experience I went through into a show that’s well-paced, honest and funny. I didn’t realize when I started how much that was going to involve me working through more of my feelings and ideas to better understand how I feel about it and figure out what’s worth including in the show.
Has your attitude towards the Fringe changed at all in recent years?
This is my debut, so there’s still a lot of attitude to change – but having attended last year’s I’m still in awe of the size and extent of it.
Do you have any other Edinburgh show recommendations?
Jamie Loftus, Molly Brenner and Mike Lemme; Sean Patton is also crazy good.
Where would you like to be in a year’s time?
I’ll have JUST finished filming Poly-Theist the feature film in time to head to Fringe for a three-show double-act run with Phil Nichol.
Where? Assembly George Square – The Blue Room (Venue 8)
When? 22:20
What are your feelings as you enter into this year’s Edinburgh Fringe season?
I’m really excited to bring Séayoncé back to the Fringe this year, contact some spirits, sing some songs have a hot festival romance. Last year I met so many amazing people I’m excited to reunite with them and meet new people this year, especially because this year there is such an amazing number of queer performers coming up! I’m also a little nervous this year, I am at Assembly in a large venue and there is more pressure and expectations as it’s my second show!
What is the premise of your Edinburgh show this year?
Well it’s a comedy cabaret séance run by the legendary Ghost Whisperer Séayoncé. We will contact the dead, read some futures, spirits will take me over, practise a little voodoo, I’ll sing some songs all with a sprinkle of sordid hilarity. This year we focus on our notions of good and evil, the strength we find from our identities and what it’s like to date the Devil. I’m excited to take the Fringe audience to the darkest depths of the spirit world.
What is the biggest obstacle you face(d) while putting this show together?
I think the biggest obstacle is getting past the negative voices in your head when creating. Last year I went into the festival with no ideas or predictions on how well the show would do, and I was incredibly lucky and had a great Fringe and after toured the show to venues and countries I could never have even fathomed I would be in. This year is more stressful because people know about the character and there is more pressure to create a good show, and we all know sequels are the worst obviously not including Sister Act 2.
Has your attitude towards the Fringe changed at all in recent years?
My attitude towards the Fringe has changed but I still see it as an amazing opportunity; it has honestly propelled me forward in my career. But as a sole performer who personally funds everything themselves, it is so expensive and such a struggle to get your show together and perform up there for a month. I wish there were more schemes or that it was cheaper so that it could be more accessible for performers, I speak to so many incredible artists who can’t afford to take shows up.
Do you have any other Edinburgh show recommendations?
There are so many amazing queer performers going up this year with incredible shows. One who I particularly love and am constantly inspired by is Xnthony who is bringing up their show Confirmation to the Pleasance this year. Definitely worth checking out the show, as a performer they are constantly challenging and evolving the queer scene in London and I can’t wait to see the effect they have on the fringe this year.
Where would you like to be in a year’s time?
I would love to be touring Séayoncé around the world, performing to all different types of people who are in need of drag, cabaret and alternative character comedy. I would love to carry on meeting amazing performers and collaborating and being inspired by all the hilarious creatures in the world.
Where? Just the Tonic at The Grassmarket Centre – Just The Meeting Room (Venue 27)
When? 17:50
What are your feelings as you enter into this year’s
Edinburgh Fringe season?
Nervous excitement. I’m proud of where my show is at, I’m
excited to see how it will grow throughout the month, and I’m nervous to see
how it will be received.
What is the premise of your Edinburgh show this year?
Since I was seventeen, I’ve lived by a code: if something
scares me, I have to do it. Join me for a raucous hour of music, comedy, and
bathroom stall graffiti art to find out why.
What is the biggest obstacle you face(d) while putting
this show together?
The biggest technical obstacle: I have a song in which all
the lyrics are pieces of graffiti from bathroom stalls all around the world,
and I display photos of this graffiti via projector as the song progresses. So,
I’m controlling a foot pedal that switches the photos, as I sing and play
guitar. It’s a lot like patting your head and rubbing your stomach at the same
time.
The biggest emotional obstacle: my show could potentially be
categorized as a comedy show that stems from trauma, and I have to relive that
trauma every time I do the show. It’s been exhausting and a major challenge for
me but also hugely cathartic.
Has your attitude towards the Fringe changed at all in
recent years?
When I first visited the Fringe two years ago, I thought, ‘This.
This is exactly where I should be. This is where I belong.’ It’s taken me
those two years to get my ducks in a row, but I can’t wait to be back.
Do you have any other Edinburgh show recommendations?
Sean Patton’s Contradickhead is going to blow people’s minds.
Where would you like to be in a year’s time?
I’d love to be relaxing on some beautiful beach, eating mango, and sitting pretty because this show got filmed as a special, went viral, and got adapted for a hit TV show. Hey, a girl can dream!
Where? Just the Tonic at The Grassmarket Centre – Just The Meeting Room (Venue 27)
When? 19:10
What are your feelings as you enter into this year’s Edinburgh Fringe season?
