Comedians

Christmas Round Up

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The Christmas period presented multiple comedy gems to our television screens last month, and here is a summary of a few of my particular favourites:

Derek

Ricky Gervais’ Derek reached its natural conclusion with a wedding, a fight and a baby. Gervais has shown a great subtlety in his writing that I had not noticed in his other projects that often displayed, in fact, quite the opposite. I found the episode to be dealt with sensitively and with great humour, with the character of Derek remaining endearing yet dignified throughout, as was noticeable from this year’s series two. Available on 4OD.

House of Fools

House of Fools has been one of my favourite sitcoms since it first aired in early 2014, as it is written by, and stars, the incredible Vic and Bob. This Christmas spectacular presented many problems for the duo: Erik has demanded a particular bobble hat for his present but it has been set on fire. The strange gathering must set off to steal a replacement, and meet Father Christmas (Reece Shearsmith) on the way. Available on BBC iPlayer.

Not Going Out

Not Going Out has been consistently and delightfully cringe-worthy with frequent small laughs and a few brilliant lines per episode (and there have been an impressive seven series, so that’s some great feat). This final episode did not disappoint, and audiences were finally given an answer to the age-old question: will Lee and Lucy ever actually become a couple? Available on BBC iPlayer.

Gadget Man

Richard Ayoade returned with a Gadget Man’s Guide to Christmas with special guests Adam Hills, Jessica Hynes, Stephen Merchant, Jonathan Ross, Reece Shearsmith and Robert Webb. With a wonderful array of toys and vehicles and strange household items, Ayoade presented us with an entirely new take on Christmas gifts and dinners. Available on 4OD.

Charlie Brooker’s 2014 Wipe

Charlie Brooker brought his infamous positive little rays of sunshine to Christmas by overviewing a seemingly awful year for everyone in the entire universe. From Farage to Ebola, Charlie’s typically sarcastic and cutting commentary overed it all, with help from Barry Shitpeas and Philomena Cunk. I should probably warn off people who are prone to depression from watching this programme but Brooker’s wit really takes the edge off, as does the wonderful song at the end. Available on BBC iPlayer.

Man Down

Man Down has to be one of my favourite new sitcoms from the past couple of years because it stars a couple of my most loved comedians: Greg Davies and Roisin Conaty. The Christmas episode was a beautiful tribute to the late Rik Mayall, who played Dan’s father in the show, and sent both Mayall himself, and the character he played, off in a hilarious but touching fashion. Available on 4OD.

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December: Comedian Of The Month #11, Nish Kumar

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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.

Nish Kumar is a comedian who I have known of for a while but hadn’t seen too much of his stuff until recently. He is a part of a particular group of my favourites who happen to be television regulars (though Nish himself is someone I would definitely like to see on the television more). As a “British, Asian gentleman”, Kumar has faced his fair share of daily aggravations from the moronic proportion of the British public, and he has turned it into something hilarious.

Kumar is a wonderful observational comic, picking out the humorous parts of both the strange, and relatively mundane, experiences he has, to great effect. Like all great comedians, he talks about what he knows, be that awkward encounters with his parents or talking to girls.

He has a particular piece of material that I like very much that regards the attitudes of people concerning what is comedy and completely shuts down people who stupidly suggest that if it’s not funny, it’s just not comedy anymore. I always find these little elements of frustrated truth to be the funniest, because it’s such a relief to laugh at these irritating things.

Nish’s style of comedy is very approachable, with him being both well-spoken yet subtly self-depreciating, which allows an audience to feel at ease with him, as if he is an old friend, which is a great trait for a performer to have. I certainly look forward to seeing more of Nish Kumar in the future as he is undeniably a very funny man (with beautiful eyes).

Follow Nish on Twitter and for further information, visit his website.

NOVEMBER COMEDIAN OF THE MONTH

This Year In Comedy, Part 2

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2014 was the year that truly proved that the British comedy scene is an exciting place to be. But with all things in life, there have been ups and downs and the industry has lost some of its brightest talents this year.

