Comedians

Dave Chawner: The Edinburgh Interviews 2018

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© CR2 Studios

Who? Dave Chawner
What? Mental
Where? The Laughing Horse @ The Counting House (venue 170)
When? 19:20

Are you prepared for what this year’s Edinburgh Fringe has in store for you? 

You can never be fully prepared for The Fringe. It’s a bit like taking a cat to the vets – you can do as much prep as possible, but in the end you’ll end up tearing your hair out, running round in circles and screaming while all the while telling yourself ‘it’s for the best’. 

What is the premise of your Edinburgh show this year?

This year’s show is all about mental health (rather than mental illness). The show uses comedy to normalise the conversation around mental health and make the topic fun. Because, let’s face it, whenever the topic of mental health comes up, it’s normally about mental illness. And, of course 1 in 4 of us has mental illness, but 4 in 4 of us has mental health, so why do we focus on illness rather than wellbeing?

What was the biggest obstacle you face(d) while putting this show together?

Myself! I find it hard to focus. Writing the show takes a lot of concentration and that’s something that I have very little of. I get distracted by the easiest of… oh look, there’s a squirrel!

Who would most enjoy your show?

Anyone that has an interest in mental health. That includes (but not limited to) mental health professionals, students, people with lived experience of mental illness, friends, family and relatives of those people as well.

Do you have any other Edinburgh show recommendations? 

John Robertson’s – Sweaty, Sexy, Party, Party

Russell Hicks – Love Song For The Visciously Ambitious

Adam Kay – This Is Going To Hurt

Robyn Perkins – 10, 000 Decisions

Daniel Kitson – Good For Glue

Richard Wright – Virgin

Aidan Taco Jones – 52 Weeks

Sarah Iles – Ghosted

What is your favourite thing about Edinburgh as a city? 

Let’s face it, Edinburgh is proper beautiful. Like, I mean, real lovely. It never fails to surprise me, when wandering through the streets, if you look up, how amazing it is. It’s no wonder J K Rowling based Harry Potter on this place. And that’s my favourite thing, that at least 10,000 cafes, coffee shops and restaurants claim to be ‘the birthplace of Harry Potter’

What are your plans for after the festival?

I’m going to be touring my new book (which has just been released). I’ve got some filming I’m doing for ‘Stylist’ Magazine and am going back to the radio show I present. It’s The Breakfast Show on Panda Radio – it’s amazing fun and boringly I’m really excited to be back and into the swing of it again.

GET YOUR TICKETS FOR DAVE CHAWNER: ‘MENTAL’ HERE

THE EDINBURGH INTERVIEWS 2018

July Comedian of the Month #49, Chris Washington

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Each Comedian of the Month on MoodyComedy is a comic who has never previously featured on the website. Reasons for selection can include various current projects the comedian is involved with, or perhaps recent appearances on television programmes or podcasts. There is no strict criteria however, as Comedian of the Month simply stands as a collection of recommendations, highlighting interesting and original aspects of certain comedians and their work.

Chris Washington is a very enjoyable performer to listen to, largely down to his admirably laid-back delivery. This comic is down to earth and confident, and he doesn’t try to allude to something he is not.

Performing his 2017 show Dream Big (Within Reason) on the latest series of Live at the BBC, Washington talks about having small ambitions, not through fear of failure, but due to being genuinely content with his lot. He appreciates the small things in life; he’s got a Dyson for downstairs and a Dyson for upstairs.

Chris Washington

His anecdotes are idiosyncratic, yet believable, with hints of loving nostalgia for his school days interwoven within them. And the effect is a heart-warming one. Chris has a way to his comedy that reminds us of the simple pleasures of childhood, but also of where we’re at now. This show encourages stopping and looking back on your life, with all its peaks and troughs, taking a deep breath and assessing what is important, and what to feel grateful for.

Chris Washington, as well as clearly being a nice guy, is a performer who understands how to give just enough of himself to his audience, allowing us to relate to aspects of him but leaving us wanting more.

For more information, follow Chris Washington on Twitter, or visit his website.

COMEDIAN OF THE MONTH

Olivia Rhee: The Edinburgh Interviews 2018:

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© Olivia Rhee

Who? Olivia Rhee
What? Adventures of the Singing Acupuncturist, Big O Makes It in New York… or, Does She?
Where? Laughing Horse @ The Phoenix (venue 146)
When? 21:00

Are you prepared for what this year’s Edinburgh Fringe has in store for you?