A hot mixture of excitement and untimely stress. As a Stand-up Comedian, I am essentially a one–man production team. So I am trying to do the roles of Director, Performer, and Producer all by myself, so it’s pretty full-on! That being said, I am very proud of the show. It’s something I think people will really engage with, so I’m ecstatic that I get to perform it for a month!
Also in my personal life, I’ve been trying to live my best life as much as possible (which links to the themes of the show). So I feel very fit, healthy happy going into the Fringe. I feel ready!
What is the premise of your Edinburgh show this year?
Here Comes Your Man is all about paramours, romance and the events of the last year of my love-life. In my debut hour, I talk about my relationship with relationships and about failing in love. It’s a narrative show, where I talk about how weird and romantically intense I am, and how that impacts me. As well as this, I also open up to talk about the need for men to discuss their feelings more.
The show delivers raw anecdotes, emotionally-honest routines and personable tales of finding and losing his first true love. However it’s not a sad show, its celebratory and upbeat and I take my audiences through a confessional yet sentimental journey about learning to turn break-ups into a positive and non-toxic experience. It’s the most romantic show about a break-up you’ll ever hear.
What is the biggest obstacle you face(d) while putting this show together?
This show has been a very personal show for me to write. As mentioned, the show main narrative arch is about the rise and fall of my first true love (which actually started at the Fringe last year). So I’ve had to be very honest and open my experiences, and I’ve had to revisit every fuck-up for the last year.
‘An unexpected result of doing a show entirely about love is that it has freaked out of lot of people I have dated. So this show has heavily impacted my life beyond the stage.
So I do speak earnestly about a break-up onstage (and also start a conversation about why male comedians are exclusively talking about their break-ups onstage). This requires me to be incredibly vulnerable onstage and emotionally expose all aspects of my personality. This is a tricky obstacle. However I feel that is what makes the show relatable, to see someone go through the hidden things which we don’t talk about. I’ve had people come up to me after previews to say that the show has touched them; hopefully it inspires to be more open with their emotions and to talk frankly with people. So the obstacles give texture and substance to the show.
Also logistically, it’s really difficult to write an Edinburgh Fringe show about your real-life. I started previewing this show in November. I had the basic concept for what I wanted to talk about, but a lot of the story hadn’t quite happened in my real life just yet. So I would be talking about a story with no ending. It was a bit like that scene in Wallace & Gromit’s The Wrong Trousers, in which they’re on a moving train and Gromit is laying down train tracks as they go. This did allow me to focus on writing the jokes and developing a fierce gag-rate. The ending did eventually happened and I think the end result is quite unexpected and has turned out accidentally perfectly.
Has your attitude towards the Fringe changed at all in recent years?
Yes, in a way. So I’m a relative newcomer compared to others. So this is my second full-run at the Fringe, so I’ve recently had the transition from comedy fan/punter to Performer. The changes are pretty obvious: I feel a lot more fatigued as a performer and I don’t see as many shows. The biggest attitude shift was, as a punter, i thought and kind of assumed that everyone who went to the Fringe would turn out to be really rich and famous afterwards (you do not). So I suppose my attitude changed into a professional mind-set, and treating it as a job. However my excitement for the festival still is the same, just that the parameters have changed.
Do you have any other Edinburgh show recommendations?
I have so many! It’s hard to limit it to a handful of recommendations. However I think that Laura Lexx will absolutely smash it out of the park with her new show Knee Jerk. I work a lot with Laura and she has been a massive inspiration for my show this year. She can excellently tie an emotive story with the best gag-rate you have ever seen. That’d be my hot ticket that I would recommend. (Gilded Balloon Teviot -The Turret – 5:15pm)
The show I am most looking forward to see, as a comedy nerd, is Tom Parry: Parryoke! I’m a big fan of Pappy’s; they taught me to be anarchically playful whilst entertaining an audience. Tom Parry in particular showed me in his 2015 solo show, Yellow T-Shirt, how to spread pure joy over the course of an hour. I imagine this show will not be any different! (Pleasance Courtyard – Beside – 18:00)
Bec Hill’s new show I’ll Be Bec is a really fun sci-fi /comedy concept. Bec is a comedic genius onstage and an utter delight offstage. I can’t imagine anyone not enjoying this show. (Pleasance Dome – 10Dome – 17.40)
Alice Fraser – Mythos. Alice is a Fringe show champion. Her writing is impeccable, she’s incredibly intelligent and her ideas are so innovative. Her shows can be utterly moving too. I can’t wait to see her next instalment. (Gilded Balloon Teviot – Billiard Room – 20:45)
Michael Legge: The Idiot – Michael is one of the loveliest people in the world and an utterly wonderful comedian. His last show, Jerk, was a masterpiece and always think about some of his quotes on a daily basis. I will never tire of watching Michael’s shows. This show will be a delight (if you find an angry Irish man delightful). (The Stand Comedy Club 1 – 12:00)
Finally – Sean Morley: I Will Soon Be Dead and My Bones Will Be Free To Wreak Havoc Upon Earth Once More – now, when people ask me for recommendations, I ALWAYS want to say ‘Sean Morley’. However, I know a lot of people who are going to Edinburgh for the first time and may not appreciate Morley’s ‘alternative’ vibe. But if I ever meet any comedy nerds, I always wholly recommend Sean’s show. Genuinely innovative and highly hilarious – he creates some of the best and most original comedy to date. I’m convinced he will win award very shortly for one of his shows. Go at your own peril. (Heroes @The Hiive – The Bunka – 15:20)
Where would you like to be in a year’s time?
