Radio

Josie Long: Romance and Adventure

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Josie Long’s latest creative venture comes in the form of Radio 4 sitcom Romance and Adventure, a programme about 30-something-year-old Josie who has recently lost her job at her local library and, having lived in London all her life, has decided to pack up and move to Glasgow. Written by and starring Josie Long and produced by Colin Anderson, it seems that Romance and Adventure has gradually evolved over a good few years, sharing its title with Long’s 2012 Edinburgh show and having had a pilot air on Radio 4 in 2014.

Romance and Adventure is reminiscent of Katy Brand’s debut novel Brenda Monk Is Funny in the sense that it works to capture the spirit of Scotland, with both writers seeming to take the view that the country is massively under-appreciated. Long’s salutation to Glasgow, however, is not so much focussed on comedy, showing perhaps that writing about what you know doesn’t mean you simply have to write about your job. And one can’t help but wonder if the job of a librarian is something that Josie Long would love to do.

Josie-Long-in-Romance-and-Adventure

© BBC

There are frequent allusions to autobiography, with some of the dramatised Josie’s confessional monologues being very reminiscent of the comedian’s own stand up, which is remarkably honest in itself. But this character isn’t merely a mouthpiece for Josie’s own views. If that were so, there would be far more room made for political comment of which fans of Long are used to. Although there is the odd anti-Tory remark, causing the occasional surprising splutter of laughter, these stand out all the more against the day-dream-like fantasy. And that is what listening to Romance and Adventure feels like: living in a day dream.

As the episodes progress, London begins to represent ‘real-life’ as it were, and Glasgow a distinctly timeless Utopia that we all secretly wish we could escape to. Romance and Adventure is blissfully easy listening and shows us a more vulnerable side to Josie Long as a creative performer. With her trademark openness and relatability, Long demonstrates an admirable respect for the role comedy plays in communication and emotional wellbeing.

LISTEN TO JOSIE LONG’S ‘ROMANCE AND ADVENTURE’

SEVEN QUESTIONS WITH JOSIE LONG

Ask The Expert: Sian Harries (Writer)

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Sian Harries is a comedy writer and performer who has recently worked on television shows such as Man Down and Never Mind The Buzzcocks as well as writing and performing in the radio sketch show Here Be Dragons. Sian is currently working on a new sitcom project with her husband, comedian Rhod Gilbert, and has recently announced that a third series of Man Down is also currently in the works.
To gain insight into the career of a comedy writer, I asked Sian a few questions about her work…

1) What is the biggest perk of being a comedy writer?

Getting to laugh a lot every day with some of my favourite people. My husband Rhod and I are writing a sitcom together and last Friday we were in a meeting discussing it with Henry Normal when he said “isn’t it wonderful that it’s Friday afternoon and we’re laughing about dirty underwear and this is our job?”

It also means I am never bored as I can find the funny in anything. I think it was all those years spent going to church as a child and being forced to sit and do nothing but be in my brain for an hour. I’d make up relationships between the vicar and the old ladies in the choir stalls; affairs, scandals, you name it. By the time it was over it was like I was watching an episode of Dynasty.

2) How was your experience writing for Man Down?

Writing a sitcom is hard. I think Greg once described it as “trying to do a jigsaw designed by Satan” and I’d take it one step further and say it’s like “trying to do a jigsaw designed by Satan, that you’re trying to finish in record time as your mother hoovers around you.” There were days where I thought I’d be sick with laughter making up hosts of funny characters and acting them out with Greg and Steve; other days where all we’d done was drink far too much coffee and written down the phrase “oh Bobby!”

Rik Mayall dying was such a shock. We’d written for him on the first series and he was our childhood hero. The day of his funeral we all abandoned our work and drove to Brighton, in a car with no roof, playing The Smiths very loudly, got smashed and went on a log flume. I don’t know why but it seemed rebellious and a bit Rik-like I suppose. It was extra difficult because a few weeks later Greg’s real life dad died as well. So that Christmas Special episode was incredibly poignant for us and we knew we had to address Rik dying. You can’t not mention the king is dead. To us he was irreplaceable.

Here Be Dragons

The cast of Here Be Dragons, with Sian Harries (3rd from right)

3) Are there any unexpected differences you have found between writing for TV and writing for radio?

I love writing for both TV and Radio. With TV I love how you can have a small visual gag happen in the background to undercut something a character is saying e.g. in the first series of Man Down I wrote a scene where Dom the guru is giving a motivational speech whilst in the background several ornaments are being knocked over by his enormous bottom.

Radio however, is far more freeing, you aren’t limited to what can happen within that little space. The audience have to use their imaginations so you can set radio comedy pretty much anywhere you want without spending any money. Furthermore, because less money is being spent, it also means there are fewer people in nice jackets telling you what you can and can’t do.

4) Would you rather be performing or working behind the scenes?