I hope so! I have an open mind and so do not have any idea what it has in store for me, but I welcome it with open arms… Love conquers all…

What is the premise of your Edinburgh show this year?

I think the title of my show says a lot: Adventures of the Singing Acupuncturist. Big O makes it in New York… or does she? It is my comedy debut and so introduces me, a (Korean-American) lady, into the Comedy World. I talk about topics such as my culture, my food (kimchi, etc.), my relationships, my career, and my life this past year… a lot in an hour? Yes, but entertainingly so.

What was the biggest obstacle you face(d) while putting this show together?

Finding venues to host my preview shows and making my jokes funnier

Who would most enjoy your show?

Anyone who has a dream, has ever had a dream, and who enjoys learning about other cultures and getting free healthy tips and who enjoy laughing at me.

Do you have any other Edinburgh show recommendations?

Yes, 1) Baby Wants Candy; 2) One Woman Sex and the City; 3) Even more Naked: Lucy Frederick; 4) Dave Chawner: Mental; 5) Cow Café Cabaret Show at Midnight; 6) Croft and Pierce: Comedy Sketch Duo; 7) Falling with Style: David von Jones; 8) Kimono My Comedy Show: Martin Angolo.

What is your favourite thing about Edinburgh as a city?

How beautiful it is, with its hills and castle; and the people are friendly, I feel safe here, although I had a stalker the other night… (for the first time in the 9 years that I’ve been coming to the Fringe).

What are your plans for after the festival?

I will go back to work so that I can make enough money to do what I love, which is to perform on stage. If my show does well and is discovered by a wealthy billionaire producer, I hope to take my show on a World Tour!

GET YOUR TICKETS FOR OLIVIA RHEE HERE

THE EDINBURGH INTERVIEWS 2018

Edinburgh Review: Paul Foot – Image Conscious

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© Paul Foot

Paul Foot’s shows are always absurd, with only a vague grasp on reality. But this year there is something far more tangible about his material. Image Conscious has more popular culture references scattered throughout than previous years; has the world worn this comic down? This new turn for Foot is definitely a step in the direction of mainstream, but the reliability of it is somewhat refreshing.

The core of the show, a winding narrative about how to host a decent orgy, has Foot’s trademark madness written all over it. He layers details of setting, character and circumstance until he works himself up into a shouting frenzy. This is what Paul Foot’s fans come for.

These moments where Foot’s material flirts with reality are very satisfying. A particular stint about his hatred for Greg Wallace is particularly entertaining. We’re used to seeing Foot screaming at the top of his lungs about shire horses and fire engines, not BBC cookery shows. Foot is an expert at introducing various celebrities and celebrity has-beens into his ridiculous narratives, and this show is no disappointment. The things he has us imagining the likes of Clare Balding and Ronny O’Sullivan doing should not be repeated.

Leaving Paul Foot’s show feels like waking up from a dream; reality becomes a bit of a haze. At one point Foot had thrown pickled gherkins at the audience. Classic Paul Foot with an edgy twist, Image Conscious is unlike anything else you will see at the Fringe.

Edinburgh Review: Werewolf Live

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In Jon Gracey’s Werewolf, audience members are pitted against each other as they play the characters of werewolves and villagers. A fraction of the group of volunteers are given the role of werewolf, which means that they can choose one villager to be killed each night, under the cover of darkness (well, when we all have our eyes closed). The villagers must work out who the werewolves are and have them killed before it’s too late.

With only the werewolves being aware of who is innocent, this is a game of guesses and rash accusations. And watching people turn against their friends at the flick of a switch is always entertaining, especially when the reactions are spontaneous and unfiltered.

© Kate Rodden

Frontman Gracey is unsurprisingly the highlight of this show, and it’s a pity he doesn’t get more time to ad lib. He’s clearly comfortable on stage and his sarcastic comments and piss-taking is the glue that keeps the show from descending into chaos.

Werewolf is a an inventive concept. The rules are complicated enough, and the set up varied enough, so that the audience doesn’t get bored, and yet the game is sufficiently short to allow for three or so games during the show. A larger audience would undoubtedly make Werewolf more entertaining, as there could be an entirely new set of participants each round. This is why the comedian charity special on August 21st looks particularly promising.

