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Focus On: Just the Tonic

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Image courtesy of Johnny Vegas

Back in February, Just the Tonic celebrated the launch of their latest comedy night venue. Art-deco in its style and boasting a large, open main room, the Assembly in Leamington Spa is steeped in history. And while the Grade II listed building originally served as a dance hall and later a music venue, it will soon see the likes of Paul Foot, Hal Cruttenden and Daliso Chaponda gracing its stage.

Leamington’s first Just the Tonic comedy night was held on February 8 2020 and featured stand up from Andrew O’Neill, Matt Richardson, Guz Khan and headliner Reginald D. Hunter. JTT owner Darrell Martin oversaw the launch: ‘Our first night in Leamington was amazing,’ Darrell tells MoodyComedy, ‘We had a bit of trouble as the doorman turned up late, so we had a rather annoyed queue outside for a while. But, once everyone got in, the night was so good that, I think, all was forgiven. The comedians loved the room (and who wouldn’t?), and the audience left very happy. We are really looking forward to the upcoming shows. There’s going to be some great comedy nights in The Assembly with Just the Tonic.’

Not only is Just the Tonic one of the Edinburgh Fringe’s biggest institutions, but the company also has clubs in Birmingham, Camden, Leicester, Nottingham, Reading and Watford, with all venues hosting regular Saturday comedy club nights.

And the excitement of new comedic possibility isn’t just limited to us Midlanders. It was announced last month that Johnny Vegas would be making a return to stand up comedy. Having not performed stand up in over a decade, Vegas has chosen Just the Tonic’s venues to facilitate his comeback.

In February, Vegas compered Just the Tonic’s Leicester and Reading venues, and in March he will be doing the same in Birmingham (March 6) and Nottingham (March 21). There are still a few tickets available for both of these comedy nights, and we can expect further dates to be added for JTT’s other venues soon.

The second Just the Tonic Leamington Spa comedy night is this Saturday (March 7) and tickets are available here.

Felicity Ward: The Edinburgh Interviews 2018

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© Philip Gatward

Who? Felicity Ward
What? Busting A Nut
Where? Pleasance Courtyard, Pleasance Above (venue 33)
When? 21:00

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

If it’s anything like the last 7 years, no.

What is the premise of your Edinburgh show this year?

That I haven’t been to Edinburgh for two years so I’ve put everything I’ve written in the meantime together. So the theme is: I think this is funny and it’s all I got, kid.

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

That I thought I would have written two hours of material in that time and be editing back to a neat 55 minutes… that is not the case. Ha.

Who would most enjoy your show?

People who enjoy seeing fast paced, rambunctious comedy.

Do you have any other Edinburgh show recommendations?

So many! Suzi Ruffell. Rose Matafeo. Nish Kumar. Eleanor Tiernan. Rosie Jones. Kate Berlandt. 

What is your favourite thing about Edinburgh as a city?

Everything. I adore it. The architecture is incredible, set against almost fluorescent green mountains and hills. The people are rad. The food is getting mega fancy too.

What are your plans for after the festival?

I’m on tour in the UK for October/November… why thank you for asking.

GET YOUR TICKETS FOR FELICITY WARD: ‘BUSTING A NUT’ HERE

THE EDINBURGH INTERVIEWS 2018

MoodyComedy’s 4th Birthday Top 10

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Today is MoodyComedy’s 4th birthday, so in order to celebrate we will be taking a trip down memory lane, revisiting the top 10 most-visited articles of all time on MoodyComedy, to serve as a reminder of all the fantastic creatives that the website has championed over the years.

10) Richard Herring’s Leicester Square Theatre Podcast – 6th December 2014

‘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…’

9) Romesh Ranganathan: Asian Provocateur – 28th October 2015

‘Self-confessed ‘coconut’ Romesh Ranganathan has recently embarked on a traditional tour of the country of his heritage, Sri Lanka. Spending each episode with a different distant relative, Romesh has been introduced to various elements of the culture he feels he has been ignoring up until now, and the time has come to share those experiences with the public…’

8) Katherine Ryan: Kathbum – 8th June 2016

‘Katherine Ryan has blossomed over the past year and this is clear from the moment she walks on stage, greeted by bellowing cheers of excitement and endearment. She appears surprisingly relaxed, but humble, explaining her reasons for always bringing a support act with her on tour before progressing towards the heart of the show…’

© Idil Sukan

7) Sara Pascoe and John Robins, Edinburgh Previews – 12th July 2014

‘What I loved most about Pascoe’s show was that she talked very openly regarding her feminist views without leaving a resentful feel in the air: she spoke of liberation and change…’

6) Martin Pilgrim: Why I Quit Comedy – 10th February 2016

‘What was the catalyst for your decision to quit comedy?’

‘I just stopped enjoying it really. I’ve got a fairly tiring day job and I was less and less willing to travel in the evenings. I realised that I’d begun to feel relieved when a gig got cancelled, which is not a good sign. I also realised that I didn’t have anything particularly new or interesting to say…’

5) Top 5 Moments… Shooting Stars – 22nd October 2014

‘Shooting Stars is without doubt the greatest panel show ever made, with it lasting for a healthy six series and spanning from 1993 to 2011. It remains a source of frustration for me that the programme was cancelled in 2011 as it definitely hadn’t exhausted itself in any way…’

© BBC

4) Noel’s Art Club – 7th May 2014

‘Twitter is often used by young and old people alike to stalk their favourite celebrities, express mundane facts and controversial opinions or to sell products to the public. Noel Fielding, however, has recently decided to use the social networking site in a new way…’

3) Seven Questions With… Gus the Fox – 15th February 2015

‘Do you believe there is an afterlife?’