Two of these, for myself in particular, hurt the most. Star of The Young Ones, Rik Mayall passed away suddenly on June 9th, as a result of a heart attack after his morning run. The news was a shock to everyone, especially as Rik was only 56. Rik Mayall was a shining light in the world of comedy: he was kind, clever, and never afraid to act like a fool. He didn’t take himself too seriously and managed to bring out the inner child in all who watched his hilarious on-screen performances. Television suffered a great loss when Mayall died this year, particularly as he was due to be recording a second series of the magnificently funny Man Down (starring Greg Davies, Roisin Conaty and Mike Wozniak) that summer.

Rik Mayall

Rik Mayall

Two months later, the beloved Robin Williams, who will always have a special place in my heart as Mrs Doubtfire, tragically died on August 11th after a long period of severe depression. The world was silenced to hear this, especially, I gather, people currently working as comics who had worked with him or been inspired by him when they were young.

Every generation knew Robin Williams. His acting credits are endless, including Mork and Mindy, Mrs Doubtfire and Flubber to name a few, as well as being an iconic stand up comedian. The story of what happened is heartbreaking, but at least something positive came out of it: in the days that passed after the world received the news, people slowly started tweeting, blogging and, most importantly, talking about depression. Robin Williams taught the world that mental illness is all around us, even in the places where you might not expect to find it, and his legacy as a fantastic actor and comedian will stay with us all for decades to come.

Robin Williams

Robin Williams

2014 brought about the natural end to various loved sitcoms. The seventh, and final, series of Not Going Out was broadcast throughout October, November and December, with the final ever episode airing on Christmas Eve. As well as this, Miranda Hart announced that the final episodes of her playfully childish television hit Miranda were to be aired on Christmas and New Year’s Day, after having spanned three series.

As if this year hadn’t had its fair share of controversies, Vine celebrity, Dapper Laughs (Daniel O’Reilly) dug himself a hole when his awful and misogynistic television show On The Pull was aired on ITV in October. The “comedian” had been previously criticised for his comments regarding women and his horrendous rape “jokes” so it was no surprise that an online petition was launched to get Dapper Laughs off of our television screens. When this petition was successful, some complained that it was a denial of free speech and a dangerous act of censorship, but quite frankly, I think the danger came from the way O’Reilly fed and encouraged rape culture through his own stupidity; in my eyes, he committed a crime. But no fear, he will, of course, be back in 2015, so he wasn’t really sorry at all.

To end on a positive note, however, for the first time in five years, Never Mind The Buzzcocks has found a permanent host in the incredible funny Rhod Gilbert. Rhod is absolutely brilliant at hosting the programme; he is eloquent, witty and sarcastic and has already been successful in developing a comfortable and, most importantly, funny atmosphere.

2014 has been a year of many surprises, some good and some bad. I hope 2015 is equally as interesting and even more funny. Happy New Year!

READ PART ONE OF MY YEAR ROUNDUP HERE.

This Year In Comedy, Part 1

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2014 has been a massive year for comedy in Britain;

There have been countless brand new television programmes broadcast this year, with some of my favourites including Uncle, House of Fools, Doll & Em, The Walshes, Inside No.9, Alan Davies: As Yet Untitled and Siblings. In this sense, 2014 has certainly proven itself to be twelve months of creativity and innovation in comedy, which will pave the way for televised comedy in the future.

As well as new projects, there have been many top-quality programmes that returned to our screens this year. Noel Fielding’s Luxury Comedy: Tales From Painted Hawaii was a special one for me, as Noel Fielding is my comedy hero, and considering the fact that the first series was broadcast all the way back in January 2012. Ricky Gervais’ Derek, Toast of London (Matt Berry) and Big School (David Walliams and Catherine Tate) returned for a second series and the brilliantly funny Friday Night Dinner came back with a third.