Seven Questions With… Great British Mysteries

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© Michael Shelford

Great British Mysteries is the historical comedy duo made up of Olive and Teddy (played by Rose Robinson and Will Close), who are returning to the Edinburgh Festival this year with their second show: 1599?. Self-described as ‘Woman in Black meets Key Stage 2 Tudor history’, this silly investigation into various perplexing mysteries will leave you wishing you were a detective yourself, or perhaps not.
I asked Will Close from Great British Mysteries these seven questions to find out more about the pair…

1) How did you come to form Great British Mysteries?

‘Great British Mysteries’ began life when we were away on tour with the 1927 show, ‘Golem’, which we were involved with for about two and half years. We did a lot of shows and a lot of travelling and during that time started kicking around an idea for this odd character comedy piece. When we came back, we got Joe Hancock involved as Director/Technical Master/Overlord and then it became quite a productive trio. We’d all done or been involved in comedy before and have known each other a long time so it was a natural fit.

2) What is the biggest mystery you’ve ever encountered?

Well we are mystery geeks so that’s a tricky question. My favourites to read about are probably Nessie, the Yeti and Sea Serpents of all guises. Although, I am quite fond of Mokele-mbembe who are supposedly a species of dinosaur still alive and well in the Congo. Real-life ones on the other hand, that’s probably less exciting… What will become of my student loan? That’s currently baffling mystery hunters everywhere.

3) What makes you laugh the most?

Very hard. I love Richard Ayoade, Matt Berry, Limmy and the list goes on and on and on. My best friend Tim who is a prawn farmer in Canada also makes me laugh, but for different reasons. I mean, he’s a prawn farmer in Canada. That’s gold.

4) Do you like going to the cinema?

I do but I’m not very good at getting it into my routine. Joe and Rose go more. I always book for anything fantasy related – dwarves, elves, dragons and I’m there. But I tend to forget the rest of the time. I have a PictureHouse membership but I just use it as a means of getting slightly reduced popcorn.

5) What is your best Christmas memory?

Ooh, I think they are always best when you’re young. The year we got a Nintendo 64 is hard to top. I saw this large box under the tree on about the 10th of December and then that was it. I couldn’t sleep with excitement; ‘Is it?’, ‘Isn’t it?’, ‘Maybe it’s just more handkerchiefs from my Grandma in a very large box.’ The actual moment the anticipation broke on Christmas morning; I can’t even recall. It was a blur. Mario 64 was seared onto my eyelids for months afterwards.

6) What is the biggest onstage disaster you’ve ever had?

I don’t think there’s ever been anything too disastrous. In a funny way, when something backfires or doesn’t work it can actually create quite a fun vibe. We were doing Golem in Manchester once and the screen (which is completely integral to the whole show) just switched off. Gone. No more films. I was playing drums and doing a live score of the action but then it just vanished. Me and the pianist just jammed out for fifteen minutes and then it came back. I think the audience quite enjoyed it. At least, that’s what I tell myself.

7) What is your most obscure achievement?

I can make an elephant with my hands. It’s nothing perverse, I just bend my fingers into odd shapes… Oh, and I’m tragically good at FIFA. A misspent youth… But at least I know about Mokele-mbembe.

GET YOUR TICKETS FOR ‘GREAT BRITISH MYSTERIES: 1599?’ HERE

INTERVIEW: Daddy-Less Issues Podcast

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Daddy-Less Issues is a podcast created and hosted by orphan comedians Amber Rollo and Chanel Ali, with the aim of opening up discussion about the experiences of losing one or both parents, whilst also investigating the effects that this can have on an artist’s outlook and process.
This podcast discusses topics that are often seen to be too heavy or sensitive for casual conversation, but Rollo and Ali are challenging this presumption by producing such a fascinating and largely upbeat show. MoodyComedy spoke to Amber and Chanel to find out more about Daddy-Less Issues…

What spurred you to start The Daddy-less Issues podcast?

We kept seeing this pattern of orphans talked about in fiction but not in real life. Fairy tales, comic books and movies are filled with stories about orphans that are fantastic and magical, we wanted to show that real life orphans are pretty fantastic and magical themselves.

What, for both of you, does it mean to be an orphan?