My smart-arse answer would be ‘In the Bahamas, on my private plane with my own entourage, whilst I sit with all my Edinburgh Fringe Comedy Awards’. However, the earnest answer would be ‘Slowly stressing out about my second Edinburgh fringe hour, but being quietly happy, as I believe it to be EVEN better than Here Comes Your Man (whilst I sit with all my Edinburgh Fringe Comedy Awards)’.
Where? Underbelly, Bristo Square – The Dairy Room (Venue 302)
When? 19:15
What are your feelings as you enter into this year’s Edinburgh Fringe season?
I’m very excited to be a part of the festival this year. It’s my first Fringe.
What is the premise of your Edinburgh show this year?
The premise, is that the world is over populated, I had a deadbeat Dad and now I’m deciding if I should even consider being a Dad. Maybe I’m too dumb.
What is the biggest obstacle you face(d) while putting this show together?
There are some dead Dad jokes in the show and at first, people were pretty tight about them but now that I’ve relaxed and realized more where they are coming from, they go over a lot better.
Has your attitude towards the Fringe changed at all in recent years?
I was supposed to do it years ago and had to cancel, so I’m glad I finally get to do it.
Do you have any other Edinburgh show recommendations?
Sean Patton and Liza Treyger are two friends of mine, and I love their comedy, so I’m excited to see both of their shows.
Where would you like to be in a year’s time?
Hopefully have turned this show into a successful special and am touring with new material.
What are your feelings as you enter into this year’s Edinburgh Fringe season?
Well, as it’s my first solo show, I’m really excited. I know nothing of the psyche crushing intensity of it all yet, so I’m feeling pretty great. I have a really great show so I am looking forward to get it out there. And obviously I’m self-flagellating about saving money right now.
What is the premise of your Edinburgh show this year?
My Edinburgh show is about an ex-top bodybuilder called Brian. Brian is based on guys from my home town of Rhyl, where he lives in a caravan and tries to crack the recipe to Lucozade in his spare time. The show is going back through his life to find out where it all went so right. Brian is essentially a satire, but at times physical and ridiculous. As well as stand up, the show is a bit of everything. Dance, song, animation, video. Many comedians warned me not to mix other mediums with stand-up. It releases evil spirits that can only be cleansed by an old school comedian telling you to write a joke, love. But I told them I wasn’t afraid. And now I’ve made a really fun show! And the evil spirits just add to the vibe!
What is the biggest obstacle you face(d) while putting this show together?
Putting the show together was overall pretty fun. I find writing for Brian natural and the idea of my very own show freeing. I wish I had a big dramatic story about finding a huge personal obstacle in making this show but I’m don’t. So I will just say “9/11”.
Has your attitude towards the Fringe changed at all in recent years?
I used to see it as kind of closed off. I applied and didn’t get a venue despite being relatively established on the Northern circuit for years. I’ve always lived in the North and I felt left out. This got compounded because I’m naturally shy. I was a humble bumpkin. And, not to be crude, but the cost of Edinburgh is terrifying. Coming from a working class background, it’s hard to personally justify the expense and the time off my day job. It’s a personal fight to force myself to invest financially in my talent and years of hard work, in a way that isn’t just on needed train tickets or a new bald cap. Especially as a “weird act”, getting any sort of footing is hard if you don’t get your elbows out and start digging. But recently, I have had people reaching out and helping me organise stuff, giving me bigger opportunities and putting me in touch with people I didn’t know how to approach. And now? I’m a complete fucking monster. God, I can’t wait to get up there, put on a tiara and shove flyerers into puddles because they look at me the wrong way.
Do you have any other Edinburgh show recommendations?
The Glang Show – 7th and 14th – 21.00 – Heroes @ The Hive.
Where would you like to be in a year’s time?
Ideally I would like more comedy writing work. I like writing. I’ll do stand-up till I die but I sometimes feel old already so the idea of just writing and not drawing on myself and throwing my body about a stage is starting to become very appealing. And Edinburgh is a good chance to be seen by a wider range of people. I was one of those acts who became obsessed with becoming some kind of DIY punk cult comedian after getting one rejection email from a big name club. So broadening my group of loyal fans to three, possibly four people would be great!