Noel Fielding's Luxury Comedy

Noel Fielding’s Luxury Comedy

At the beginning of the year, the BBC announced that they were to make a conscious effort to include at least one woman on every episode of every panel show broadcast by the corporation, and it inspired me to write this post. It’s fair to say that to begin with, I was disheartened. I felt embarrassed that female comedians were being made to look like poor little lambs that can’t fend for themselves as it is absolute nonsense. However, the situation improved later on in the year (which I also documented here) as the thirteenth series of Mock The Week aired and so many talented female comics were given the screen time they deserve. It is my hope from here on in that people forget about the publicised rule and appreciate that these women have earned their right to be on these programmes, and acknowledge their immense talent.

Another shock announcement was that there are plans for the channel BBC3 to be axed in order to fund other projects within the BBC. Amongst other things, the broadcaster wants to create a BBC1+1 which seems pointless as we already have iPlayer, and the decision has, understandably, not been well received. We are told that when BBC3 disappears from our TV screens, it will still be available via BBC iPlayer. Maybe we are just reluctant to give in to the age of the computers, but it definitely feels like the space for new comedy on television is being made smaller by moving its main platform online. “We know those +1 channels are very important to people”, well, Mr Cohen, so is our comedy.

Winner of this year's Fosters Comedy Award: John Kearns

Winner of this year’s Fosters Comedy Award: John Kearns

The Edinburgh Festival this year saw a new winner of the Fosters Comedy Award crowned. John Kearns’ show Shtick is the first Free Fringe show to have ever won the award. There have also been some HUGE live comedy tours this year from the likes of Russell Howard, Miranda Hart, Sarah Millican and Noel Fielding, as well as the return of Monty Python for five nights of nostalgic silliness at the O2 Arena.

COME BACK NEXT WEEK TO READ PART TWO OF THIS YEAR IN COMEDY

The British Comedy Awards 2014

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2014 has been a fantastic year for British Comedy, and The British Comedy Awards exists to showcase a large proportion of that to the public.

Last year’s post about the British Comedy Awards ceremony was largely negative, as a result of the production rather than the comedy being nominated and awarded. The show was aired live, which meant that mistakes could not be hidden and the timing issues were obvious, with some speeches having to be cut short which seemed outrageous. This year, however, the programme aired on Channel 4 on December 17th, rather than live, on December 16th, which meant the whole affair appeared far more professional and respectable, if a little fake, to the television audience.

It was a delight to see the wonderful Harry Enfield receive three awards (individually for Best TV Comedy Actor and teamed with Paul Whitehouse (Harry & Paul) for Best Sketch Show and Best Comedy Moment). Katherine Parkinson (The IT Crowd) also won Best TV Comedy Actress, which I think is incredibly well-deserved and so endearing to see how shocked she was to be recognised. Matt Berry was nominated for a whopping six awards, though he lost to Nick Helm for Best Comedy Breakthrough Artist, which is just as it should be seeing as Berry has been a television comic for over a decade. I’m a big fan of Berry’s Toast of London; it was great to see such a strange style of sitcom win an award for once.

The person I was most pleased to see win an award was certainly Aisling Bea, who won Best Female TV Comic. Seeing this absolute ray of sunshine crawl onto stage in her dress and heels and inadvertently turn herself into a “hospital DJ,” made me laugh so much and just proved that Aisling is a funny woman through and through. I am unbelievably pleased for her and can’t wait to see what this award does for her career in the coming year. Another beautiful moment was hearing an emotional speech from Brendan O’Carroll (Mrs Brown’s Boys), who was rightly awarded with the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain Award.

It’s easy to be cynical whilst watching such a grandiose display of wealth and status, and there were times throughout the production where I did feel like the spirit of British Comedy was being exploited, but, unlike Stewart Lee, I chose to ignore that this year. From the position of a viewer rather than a performer, I can see that The British Comedy Awards gives comics a platform to boost their careers or give them recognition for their lifetime achievements, and that can only be a good thing in my opinion, however unfair you believe the results to be. Out of the nominees for King or Queen of Comedy, however, Greg Davies will always win in the end.