In the nitty gritty definition sense, we go by the UN definition of orphan “a child who has lost one or more parents through death or abandonment.” But in a general more spiritual sense, it means we are enterprising independent kick ass hustlers, but who like also need love too.

Chanel Ali (left) and Amber Rollo, © Mindy Tucker

How do you think being an orphan has affected your career choices and comedy style?

We have found that we are a bit more free to talk about whatever we like on stage, compared to other comics who struggle with parental tsk tsking.

Have you discovered anything surprising about being an artist without parents as you’vebeen making this podcast?

We’ve discovered so many things, but our favorite is a sentiment best stated by Armistead Maupin “there are biological families, and then there are logical families” and we are both growing beautiful and supportive logical families. We have enjoyed the freedom to pursue our dreams and define success without the pressure or judgment that is often accompanied by two parent households.

What is the most difficult aspect about talking to people about potentially painful subjectssuch as losing a parent?

Often guests have never openly talked about this stuff with others who truly understand, sometimes they get so swept up in that release that they don’t want to stop talking about the past traumas. One of the hardest most delicate parts is to move the conversation forward into the present: what they are doing now, what tools have they picked up to self-parent and how are they thriving.

What has been the most valuable thing you have gained or learned since beginning thispodcast?

We love learning about all the famous orphans from history, it is really inspirational to hear all their stories and at the same time seeing our guests making history, in real time, right in front of us.

Who would be your dream future guest?

That’s a hard question, there are so many amazing orphans. Someone we are reaching for right now is Tiffany Haddish, she is killing as an orphan comedian and we love that. But a real dream dream, Obama or Madonna (both orphans).

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT DADDY-LESS ISSUES AND LISTEN TO THE PODCAST HERE

Lily Lovett and Patrick Monahan: The Edinburgh Interviews 2018

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© Steve Ullathorne

Who? Lily Lovett and Patrick Monahan
What? Date Night
Where? Just the Tonic at The Caves (venue 88)
When? 21:25

Are you prepared for what this year’s Edinburgh Fringe has in store for you?

Yes. We’ve been previewing our dating show all over the country so I feel ready to matchmake all the singles in the city this month! It’s such a fun show to perform so I’m just excited to have fun with our audiences.

What is the premise of your Edinburgh show this year?

We are hosting a dating show that is both for singles and couples. It’s Love Island meets Blind Date, a bit old and a bit new. We have a special guest each night, a single fellow Fringe performer, and we play games to eventually match them with their most suited member of the audience. We test couples on how well they know each other and there’s lots of comedy and sketches. 

What was the biggest obstacle you face(d) while putting this show together?

Working with my partner (comedian Patrick Monahan)… No it’s great working together but because we’re a couple we don’t have the sort of politeness two colleagues would have with each other. We’re very much ‘that’s an awful suggestion Pat’ and ‘Lily that’s a terrible idea’. Being so honest and unafraid to be blunt with each other probably saved us a lot more time compared to less intimate double acts!

Who would most enjoy your show?

Anyone! Lots of performers say that but really, our show is clean and fun for everyone, families can come, older couples can come, young single people can come, it really is one for everyone.

Do you have any other Edinburgh show recommendations?

Obviously I’m going to say my partner Patrick Monahan’s solo show at the Gilded Balloon, 8pm. It’s basically an hour of him taking the piss out of me, which I don’t mind because my dad is a comedian (Red Dwarf’s Norman Lovett) and since I was old enough to talk I was watching him make jokes about me on stage. Pat’s show this year is brilliant, it’s my favourite of his yet. It’s very relatable, all about relationships and living together, in the previews I’ve seen a lot of the audience nodding throughout! He talks about how we’re from such different backgrounds (immigrant working class versus British middle class) and there’s a particularly great routine based on me making avocado on toast. It’s very funny! 

What is your favourite thing about Edinburgh as a city?

It’s so beautiful. And I have a strong connection with Edinburgh. My parents met here at the festival, my dad was performing at Gilded Balloon so it’s funny that my partner also does. I spent my very early years in Stockbridge and after moving to London we still came up to the festival for my dad’s shows. Now I perform here in festival time and we often come for Christmases so it feels a bit like a second home. 

What are your plans for after the festival?