‘Religion’s a funny one. It sort of feels like the whole thing would be redundant by now and everyone would just grow up and stop talking shit but even in this age of enlightenment it feels like there’s still a wave of resurgence and it never goes away…’

2) Seven Questions With… Roisin Conaty – 20th March 2015

‘What makes you laugh?’

‘Everything. Eventually. Life is pretty ridiculous really, I mean, we are spinning in a ball in space. Any part of it slowed down, held up and examined is equally beautiful, tedious, painful and funny…’

1) Seven Questions With… Aisling Bea – 26th June 2015

‘Are you a pleasure to be around?’

‘I am an utter delight when I’ve had a few drinks, but when I’m sober people wonder if I’m drunk or what exactly is happening here…’

© Aisling Bea

It’s been another busy, wonderful year for MoodyComedy. With lots of things happening behind the scenes (I’ve been writing for other publications including Fest and Cardiff’s Quench Magazine, which gives me the opportunity to get articles printed and distributed all across the UK), there are countless opportunities up ahead that I hope to make the most of in the coming months.
Thanks for sticking with me! Here’s to another year.
Becca x

MoodyComedy: An Update

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While the Edinburgh Festival buzz is dying down and the comedy world nestles back into some form of normality, it feels as though this is the perfect time for a catch up. I thought I owed you all some form of update as to what’s been happening behind the scenes with MoodyComedy over the past few months, and what my plan for the next season is.

So, readers will have noticed that MoodyComedy had an Edinburgh interview series running throughout July and August. Over 60 comics performing at this year’s Fringe shed light on their past festival experiences and shared their hopes for the development and performance of their new shows. The series proved to be both funny and enlightening, and it was a pleasure to host so many fantastic names in comedy, both nationally and internationally, on the site.

Fest 2017

I’ve also been branching out to other publications, having had an article published in the Preview 2017 edition of Fest and being appointed Features Editor of Cardiff University’s Quench Magazine (with the first issue of the new academic year being published in October 2017).

But as a university student with a job, various creative endeavours and very high expectations of myself, it’s quite easy to get worn down by it all. In light of this, and because I’m soon to be returning to Cardiff to study, MoodyComedy isn’t going to be quite as busy as it has been over the past couple of months.

My aim is to post at least once a fortnight, perhaps more if creativity strikes, and perhaps less if philosophy essay deadlines loom, but MoodyComedy will still be plodding along, singing the praises of British comedy’s television, stand up and podcasting highlights. And, as always, the focus will be on comedy that interests or inspires me personally, and so I will make efforts to maintain MoodyComedy’s Comedian of the Month feature as this is a way of finding new talent and giving it a boost of some sort. I’ll also continue doing interviews (remember Seven Questions With?!) as and when the opportunity arises.

So, if you’ve stuck with me so far, it’s definitely worth hanging around to see where the ever-changing comedy landscape takes MoodyComedy in the coming months. I might be quieter than usual, but I will always have a passion for comedy and so will never disappear for long.

Keep up to date by following MoodyComedy on Twitter and Facebook, and sign up to the mailing list by entering your email address in the sidebar on the right. Always feel free to get in touch via message or email – it is always a joy to hear from you.

Thank you for your never-ending support,

Becca x

The Edinburgh Interviews 2017: Kat Bond

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© Rosie Collins

Actress and character comic Kat Bond (one half of That Pair) is embarking on a very artistically interesting project at the Edinburgh Festival this year. She has based her debut solo show around one prop: a loo roll. This combination of character comedy, stand up and clowning is set to be packed with energy and original ideas. Kat is performing at the Pleasance Courtyard throughout August.

1) What excites you most about the Edinburgh Festival?

The thrill of the chase.

2) What is your first Edinburgh show about?

It’s about one woman and her Loo Roll essentially. Pat my alter ego (that’s right I changed one letter of my own name) is trying to put on a show about Loo Roll (why not) and it ends up descending into madness with her trying to find her long lost family in the audience. I play all the versions of my family. It’s a character comedy show.

3) Does your comedy attract a certain type of audience?

People with a sparkle in their eye like it. A glimmer of madness. They love it them lot! My audience are a creative bunch – they made their own loo roll bonnets at Mach Fest this year.

4) What is the worst experience you’ve had with Edinburgh accommodation?

Recipe for disaster – mice, one toilet and a man on the edge. Not the title of my next Fringe show but a small insight into my accommodation nightmare.

5) What is your most treasured memory of your comedy career so far?

Recording a Radio 4 show in a super studio. Hopefully lots more treasure to come. I’m excited.

6) What show will you definitely be seeing at the festival this year?

I’ll be seeing James Rowland’s show at Summerhall.

7) What do you hope to gain from the Edinburgh Festival this year?

Flyers. I just love flyers to be honest. So more paper flyers, just flyers oh and love from lots of audience members please.

8) What do you imagine your last ever show will be about?

I imagine if I carry down the toilet theme maybe ‘Kat Bond: Bidet’. Lots of audience members please.

BOOK TICKETS FOR KAT BOND: LOO ROLL, AT THE EDINBURGH FESTIVAL

THE EDINBURGH INTERVIEWS 2017