I think my favourite part of the whole affair was hearing Tulisa say “I’m a big comedy fan.” Yes, that part made me laugh the most.

Seven Questions With… Josie Long

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The name Josie Long is one that every comedy lover will know, and is a name that brings a smile to the faces of many, including myself. Josie is a loveable and sweet yet sharp-tongued and foul-mouthed stand up comic whose material spans from the fantastical to the satirical. She is a bright and positive light shining through the cracks of an often bitter and brutal comedy industry, and, beginning stand up comedy at the age of fourteen, here we have a lady who was quite simply born to perform.
To learn more from this fascinating comedian, I asked Josie these seven questions…

1) What is your favourite day of the week?

I like Thursdays. I usually have some time to write, and spend the day in my office with my friends Neil and Bryony who run Arts Emergency. Plus the place downstairs does Ethiopian food at lunchtime and it is great!

2) Biggest misconception someone could have about you?

That I like pointless twee tat. I like things that have a lot of functionality to them. I do really like homemade things, but I don’t like that many things that are purely decorative or too silly.

3) How would you define your ‘audience’?

I feel so lucky to have such kind and friendly people at my gigs. Is it too shallow and stupid to say they look really cool? I think my dream crowd is on a wavelength with me- so earnest, slightly awkward nerds are probably my dream audience. It’s interesting though I think – because I do a lot of different types of things, my audience can vary a lot; sometimes it’s a very political crowd, and sometimes it’s more people who’ve heard me on radio 4. Other times it’s just drunk people who don’t want to be there!

Photo: Giles Smith

Photo: Giles Smith

4) What is your opinion on poetry?

I love reading poetry. I wish that everybody read more poetry. There is so much out there to discover. There’s a poetry library in the RFH on the South Bank and it’s such a brilliant place to go and just enjoy finding new poets.  I like poetry because you can always dip in and out of reading it. You’ve always got time to read a short poem, and they can capture something so important or so beautiful that they can profoundly help you, or stir you, or challenge you. And you might just be reading it in five minutes on the bus and POW that’s your life changed!

5) What are you driven by in life?

I think I just like the idea that I could keep trying new things and meeting interesting people. I really want to get better as a writer and as a performer too. I would also say I am quite heavily free meal/canapé/free sparkling wine/free travel motivated. I will take pretty much any gig if there is free food or a jolly involved. Other than work, I am driven by trying to do things for the people I love and trying to make the world a better place in my own silly way.

6) What is your favourite thing on TV right now?

I’ve been watching The Fall with Gillian Anderson on iPlayer and it’s very good. I think she’s a fantastic actor.

7) Is being a performer the best therapy?

TV Review: Never Mind The Buzzcocks, Series 28

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Never Mind The Buzzcocks has entered it’s 28th series and what could possibly make this all-inclusive and sharp-witted musical-based panel show any better? Rhod Gilbert, that’s what.

There are an array of valid reasons as to why my love Buzzcocks never falters, with Noel Fielding being pretty high up on that list, of course. Not only does this panel show exhibit a rare trait, being that it welcomes those people, mostly comedians and musicians, who aren’t necessarily the most popular in their field, but also because it is timeless: Buzzcocks gives us a break from politics and satire and focuses purely on music and funny things.

And Rhod Gilbert truly is the icing on the cake, with his deadpan sarcasm and astute comic timing. He makes the tasking job of hosting such a programme look effortless whilst inviting his contestants to get involved and partaking in hilarious small talk that is obviously unscripted.

It is easiest to observe Gilbert’s talent when we compare it to the countless other celebrities who have sat in the hosting chair over the past five series since Simon Amstell’s departure in 2008. Think back to the episodes of Dizzee Rascal, Peter Andre, Jack Whitehall and James Corden, just to name a few, for name’s sake. Everyone did well; they had the correct level of control over the teams whilst maintaining a relaxed, enjoyable atmosphere, they successfully read their lines, they earned quite a few laughs.