We are off to Ibiza for a well earned holiday straight after our last show so Edinburgh can rain as much as it wants this August, in September I will make up for it and finally get a summer tan! Then we’re going to set up a regular night in London for our dating show and do some shows in other cities too.

GET YOUR TICKETS FOR ‘DATE NIGHT’ HERE

PATRICK MONAHAN: ‘#GOALS’

THE EDINBURGH INTERVIEWS 2018

Patrick Monahan: The Edinburgh Interviews 2018

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© Steve Ullathorne

Who? Patrick Monahan
What? #Goals
Where? Gilded Balloon Teviot (venue 14)
When? 20:00

Are you prepared for what this year’s Edinburgh Fringe has in store for you?

You can never be prepared for Edinburgh, no mater how much you preview & train for the festival, the month long run is like an assault course that even the best SAS soldiers would struggle with. 

What is the premise of your Edinburgh show this year?

It’s a brand new stand up show with a slight theme looking at me being ‘immigrant working class’ and my misses being ‘British middle class’ and about how easy/difficult it is living together from our two backgrounds.

What was the biggest obstacle you face(d) while putting this show together?

Cutting the show down to 60 minutes. Because when I started writing it at the start of the year, I write out 90 minutes of material on it because I tour the show straight after Edinburgh! 

Who would most enjoy your show?

Everyone! Because my shows are non-threatening, cleanish material and uplifting, I try not to exclude anyone, except for racists and serial killers!

Do you have any other Edinburgh show recommendations?

Yes, “Date Night” at 9.25pm every night at Just The Tonic, it’s a brilliant brand new dating show, which is hosted by my misses & me! 

What is your favourite thing about Edinburgh as a city?

Everything, the people, the surrounding scenery, the old style buildings, the cheap Lidl on Nichols street, the free samples of fudge in the fudge shop, the quiet walk home through the meadows at the end of each night, the value for money food in the mosque kitchen… the list is endless, what’s not to love about this city!

What are your plans for after the festival?

Sleep, Tour, sleep, tour, write, rest, tour, eat loads of food!

GET YOUR TICKETS FOR PATRICK MONAHAN: ‘#GOALS’ HERE

LILY LOVETT AND PATRICK MONAHAN: DATE NIGHT

THE EDINBURGH INTERVIEWS 2018

Eleanor Tiernan: The Edinburgh Interviews 2018

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Who? Eleanor Tiernan
What? Success Without A Sex Tape
Where? Banshee Labyrinth (venue 156)
When? 13:40

Are you prepared for what this year’s Edinburgh Fringe has in store for you?

Yes I am all over it in that all I have done is some google maps searches to see what amenities are in the area I will be staying.  Last year I had to carry a projector into my venue every day and it was quite heavy. That meant that the by the second week my spine was shaped like a cheese twist. Luckily there was a great massage therapist nearby to unravel the knots. This year I don’t need to carry a projector but I may engineer some discomfort in another way so I have an excuse to go back.

What is the premise of your Edinburgh show this year?

My show is about trying to survive in the world without doing a sex tape. Is it even possible? Who knows! Readers might think it selfish of me not to share details of my intimate life but I am willing to not be popular for the sake of others who wish to live without others opinions on our bedroom activities.

© Idil Sukan

What was the biggest obstacle you face(d) while putting this show together?

The biggest obstacle was too many people asking to see my sex tape. I told them I hadn’t made one but they wouldn’t listen. The constant interruptions made life hell.

Who would most enjoy your show?

Hollywood producers, powerful TV commissioners and casting agents who are looking for a fair haired woman 5’7″ who can write with her left hand and answer phones with a charming lilt.

Do you have any other Edinburgh show recommendations?

Yes I would urge you to go and see Hayley Ellis if you like comedy about pigeons and also Gráinne Maguire who is the sharpest tool in the box.

What is your favourite thing about Edinburgh as a city?

I like the light at dusk. It’s soothing and close to when I get my tea. Usually, I try to get up on a rooftop at some point during the festival for a night time bevvy under the stars. It lends an unearned air of romance to the undertaking of going to the Fringe.

What are your plans for after the festival?

Sleeeeeep.

GET YOUR TICKETS FOR ELEANOR TIERNAN: ‘SUCCESS WITHOUT A SEX TAPE’ HERE

THE EDINBURGH INTERVIEWS 2018