I think the dream for me is to write something I think is hilarious and then to perform it the exact way I imagined it being done. Although there are plenty of times I’ll write for someone else and I’m blown away with how funny they make it themselves. I have no interest in doing stand up. I far prefer it when I’ve learnt a scene off by heart and I’m working with people I find funny and I can mess around with. I would hate to be recognised in the street like Rhod is, it’s not for me. I enjoy leaving the house looking like shit too much to go back to having to think about my outfits. It’d be like being a self-conscious fifteen year old again. I also love eavesdropping too much, listening out for funny bits of dialogue or exchanges, and you can’t do that if you’re recognised.

5) Who would you most like to write a role for?

The ideal person I would write for would be Judy Dench as I think her comic timing is impeccable. I saw her in a brilliant  play called The Vote and I think she said the F-word and it brought the whole house down. She reminds me so much of my wonderful late grandmother and it’d be a dream to have her play a character I’d based on her. There are so many women I’d love to write for though; Julia Davis, Jennifer Saunders, Emma Thompson, Celia Imrie, Alison Steadman, Sharon Horgan… far too many to list.

ASK THE EXPERT…

A Week In The Life

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I thought I’d try something different today and post something I watched/listened to that was comedy-related for each working day of last week. Many of these items will probably evolve into a separate post in the coming months so this is a small taster for that I guess.

Monday: Henning Wehn: No Surrender!

There isn’t a lot on on Monday nights, apparently, so this week I start watching Henning Wehn’s 2013 stand-up show as I bought it months ago and he’s one of my favourite comedians. I only watched an hour or so on Monday because I have to fit all this in between my GCSE exams that take up so much time! But what I should say, even though I’ve said it before, is that Henning Wehn deserves a way bigger audience than he has- I think he is hilarious because he takes the German stereotype and gives us what many people secretly expect, then goes beyond that. For example, his first stand up DVD was called My Struggle and I don’t think it gets any more stereotypical than that: I love it.

Tuesday: Sweat The Small Stuff

I regularly watch popular panel shows as they are a great way of finding new comedy talent and are generally just nice, easy viewing and although I don’t make an effort to watch every episode of Sweat The Small Stuff like I do for other shows, I enjoy it here and there. Series three is currently showing on BBC Three and this week I caught up with episode five as my April Comedian of the Month, Bobby Mair, was a guest. This episode really made me laugh and Bobby definitely stole the show (though I may be biased). Every single week the challenge for Melvin and Rochelle gets more and more awkward and it’s brilliant: this one was brilliant; you should definitely check it out.

derek

Wednesday: Derek

Watching Derek is currently one of the comedy highlights of my week: it is an absolute beauty of a show and I recommend you all watch it (I’m going to write up a proper post when the series has finished). This week, Derek, along with residents of the old peoples home and manager Hannah, visited the zoo and it was genuinely such a lovely piece of television. Derek in no way ridicules anyone with learning difficulties, or old people. In fact, it doesn’t ridicule anyone the show is very inclusive. There are a few big laughs each episode, along with a few tears. I am always left feeling happy after watching Derek because it leaves us with life lessons and also makes me laugh, a lot.

Thursday: Jonah From Tonga

I’ve talked before about how wonderful I think Chris Lilley is, and yet again will probably talk about this programme more extensively in a separate post so will keep this brief. Lilley’s work feels timeless to me as although this is new programme, it has the same feel as Summer Heights High from 2008 yet doesn’t bore me in the slightest. This man can effortlessly switch from playing a teenage girl to a camp drama teacher to a Tongan school drop-out and it is remarkable. Jonah is also a character from Summer Heights High and has always been one of my favourites so I look forward to where this new show will take us.

fubar radio

Friday: Fubar Radio

Fubar Radio is a brand new radio station that I was lucky enough to grab a free year’s subscription to due to a code from Richard Herring (not personally don’t get excited though he did tweet me once). I first heard about Fubar through Joey Page on Twitter who I think is really funny so wanted to hear more from him etc and I have completely fallen in love with it. Joey could tell you himself that I am in regular contact with the show which is every Friday from 1pm until 4pm: I just can’t help myself. His show is so easy to listen to and the music choices are on top form (except for that time they kept playing Beck and I got really self-conscious). But yeah, I really enjoy listening to the Joey Page Show on Fubar and would recommend it to anyone, not just comedy fans. But seriously, if you are a comedy fan, you WILL faint when you see the rest of Fubar’s lineup.

As well as all of this, I make sure I listen to my favourite podcast, The Comedian’s Comedian every morning before school as it helps me forget that I am about to go to school (yet it’s a pretty intellectual podcast so I don’t need to feel too guilty).

So that was a little comedy-style week in the life of Becca and I hope I’ve brought some new shows to your attention or just entertained you for five minutes, who knows?