Though many guest hosts have simply got the job done and little more, a rare few have shown great skill and ease whilst sat in the hosting chair, such as Adam Buxton, Sir Terry Wogan, Alice Cooper and musical comedian Alex Horne. I am a firm believer that a great host, with a firm hold over contestants and audience alike, can really make a panel show brilliant.

This new series of Buzzcocks has also welcomed many excellent comedic talents, with Roisin Conaty, Sara Pascoe, Katherine Ryan, Aisling Bea, Joe Lycett, James Acaster, Paul Foot, Romesh Ranganathan and Bobby Mair being amongst some of my favourites.

The Never Mind The Buzzcocks Christmas special is on Monday on BBC2. You can catch up with the rest of the series on iPlayer.

Review: Bramall Comedy Night, Suzi Ruffell, Caimh McDonnell & Paul Sinha

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This Thursday saw the second instalment of the University of Birmingham’s brand new monthly comedy night, with three new fantastic comedians on the bill.

Compèred by the impressively quick-witted Suzi Ruffell, this small audience felt at ease within minutes and the atmosphere was comfortable: ready for some sophisticated Thursday night comedy. Ruffell showed great skill while compèring; she was friendly and enthusiastic but her role definitely felt more like any other act on the bill, which I definitely prefer as often compères can border on annoying, in my opinion.

Suzi’s material was charmingly open, with topics ranging from adolescence to drunken shopping, and her delivery was self-assured yet the emotional nature of her material meant that she allowed herself to be vulnerable whilst on stage, which made for an interesting combination.

Suzi-Ruffell

Suzi Ruffell © Andy Hollingworth Archive

Next, Irish comic Caimh McDonnell was welcomed to the stage, bringing his brilliant energy with him. With personal anecdotes about his wife and time living in both London and Manchester, McDonnell was able to establish a connection with his audience effortlessly, making us feel as though we all want him to be our friend, or that he already was so. I really enjoyed Caimh’s set, particularly the fact he brought a large wall clock on stage with him as he didn’t have a watch. I’ll definitely be on the look out for more of his stuff in the future, as I’d never heard of him previously but thought he was hilarious.

Paul Sinha brought an air of calm with him into the room with his steady-paced, straight-faced delivery of incredibly sarcastic lines. I have been a fan of Sinha since seeing him on series one of Stewart Lee’s brilliant show: The Alternative Comedy Experience, and he certainly didn’t disappoint. His set was endearingly honest, with frequent reference to the fact he is gay, and the implications this has had with various aspects of his life, such as his father’s amusing response when he found out. Whilst on stage, this comedian is very in control. He is steady and stable but not afraid to be silly or self-depreciating. On top of all of this, he is absolutely excellent.

This small-scale monthly comedy night in Birmingham is a wonderful (and cheap) event that allows us to see comics we might not necessarily have heard of before, or that aren’t currently touring the country with their shows. If you live nearby, I urge you to take a look.

SEVEN QUESTIONS… WITH SUZI RUFFELL

BRAMALL COMEDY NIGHTS

TV Review: Toast Of London, Series 2

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The king of voiceovers, the prize idiot, the most unsuccessful actor ever to grace our television screens: Steven Toast is back.

Matt Berry is a true talent who has proved he is able to play a huge variety of different roles, but each character always has that signature Berry-style about them, and that’s what makes him so enjoyable to watch. Series two comes armed with recurring jokes from the first series, with appearances from Ray “Bloody” Purchase and regular and consistently awkward conversations with the delightfully irritating Clem Fandango.

Steven Toast has an air of self-importance and a clear sense of disgust and disregard for anyone else, despite him often being the one portrayed as the fool in a wonderful example of dramatic irony. This dramatic irony is what makes the series so entertaining and even painful to watch in some places; Toast is an arrogant cretin who says and does the most terrible things, yet the joke is always on him.

With its offbeat storylines accompanied by incredible and hilarious musical interludes (written and performed by Berry), Toast Of London is peculiar, rapidly changing and absolutely outrageous. The stable and sarcastic character of Ed Howzer-Black (Robert Bathurst) compliments Toast’s childish pedantry brilliantly, with his dead-pan delivery of such horrendous lines. As well as Bathurst, Doon Mackichan is a delight to watch, playing Toast’s agent, Jane Pleugh. Mr Pleugh gets the limelight in one of my favourite scenes of the series, her incredibly funny acid trip in episode four (“High Winds Actor”). The new instalment of Toast Of London also includes appearances from the likes of Peter Davison (Doctor Who), Matthew Holness (Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace), Morgana Robinson (House of Fools), Steve Pemberton (The League of Gentlement) and Terry Mynott (The Mimic).

Toast of London has been accused by some of being sexist but surely it is satirical. Steven Toast is a man that we aren’t supposed to really like. He’s a moron; an egotistical snob who’s career really isn’t going anywhere. The show is often uncomfortable and intentionally distasteful, smooth to the extent that the sarcasm can be missed, to the point that watchers may be inclined to look away from the screen or cover their ears. My reading, however, is a positive one. Many parts of the show I found unnecessary, such as the sheer amount of nudity in every episode, as I generally don’t think a good comedy needs to hide behind crude references in order to be funny; Toast could do without it, though it’s likely that this aspect is relied upon for Toast’s own character development.

The second series of Toast of London has taught me a lot about my own taste in comedy, and the more I think about the programme, the more I realise how much I enjoyed watching it.

CATCH UP WITH TOAST OF LONDON, SERIES TWO ON 4OD.

Podcast Review: Richard Herring’s Leicester Square Theatre Podcast

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When Richard Herring shouts “RHLSTP!” to his audience at the Leicester Square Theatre, they holler it back instantaneously, and at twice the volume. It immediately becomes clear that I’ve stumbled across a society, a cult, and something that I want to be a part of.

Beginning the podcast in 2012, Herring has now hosted over fifty interviews of at least an hour per episode. With a rich array of popular guests, ranging from the wave of newer, trendy comics like James Acaster, Sara Pascoe and Katherine Ryan, to the classics, including Steve Coogan and Tim Minchin, this podcast has something for everyone, be that comedy-obsessive, like me, or not. Herring is an expert. He combines his sometimes childish nature with excellent wit, sarcasm and often surrealism in a perfect balance that enables viewers and listeners to be educated as well as entertained. Both he and his guests clearly enjoy the discussions they have, and in turn, I thoroughly enjoy listening to them, and will continue to do so until there are no episodes left to hear.

richard herring

If you are looking for in depth insight into the comedy industry, I recommend you start with Sara Pascoe’s interview. I also particularly enjoyed her episode because I think she is an incredibly interesting person, with a great philosophy about her which I could listen to all day long. As with these podcasts, if you don’t normally listen to them, it is so important that you listen to the ones with comics you don’t know as well as the ones with people you do. This works to both the comic’s benefit and your’s, by enabling listeners to be introduced to new names. And there are so many new names.

Despite these podcasts already working on the basis of paying whatever you want to, whatever you think the show deserves, and whatever you are able to pay: in yet another act of generosity, Richard has decided to release the latest batch of RHLSTP episodes as videos on Youtube, which are normally only available to paying listeners. As a person who can’t afford to pay for these podcasts right now, I feel it is only right to spread the word about these hidden gems of the internet. They’re perfect for long car journeys or to fill time when you should be working, and they also teach us a great deal about the secrets of the industry. We even get some gossip, which is always a plus in my book.

You can, and should, listen to and download Richard Herring’s Leicester Square Theatre Podcast via his website, or on iTunes. It would also be brilliant if all of you that are able to could pay something towards the running of the show.